Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-09-18
Card from Mr.. Voorhees,.
From the Indianapolis Sentinel. |
To The Soldiers of indiana: dI0g- 2 'i


bound to the same common destiny, desire to
say directly to you few calm and honest words.
As soldiers are brave, they are also Just and
generous, and willing to read and hear both
sides Of all questions before forming final con.
illusions. II I have In any capacity been un-
true to you while engaged In the perilous SER
vice of your country, your resentment, however
severe, would be just. Bat II In every act,
publicly and privately, have kept In view the
interests and happiness of the soldier, know
by every impulse Of the human heart that l
will be sustained by your unbiased judgments.
Within the last three or four weeks q most
wicked, malignant and cruel attempt has been
made BY my political opponents to create deep
To attain this object O system OF the most
astonishing and unparalleled falsehood ever
known In this or any other country has been
adopted. confess myself almost at loss
how to meet II. A falsehood once started con-
tinues its endless journey regardless Of all CON
tradictions. .t....... %
The Newspaper which starts Il will never
publish or notice denial, and thus the false
and injurious impression which II makes re.
mains forever. do not even know that this
brief statement TO you will be allowed to reach
and conteract the atroclous calumnies which
have been poured into your ears by my enemies.
You have been told by such newspapers as
the Indiana Journal, Wabash Erpress, Evans
vile Journal, and other bitter partisan papers,
that in late speech IN Sullivan county spoke
very Unexpectedly and unkindly OF you-that
called you Lincoln hirelipgs," Lincoln
dogs," and other opprobrious epithets. No
more infamous lie was ever told. appeal to
the Searcher of all hearts for the evidence of
its truth, when tell you that never spoke
| a nj nf fho onil nfn.
in my life. There we're at least five thousand
people within the hearing Of my voice OF the
town of Sullivan, on the occasion alluded 10,
and no one, friend or foe, can In truth assert
that he heard me apply such language to the
soldiers. OR the contrary, as | can prove by
candid men of all parties, 10 that very speech
passed high oulogy on the courage and patriot
ism OF the foldier, announced repeatedly the
necessity and duy of sustaining him In the
| field. / did, indeed, speak of "hirelings and
Dogs" but expressly employed those terms to
that class of lying editors and thieving politi-
clans who are being supported by Governnent
plunder, and who have devoted themselves TO
the business OF manufacturing falsehoods
against their political opponents. ....
| But the best evidence of my feelings, and my
treatment Of the soldiers, consists In what /
have done, more than in what | now say.
challenge my enemies, who now ,Wish you TO
take my life, TO the record which have made IN
Congress. Take the fret speech made In Con-
gress, Feb. 90, 1862, and you will there find my
opinion of Indiana soldiers as taken down at the
time by official reporters, and not as reported
by men who have no motive except the destruo.
tion of political adversary. think I will
not be charged with vanity when say that In
that speech is expressed 40 high an apprecia-
, !, tion Of the gallantry and devotion Of the In
diana soldier as you can find In any speech made
by the Indiana delegation during the Thirty.
seventh Congress. speak not Of its merits az
g speech, bat simply of the sentiments toward
you which II contains You may search eveyy
speech which have made since that date, in
Congress or ont, which has been reported, and
l believe that 10 every one Of them, TO the beet
of my recollection noW, > you will find some COM
plimentary allueion to the soldiers Of the proud
and great State Of Indiana. Would have
taken this oouree through all my career, up 10
the day spoke OF Sullivan, and then, In the
face Of thousands of people of all p,rties, belle
my whole record On that subect7 Whatever
you may think Of me aa patriot, you do not
think me a fool You will feel assured that
did no suoh thing. 'aa HAav.l.tfsAF -'-
But there Is still better way even than this
TO try my feelings toward the soldier. Many
appropriations Of very large sums of money
have been made to pay you, to feed you, and to
olothe you while In the service Of your country
They have been made while was q Represen.
tltive In Congress from district which has al
ways been foremost 10 every requirement Of the
law for the raising Of troops. What has been
nv course on this subect2 You have been told
that have voted against appropriations on
your behalf. On the contrary say now to you
In the presence Of the record, that II any mar
can find one vote that ever gave against an
appropriation of money for the benefit Of the
soldier, will resign the seat which now bold
and agree TO 60 out Of political life forever
Whatever may have been, and still is, my opln.
ion as to the origin and necessity Of this war
Whatever may be my opinion Of It's manage
ment and the political issues which the party
In power seek to carry out In connection with
It, still have never considered the starving OF
our soldiers in the field or the stopping Of theiI
nav as the proper means of bringing it to q
close. Mr.. CorWin and others who NOW hold higi
, Offices under the present Administration, voted
against supplies v our troops 10 Mexico, bu
! this is no precedent for Democrats. have
therefore, in every instance where On approprIa
ton has been made In which the soldier wal
! interested, voted for 1t. There 10 but one ex
caption to this, and that was when was con.
fined to my bed by sickness and could not be
present TO vote at all. This was In the case OF
the seven hundred aud fifty million bill, which
had about eighty millions In ID for the soldier
and the balance for compensated emancipa-
tlon," and perhaps other equally illegltimate
purposes; such as paying the plunderers Of the
treasury. For this reason the portion which
! the soldier was interested in should have been
voted on by itself, and the other items by them
selves. For all these facts appeal to the re-
, corded transactions Of the last Congress. They
will never perish, but will live forever, % my
: vIndicstion from the assaults Of my enemies.
But there ID still another evidence In regart
TO my conduct toward you. Aproposition va!
made In the last Congress to increase your pay
> from thirteen TO fifteen dollars per month.
!, voted for It, and majority of my political op
ponents voted against this increase Of your pay
= thought you ought TO have II for various rea
sons. Government paper, generally known o
!, "greenbacks," Was at heavy discount, and o
u course prices were oorrespondingly high. Wha
. once supported your families will not do l
;, now. Every thing has gone up, and though
y your wages ought to 60 up too. II
!, Another proposition was made to pay you
: gold. My political enemies had an immena
d majority In the last Congrssa, but Ii did M
: lpsss.5 voted for IL. IA, ,.,o ~. d. -.,a. "
i'I have also voted for every measure to Civ
A you bounty, pensions and public lands. Al
!. the fRlHehoode in the world can not chang