The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1864-08-31
An Omciay Libel,

Governor Brough of Ohio has issued a
pTOclamation-the Gazette calls 1t an I'm
portaut proclamation having reference to
the enforcement Of the draft. The draft,
as We understand it, is purely thing of the
national government, whose province 1t Is to
execute 1t; and, if Necessary, to provide the
means to overcome any resistance that may
be made "a is execution. What the Gov
ernnr Of Ohio has officially 70 do with it, we
confess, Is, more than We can comprehend.
Legally the procamltian is an act of impcr-
tmancc in John Brough who has no more
authority in the premises than John Doe or
Thomas NokeS, or any private citizen OF the
State. a feeble intellect, struggling for ex-
istance amid slough of matter and general
ly losing ground in the contest, ought yet to
have retained sense enough to see that, IN
the person of the Governor of the State, 1t
had nothing to do with this affair
Evidently the sole object of the proclama-
ton is to afford the opportunity for the state
ment, in an official form, ofa party talshood
that there are indications of factiOus it
not a reasonable spirit in the State, which
would array itself in opposition Of the laws
of the land; in other words. that there is
danger that the draft will be met by forci-
bic resistance Mr.. Brough does not state
in what consist the evidence of such indica-
tons He keeps out of view the fact that
every agency Of his party, public and pri-
vate spies the Provost Marshals and news
paper editors of the party have been for
months ransacking the mails, opening let
| terS, breaking into the depositurieS of pri-
vate correspondence, and publishing their
contents, in order to fnl such evidence, and
! will off Ibat, la
to discover anything that with their utmost
semblance of an indication. The public
voice Of the peace party has been against OPP
position to the draft. The party needs to
have it believed there is spirit of opposi
ton, and so. in default ofproof. the Govern
or is called on to set it forth in a public Ii
bel under the form Of an official proclama,
| ton
The object of the trick is to render thc
draft palatable to the individuals Of the All
mnistration party, by making them believe
that those of the opposition are factiousl!
leauged against it. 1t is the old device o
holding the people down by means of the
own party antagonism. To this, Johr
Brough has lent himself, and has thrown il
what he had no right to employ for such
purpose-his official title and influence, -
Let the pretcnse be what it may, tits a worl
Of prostitution. dishonorable to the individ
ull, and TO the party which puts to sucl
base uses t,iose whom it has elevated to au
n. thority .".
There is nothing in Ohio which, even b,
strained construction, can be called oppo
sition to the draft A great majority o
the people of the State would, as indivdu
ais, almost as soon suffer death as to b
drawn; but this is not opposition, nor
spirit of opposition; it is the natural shrink
ing Of humanity at the prospect Of dire ca
lamity There may be, in the cities a fey
rash men, who seek to show their bravcr
by talking intemperately of arms, and re
sstance. but they are not such as would b
reliable. were resistance determined upon
But the great mass Of the people Of OH
indeed we may say the entire body-ar
as dead men in the hands of the Admins
tratiOn
IF draft were made in the State to-day
another tomorrow, and another the mex
day, the people especially those Of the I'll
al distrirts, would accept it as the decree @
an omnipotent and ineXorabIc fate, an
make no more resistance than the sam
number Of lambs, when invited to tn
shambles. How they would vote, is on
question; how they would act when powc
lays its hand upon them is another. |
the latest aspect, they are but things, wit
no opinion as to the questions involved
: the contest, or their own rights-crcatur(
with hearts to dread and senses to sutfc
and who have nearly lost the capacity fl
a]l emotions but those Of terror and apprC
l