Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-09-23

acled thought and imprisoned EersOns-to
divert from themselves by invcctive and
outrage upon others the just punishment
they have merited. Hence, in spite of all
avowals to the contrary, their policy has
tended to render disruption of old ties in
evitable. They have, perhaps, unwittmg-
ly, been the allies of treason and a,c $50
ries of paracide. If it were the part of pa
triotism to love the whole country and If
it was their policy to hate a part, could they
succeed as its rulers? To estrange and en-
broil the sections was the object of their
party, and the practice was inevitable. BY
derding and misrepresenting the customs
and character of the South, could they pro-
duce harmony? BY enacting laws tendingto
exasperate; by setting the example of revo-
luton, in their personal---very. laws, and
by interposing obstacles to commercial In
tercOurse, were such acts calculated to en-
chain the States in the bonds of friendship?
BY defeating laws against the invasion of
States as i'm Ohio, and by melting servile
insurrection, as in Virginia and Texas, did
they join stronger or separate wider that
ideal antagonism which the war made so
terribly actual? "No cooperation with
Shareholders in politics-no fellowship with
them in religion-no affiliation with them
| I'm society"-were such sentiments the
balm by which to soothe, or the bond by
which to bind? By disgracing and defeat
| Ing cvinprvnIise, tile browning glory OF our
| Union-and the genius of its cohesion, the
condition of its being-did they not pro-
nounce its doom, and thus justify the griev-
ance complained of by the South, even if
these grievances did not Justify the bad
remedy clutched at by the South in its fren-
zy? No wonder Douglas remarked that
"the Republican leaders desired dissolu-
tion of the Union, and urged war as means
of accomplishing it," And after war be-
gan-during the past four years have they
not seized every opportunity to widen the
breach, wasting uncounted treasure, wan
toning in blood, and, by preventing deci-
sive results, failed to make the chance, or
when offered, improve the chance, to restore
peace and unity? Have not their organs
rejoiced at our victories as the forerunner
of Southern determination, instead of the
harbinger of peace? Have not their jour
mails even glorified our defeats, because they
would still further eXasperate the North
and render its masses more alacritous in the
business of blood? Have not the acts of
Congress and their President, made it inn
possible for the people and States South to
return to their allegiance without the loss
of their manhood and statehood?
By thus carrying out in practice the IDEAS
of their organization, have they not coop
Grated with the South, in giving strength to
mutual hate; made fellowship with her peo-
pie only in common hostility-an afiilia-
tion with them only in schemes of destruc-
ton?
Why then, should such party, who have
learned naught by the exercise of power,
| be continued in office? You do not restore
the incendiary to society till he reforms
You do not place the torch in his hand, re-
tire to sleep, and bid him roam unchecked
through the night. Is it not tsupremely au-
dacious for such party to seek a new lease
of authority? | do not ask, can they fill
the great demands of the hour? Nor wheth-
er the Democracy can do better. They can
not do worse, even if leagued with the very
prince of evil.
What is our situation now, in the fall OF
1864? A once happy people, prosperous,
out of debt, honored, free, glorious-under
constitutional system of State and Fede-
raj law-giving the least restraint, and inn
posing the fewest burdens. All at once we
are transformed into q warring jarring,
death-dealing and blood-letting people
Thirty millions of souls are all more or less
involved in this bewildering passion of self
slaughter. Not day by day, but year by
year the work goes on. Daily, three mil
lions of values are destroyed in refining the
instruments of violence, Cutting the greed
of avarice, and whetting and gratifying
the appetite for plunder and carnage. From
a thousand thousand homes, the results OF
humble industry, like springs from noun
tain, trickle, trickle, till they make stream
which the cold selfishness of men congeals
and the immense avalanche Of our public
debt hangs above our head, threatening tC
whelm us in irresistible bankruptcy. Along
border of 1000 miles wavers the line o.
force, yielding or advancing to the chang.
ing fortunes of war-whose vicissitudeS are
marked in lines of fresh graves from the
Potomac to the Mississippi. Along the
mountains from the Blue Ridge, whose gaps
only yawn to devour, to the mountains OF
Georgia, where our troops, under Hooker,
like the giants, scaled heaven and fought
above the clOuds-the belt of desolation is
seen, red with gore and black with charred
embers. Upon the sea, where our ensign
has been the signal and the sign of our
honor and power-even at the very gates OF
our commercial cities-the terrible energy
of iron and steam has been called into hos
tile activity, to burn and scuttle our ships,
| and pillage our commerce, until our tun-
nageis nearly gone, and with it our mara
| time prowess and glory! Within the past
few months our capital has been beleaguer-
ed, Northern States overrun, and hostile
flag has been Haunted in the very face OF
| the Executive; our immense armies in Vir-
ginia are at dead lock before the intrench-
ments around Richmond; and a pause like
that of the last day, before the final judg-
ment, broods over the scene awaiting the
summons of the trumpet calling to an ac-
count the men who have brought our hap
less country to the extremity of woe and
desperation. In that pause, even the sweet
voices Of the syrens singing of our unusual
prosperity are hushed, for the people have
aglimpse of their isles, white with the bones
of the deceived. ts eos