Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-03-06

hold in the State. God bless our gallant
Armyl
THE BATTLEFIELD OF STONE River,
February /.
To the People Of Ohio:
The Ohio soldiers of the Western Army
your friends, brothers and sons, address you
from this field of renown, in urgent entreaty,
upon matters Of such grave import to them
and to the country, as to demand your calm
and patient audience. Exiles from home for
long weary months, away from the petty strife
of local politics and the influence of selfish
deme gUes and party leaders, with the pure
and steadfast laith in the holy cause of defend
ing our Government which brought us into the
field, and has sustained rs in perils, hardships,
tolls and exposures, which have scarcely par
allel in history, we feel none of the acrimoni-
Gus bitterness that now enters into the igno-
BILE contentious of home politics, and calmly
view the condition of the country from that
only true stand point-the soldiers and pat
riots devotion to the great Republic, once
blessed of all nations
We ask, what means this wild, shameless
party strife at home? why any opposition to
this war of Gelf-preservation why any but
political demagogues should wish a severance
of the Republic wherefore foolish cry for
a cessation of hostifities on our part, to give
time to the traitor rebels to strengthen their
defeuses and discipline their armies? why
should the brave, true men Of the great army
Of the United States. war-broken, toiI-worn
and battle stained, be left without sympathy
or aid from you, men Of Ohio, now enjoying
the blessings of peace, careless of dangers Of
invasion and wars dread terrors, only because
we, your brothers and sons, stand "between
your loved homes and wars desolation"
Arc we not in war ? is not the whole force
Of the Government employed in defending the
nation against gigantic effort to destroy it ?
Has not blood flowed like water, and treasure
expended enough to make rich a nation? Is
it not worth preserving Can two or more
States be carved out peacefully from the pres
ent loved Republic7 Can we give away its
rivers, lands and loyal people to its destroycro?
Can we afford to divide the Republic into con
tending petty States, and be forever the vic
tins of internecine wars between small priuci-
palities? Can we quietly, calmly, and even
complacently, sit by and see the grand Repub-
lie of the world thus cut of and destroyed by
innate weakness? No honest citizen of Ohio
is willing that such should be our fate.
What matters now the cause of the war;
By whose fault, or by the adoption of what
mistaken policy? 1t exists It must be
fought out, or ended by giving up all that it is
waged for. For the sake Of peace to be rio
of the burdens of taxation; for fear Of the
shedding of blood would any basely give uT
bis nation-and become the citizen of a ruined
and dishonOred land?
Then wherefore opposition to the war p
Because particular party is in power? Be-
cause its policy is obnoxious? Because it ha!
committed errors? Because it has thrown tC
its surface and given prominence to bad or in
competent men, or adopted political theories
and sought to make them practical, which are
condemned by many men7 No the remedy
for all these evils, if they exist at all, may b
sought in the quiet but powerful means of the
ballot, which has power in our Government tC
change dynasties, where the armies Of thu
world would fail.
| 1t is thought that peace and voluntary
restoration of the Union may be effected by
compromise? All that has been tried. Dis
dainfully the rebels flung back iu our faee
every profered olive branch, before peaceful
men became armed soldiers and the booming
| of Fort Sumter's cannon, with its terribl,
alarm, called nation to arms. And now, in
sOlent and defiant, they laugh to scorn al
thoughts of peace on any other terms than re
eegnition of their false nationality. They ar
stronger now than then. The despots ant
money changers of Europe have given then
substantial aid to destroy Republic the.
have more powerful armies, abler generals an
fnrer determination than when the rebellio
began. They know their strength and APPEA
TO Ir-not to the poor demagogues of tn
North who afe their allies. They condem
and despise THEM. Read their proclamatiOnS
addresses, army orders and newspapers. A
no time have they even spoken of Norther
friends except as ALLIES IN THE WAR! The
deride the foolish appeals Of their Norther
allies for peace and compromise, and Preclud
all hope of the restoration of the Onion
any terms.
What incalculable mischief is being don
by these Northern allies-their speeches an
newspapers are quoted, and results Of election
reported in Southern papers, as evidence, nc
of any hope of restoring the Union, but
show that the loyal people of the North al
becoming willing to submit to any dishonol
able and humiliating terms of peace, based eve
on a full recognition that this fendish re5e
lion was right, and that it was well to destro
this Government.
People Of Ohio! But one alternative is lie
you You must pronounce this just rebe
lion. You must say that It was right and just
fable to destroy this Republic; that Repul
lie is a weak, helpless Government, powerle
to sustain itself, and to be destroyed whenev'
cOnspirators enough can be rallied for the pu
pose, or you must show so the world the pow,
of self preservation in the great example
Confederate Republics. That it has quie
{ dormant force, which aroused, has gigant
strength and energy. That it not only CO
5 protect its citizens in all of their rights al
), privileges, but can sustain itself as well again
}, foreign attack as internal treason.
: We are fighting for the Republic, to it v
/ have given our hearts, our arms, our lives