Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-01-16


posingit The act should also require
County, Commissioners to collect reports OF
disbursements from township aud ward
Trustees, and communicate their aggregates
annually to the Auditor Of States.
Our State has heretofore filed her quota
in the armies by volunteering. In addition
10 this, we have several thousand men 10
the service in West Virginia, Kentucky and
Indiana, for which We cannot have credit
in our slloments. Hopes are entertained
that we will be able TO GIL the recent call,
without resortng to a draft.
The conduct Of our officers and men in
the field has been highly creditadle to
themselves aud honorable to the State
Upon every battle field they have won high
encomums for cool and steady courage
prompt obedience, and deeds of noble dar.
ing They are bright jewels in the crown
Of the State; and while We wear them with
pride, we should cherish them with aGec-
tion.
During the past year steady and effect.
i've advancement has been made in the pro.
secution Of the war. We have repossessed
ourselves Of large amount of the revolted
territory, and the triumpbs of our arms aud
policy that have strengthened US, have nat.
erally weakened our advesories. President
events indicate very strongly that the end
of the rebellion is rapinly approaching
The contest has been fierce aud sapguinary,
and has been protected beyond the expect.
ations of our people. Bot on the other
hand it Is to be remembered that it was
precipitated npon us under every pos ,ible
disadvantage Ou the part of the rebel
leaders it was not only coolly and deibertly
planned, but years were spent, while they
were still in the uncils and even control
of our Government, in preparing for 1t
They even exercised this control to disarm
it, in great measure. of men aud materi
ais for conflict They trained and
educated their people for it, by filling
them with falsehoods, aud inspiring them
with hatred Of the people of the Northern
states, and our republican form Of gov
ernment. They anticipated much, no
doubt, from the Supposed weakness of that
government to protect itself from such an
assaulau, on the one hand; and from polti
cal cooperation in the northen States, on the
other. They brought about, by their man.
agement, the necessity of what they termed
a sectional election Of President, md then
seized upon that as O pretext TO put in
| practice what they assumed to be the right
Of peaceable secession. They undertook
the revolution Of the government; but pre-.
pared for, and eventually adopted the alter
ratve Of armed rebellion. We were not
prepared for the first onset. We had arm.
les to gather, and arms and munitions to
provide for them; "a navy to collect, whence
rebel leaders, while in power, had scattered
it, and eqnip it for the strife; and it was
only with the lapse OF time that we realized
the magnitude and strength of The rebellion,
and the elaborate and ,fTectual means
! that The leaders had taken for its prosecu.
! lion and success When all these things
are carefully considered, our paope should
not be surprised at the duration Of the con
1ict, or the cost Of blood aud treasure it
has ilvolred.
BY no act Of wrong or oppression did
the people Of the Northern States provoke
this rebellion. 1t has no warrant or
Justification whsievcr We had infringed
upon no right guaranteed to them BY the
Constitution Of the land. We had aSsested
10 all the compromises they presented to
u, and kept cur faith: while they violated.
( repealed. or destroyed then al plssSure
| While the great mass Of oar people, ef
both political parties. RETAINED frou inter,
fering with their ''p@cglIr institutien," We
first fairtly prOtssi ed. sHi the1 more reSo-
Ia e'y declared sg .ias: is beng made ihe
engine Of political poEsr. and. for Ihi.
purpose, extended over territory that 9th
erwise should be free We rrged the
southern people 10 coafne that institution
within its existing limits. and take with it
all the guarantees the nation could give
for its quiet and peaceable enjoyment; but
we could not consent that the blighting in.
fuences of slavery should be spread over
free territory, merely to create slave States,
in order to preserve the balance of politi-
cal power"
For this check to their political ambition the
leaders iuaugura'ed this gigantic rebellion;
and large portion of their people took
upon themselves its consequences, 10 an
armed attempt to destroy government
under which they had been prosperous and
happy,--to dissolve Union of States that
had been their protection and strength
without contemplating the possibility of
failure, or the fact that success must impo.
verish rather than benefit their condition.
According to the magnitude OF this re
belion, the result of O restoration of our
Government aud Union, will be. potent in
its influence, not only upon ourselves but
the civilized world, 1t involves the ques.
ton OF mans capacity for self government.
The issue is on trial, whether government
resting solely with the people, aud control
led by delegated powers, possesses the ele,
men;s of strength and unity TO pro tect
itself and assert its sovereignty in such al
emergency as q great revolution or rebel
lion inaugurated among part Of its own
people for its destruction. When this fact
shall be demonstrated, as the loyalty o
the great mass Of our people gives unmis
taxable evidence that it will be, it establish
es at once the practicabiIity of our form o
government,-it yindicGtes the integrity
and intelligence of our people,-it vii
stand forth as warning TO !nture at
tempts at rebellion while il will consti
tute page 10 history that the patti ant
pbilanthropSt of other lands may contem
nIata mi, n nrida and honefnlnpss