Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-01-14

I
tected by our armies. The generous will
give beyond their actual abilities, while tho
parsimonious, or the opponent of the war,
will withhold from pecuniary or unpatriot.
ic considerations. Taxation alone will equal
ize this burden, and impose it, where il
should rest upon the property protected
by the services that the revenue is intended
to compensate. If the additional levy in
creases the taxation of generous contribu-
tors, it relieves them from n larger amount
of private bounty and it upon the non-con-
tributors, where it should fall. Even when
the State assumes the entire support of the
soldier families, there will be scope enough
for private contributions to alleviate the pri-
vations and sufierings of sick, disabled and
wounded men, in military hospitals and at
home.
3rd. The form of private charity is not
always acceptable to its recipients and cs-
pecially the class to whom this is applicable
Much suffering and privation will be endur-
ed before pride will suffer application to
private charity, where there is a conscious
ness that mertorious services of the absent
provider should promptly call the State to
the protection and support OF his depend
ent family. We should divest this fund of
the appelation of charity. 1t is not such,
in any application of the term. 1t is an
honest debt, and an imperative duty that
we owe the men who are serving us in posi-
tions of labor and danger. They save us
from invasion-from the destructive ravages
of war within our borders. While they
press the conqucsts of our arms for the res
toration Of our Government, they protect
our property and our lives they are the
conscrvators Of all the prosperity that sur
rounds us. They do not perform this COM
pensation for the small sum allowed them
! by the Government. They are actuated by
a higher and nobler motive; and while they
incur prlyatons danger and death for the
common cause, the State should not only
protect their families from want, but make
the act one Of Just and rightfrl compcnsa-
ton, instead Of burthening it with the of
fensive epithet of charity. Neither should
| ii be governed by the rigid economy of mere
subsistence. 1t should at least be such
plenty and comfort as the stalwart arm of
! the natural provider would furnish them, if
he were at home to do it, instead Of labor
! ing in our service, TO ward calamitiea from
our hcarth-stones.
In my Judgment, three mills ON the dollar
is the least sum at which the tax should be
fixed, and | would prefer to see ii four mills.
The patriotic people of the State will cheer
fully pay it, and justify you for imposing it.
The act should also require County Com
miSsloncrs to collect reports Of disburse-
ments from township and ward Trustees
and communicate their aggregates annually
to the Auditor Of State.
The State has heretofore filed her quota
in the armies by volunteering. In addition
to this, we have several thousand men il
the service of West Virginia, Kentucky
and Indiana, for which we cannot have cred.
it in our allotments. Hopes are entertained
that we will be able to fill the recent call
, without resorting to a draft.
, The conduct ofour officers in the field has
, been highly creditable to themselves and
honorable to the State. Upon every battle
field they have won high encomiums for COO
and steady courage, prompt obedience, ano
deeds Of noble daring. They are bright
rIicwels in the crown Of the State; and while
we wear them with pride, we should cherish
them with affection.
During the past year steady and effective
advancement has been made i'll the prosecu
ton of the war. We have repossessed our
selves of II large amount of the revoltec
territory, and the triumphs of our arms anC
, policy that have strengthened us, have ma
, terially weakened our adyersaries. Presen
events indicate very strongly that the end o
5 the rebellion is rapidly approaching. TIL,
1 contest has been fierce and sangunary, anC
has been protractcd beyond the expectation
Of our people. But on the other hand it i
to be remembered that it was precipitatet
= upon us under every possible disadvantage
On the part Of the rebel leaders it was no
e years were spent, while they We're still il
n the councils and even control of the Gov
e ernment, in preparing for it. They evel
: exercised this control TO disarm us, in
G great measure, of men and materials fo
conflict They trained and educated thei
, people for it, by filling them with talsehood
e and inspiring them with hatred Of the peo
{ pie Of the Northern States, and our repub
+ lican form of government. They antlcipa
# ted much, no doubt, from the suppose
= weakness Of that government to protect II
$ self from such an assault on the one hand
n and from political cooperation ON the other
They brought about, by their management
Y the necessity of what they termed " sec
t tional election" of President, and then the
d seized that as a preteXt to put i'll practlc
It what they had assumed to be the right c
r "peaceablc secession" They undertook tn
V revolution Of the Government, but prepare
4 for and eventually adopted the alternatiy
i Of armed rebellion. We were prepared to
v the first onset. We had armies to gather
# arms and munitions to provide for them
c navy to collect, whence rebel leaders, Will
r in power, had scattered it, and equip it to
+ the strife; and it was only with the lapse c
G time that we realized the magnitude an
c strength of the rebellion, and the elaborat
= and otlectual means that the leaders ha
Y taken for its prosecution and success, Whe
II all these things are carefully considered, on
II people should not be surprised at the dura
n ton of the conflict, or the cost of blood an
e treasure it has involved.
IS BY no act of wrong or oppression did tl
i people of the northern States provoke tn
It rebellion. 1t has no warrant ofiustiticatio
/ whatever. We had infringed upon no rigl
?. guaranteed to them by the Constitution
" the land We had assented to all the con
:. promises they presented to us, and kept o,
h ihitlr; while they violated, repealed, or d.
If stroyed them at pleasure. While the gre;
: mass of our people, of both political partie
), refrained from interfering with their 'pecl
n liar institution" we first thintly prote
n ted, and then more resolutely declare
against its being made an engine Of politics
n power, and, for this purpose, extended oy,
Is territory that otherwise should be free. "
o urged the Southern people to contine tn
Il institution within its existing limits, al
l. take with it all the guarantees the matte
/ could give for its quiet and peaceable e.
T. ioyment but we could not consent that Il
e bhghting influence of slavary should
u spread over free territory, merely to crea
2 Slave States, in order to preserve 1.-THE bi