Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-08-25
sPEECII OF
Hon. John A. Bingham.
Delivered before tho Union District Con.
vention, at Cam bridge, on the 18Th tact.

IstVus ~oftu f%s 6tUSHdEn,
Delivered before the Union DISCREET Con.
vsntion, at Cambridge, on the 18th ip.t.
Gentlemen of the Onion Conyention
gratefully acknowledge the honor
Of the nomination for Congress, which you
have rendered me, and accept IL in the be-
liei that IL is the expressed will Of the loyal
people of the 10th Congressional District of
Ohio If, gentlemen, you had put in nemi.
nation any other loyal citizen for that "a.
sponsible position, such noBinee would have
received my cordial and earnest suppert.
In this great struggle for the life of the
Republic, every man should forego all per
sonal considerations and selfish interests for
! the sake Of the common defence, and the
public safety. l owe it to myself, owe it
TO my country, TO say that from the begin
ming Of this struggle to this hour, have
been, still am, and will be to the end, with
out qualification or condition, for the sue
cess, the complete success, by arms and laws,
i the field and the Legislative councils, Of
the cause of the Union and the Constitu-
tion. TO this end have given constant
support to the present national Administra.
ton and to the nominees Of the Union or
ganization here and elsewhere, without en-
quiring whether the nominees were Demo
Gratis or Republicans.
All men in this hour of trial have my CO.
operation and support, who, for the sake
OF the Unien, are for the unioA Of all par
ties, aud who, casting aside the faded uni.
form Of mere political psrtizans; stand as
one man for the maintenance of the Gov
ernment and for the continued and effectual
support, by men and means, of the heroic
defenders Of the Republic by land and sea-
VI the ultimate success OF this sacred
cause, the cause of our common country,
bate not jot of heart or hope. The virtue
| and valor Of the people will save from over
throw our matchess American fabric of
civil polity constructed by those grand old
men whom God taught to build for glory
and for beauty. =
The arms Of our Republic have repossess.
ed and conquered half of the territory, at
enc time occupied and held by this unparal-
elled rebellion. The victorious leeions of
the Republic have, since treason fred on
Sumter, planted the flag of the constitu-
tion on the soil of every rebel State; the
guns OF the Union have opened the Missis-
slppi to the lawful commerce of the United
States from its source to the gulf and closed
1t against the pirate traffic of all rebels !;
and to-day your invincible army, under the
lead OF Ohio gallant sons, Grant and Sher-
man, thunders at tho gates of Richmond
and Atlanta. All this has been done under
the administration Of that honest man of
the people, Abraham Lincoln. This man.
thus faithful and thus tried. as no man ever
before in the Republic has been tried. bav.
ing thus far achieved what no civil maois.
trate ever before achieved, the maintenance
OF the Government which he represents
against million of its citizens in arms. SO
that after three years of assault, the Gov.
ernment still stands strong at home--feared
and respected abroad, this man is, today.
hunted and assailed by an organized partv
IN our midst, because. and only because he
faithfully kept his oath ito preserve, pro-
tect and defend the Constitution of the
United States. If he,had broken his oath,
and followed the bad example of his inn,
beclle predecessor, James Buchanan. who.
at the beginning of this revolt, declared of.
iclally, on the 4th Of Decembar, 1860, that
Il was unconstitutional to defend the nu-
tons life, and enforce the nations laws bv
armies against armed rebellion and treason.
We would to-day be without country or
ToVernment. TO compass the defeat of
Abraham Lincoln and the overthrow of the
Government is the aim and purpose of that
party 10 our midst, many of which are in
secret league with the rebellion. which call.
itself ostensibly. the Democratic Marty. and
which seeks to stop the war for The Union
by electing President opposed 10 its fnr.
ther prosecution, and by electing Congress-
opposed to coercion, and pledged, in the
words OF the resolutions adopted in the
Democratic Convention of Belmont countv
on the 3oth OF July last, ito the vigorous
prosecution OF peace and to demand of
Abraham Lincoln that hostilitics cease. that
an armistice be. proclaimed, and conyen.
ton @ OF all the States be called, when ali our
dlfferences can be constitutionally adjusted. "
That is the issue rendered TODAY by .Tosenb
w. White and his pretended Democrat;c
party, to the people of the 10th Congress.
sional District. Oe''''
g 1t IS the same party which was truly rem
resented by James Buchanan when he de.
ciared in his message of December 4th.
1901 that 1t was unconstitutional to coerce
traitors in arms. This party does today
what it did then it declares in favor Of
armed treason, and revolt, and against the
country; Surely this is not the Dcmocracv
OF the dead Jackson or Douglas.-nor the
democracy Of the living lion-hearted An.
drew johnson, of Tennessee. Tho repre
sentative man in the l6th Congressional
District, OF this spurious Democracy, which
declares In its resolutions to day, 'for
vigorous prosecution of peace" and ode.
mands Of Abraham Lincoln that bostilities
on the part Of the Government CEASE is
the same Joseph w. White who. two years
ago, told the people that he was for AVG.
oro9s prosecution Of the war, and would
1t elected, vote in Congress for the men and
means to prosecute It. He wa, eleeted
on this pledge, and he broke it by Voting
against, 9..a or Withholding his vote from nj
Bills for the prosecution Of the war.
To-day Mr.. White and his party have the
audacity to say, in their published resolu.
tions' to the people whom he has thus be-
traycd, we are for vigorous prosecutions
o. peace" and demand OF Abraham Linoolp
that hostilities, on the part of the Govern.
ment,. CEASE, He has violated, saw these
conspiratcrs. the rights of States by prose.
cutting this war against these armed traitors
ms is only another way of saving that
traitors in arms against this Goyernment'
and without colorado excuse for their trea,
son. are to be protected in their crime |
against the Nations Laws, and in the crnel
and h,eartless tyranny with which day bv
DAY they oppress and crush every faithful |
citizen who falls within their grssp. The
rights of traitors-tke con.