The Lansing state Republican., 1864-08-17
Lecture of Hon. Simeon Nash.

Lecture OF Hon. simeon Nasn'
The Representative Hall was well filed i
on Friday evening to hear the address OF
Hon. Simeon Nash, Of Gallipolis, Ohio, on
the state OF the country. Mr.. Nash Is
ready and practised speaker, and presented
his views on a variety Of topics OF momen-
tus concern to the nation, with much good
sense and ability. But we were most inter
ested in some things which his peculiar po-
sitiOn on the Ohio river, on the borders OF
the war. had enabled him 10 see from
standpoint different from the rest OF Us.
He gave the audience to understand dis
tinctly that he was no AbOlitionist, and
never was. but q Jealous Henry Clay Wing.
When the attack on Sumpter was made, the
enthusiasm in that part OF the country in
responding to the call Of the President Tor
70. 900 men. knew no bounds. Party was
utterly forgotten. But all along the Ohio
river there was a peculiar reason why the
people were unwilling to have the Union di-
vided, either peaceably or forcibly. In case
Of the American people becoming two ma
tions. the Ohio river would be the boundary
line between them. There would he four
millions OF slaves on the other side OF that
river; and if the running away Of slaves
was a perpetual annoyance and trouble
when there was a fugitive slave. law for tax
ing them back, how much more would the
difficulties be increased when there was no
such law. but the runaways belonged 10
foreign nation The speaker declared his
belief that, in case of separation, every
slave within twenty miles Of the river would
have run away, and the river being but one
third Of a mile wide, means Of crossing
could be found. The consequence would be
that the raids ofthe masters after their slaves
would be continuous; and the people on
the Ohio river well knew the character Of
these semi-barbarian masters. They al
ways carried arms, were quarrelsome insO-
lent, reckless Of human life, and had no
scruple TO shoot down each other in the
corners of their streets, or in their own
houses. With such men Of blood, making
their raids across the river in companies,
a war all along the border would have been
inevitable within six months after a separa-
ton had taken place.
Mr.. Nash also gave some details of the
destructive horrors of war; as exl ioited al
most in sight Of his residence. He describ-
cd the beauty and fertility of the Shenan-
dOah Valley as it was, before it had been
traversed by cOntending armies. Every
army that goes through adds TO its desOla-
ton. The last army OF ours that traversed
the valley had orders TO subsist mainly on
the enemy, in the enemy's country. The
officers stopped at the first large farm house
they came TO, and asked for forage and pro-
visions. The woman OF the house declared
that the Richmond Commissioners had been
there but Il short time before, and taken an
exact inventory Of every thing that could
be eat by man or beast, and after leaving
ratiOns until the first of August, had carried
of the remainder. As the troops were deS-
all they could iind, and passed on to the
next plantation, where they heard the same
story All through the valley waercver they
went, the inevitable Commissioners had
been there before them, and our troops as a
necessity, took what the rebels had left,
and even then, were obliged to kill some OF
their horses for food before they got through
and when they arrived at the mountains,
xxho ,I
horses persisted. The people, thus robbed
ON both sides, when starvation seemed in-
evitable divided of, from time to time, a
part going South into the unplundered reb-
el country, and another portion, mostly
poor whites" crossing the Ohio, and ly-
ing around on the banks, wherever they
could get two old logs together to make a
fire, the Government furnishing a ration a
day TO keep them from starving. Some
farmer from the country would ultimately
take them home TO his shanty or stable, and
give them enough for their work 10 keep
soul and body together After having seen
so much of the horrors Of war, it was most
surprising to him to hear people in Wiscon-
sin and Michigan speak 50 ilippantly Of re-
sisting the draft, as being a mere child's
play, to be commenced and stopped at
pleasure: whereas war once begun and Or
ganized between opposing forces in a COM
munity would only end when the weakest
party was driven to the wall, and submit
ted absolutely, or was eXterminated. \
civil war means violence, blood, destruction
desolatiOn and death.