The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-02-24


or absolutely conquered, or until the. remain
ing States Cor Rump) of the old Ueion be
shivered to pieces and lost in anarchy, disin
tegration, and sham full extinction. This IS
we'll understood now in this Confederate coun-
try-tfey must conquer and subjusate US ut
, terly, or VIC must destroy them root and
branch Confederates did not wish to bring
! the matter to this extreme issue but as our
enemies will have it so, let them have it.
But you may imagine, taking the idea from
Mr.. Stewards long document-that great
part of the Confederacy has been actually
conquered, or restored to the "Union, or
brought "under the law" 49,
Now, in war of in Easion, where the as
sailed people wait attack upon their own soil,
it must happen that portions of their land will
be occupied by the irvadiug army; but l new.
er heard that portion thus occupied was con
sidered so much conquered country. Nothing
is either lost or won until the war is over; and
the war will not be over while single
Yankee soldier stands on the soil OF Co1fed-
eracy from the Ohio and the Potomac to the
Gulf. Kentucky, Missouri, and nearly all
Tennessee, are occupied are within the
eneny's lines, that is all The Mississippi
river is said to be opened to navigation since
the fall of Vicksburg; hut there is no navi-
cation en- it, and shall be none, unprotected
BY ships of war. 1t is only few days ago
that our good guerilla sunk five merchant
| steamers on the river. Insurance Offices will
insure nothing that floats there shippers will
not freight boats that have to run such
gauntlet; and if they did, the market
is gone there is nothing to buy
and TO trade; neither would any possible pri-
ces pay for the risk. You can understand
now what the open Mississippi amounts to-
That is our river both banks of it, from Cairo
down to the Gulf; and the West bank from
Cairo up to the border of Iowa and it is not
to be thought of for single moment that any
| thing can be allowed tc float on our river with
out our consent. Rather than that, there will
be war these forty years. Mr.. Seward know
is ready with very fine language demonstra-
ing tIat the "rebcllion" is almost crushed /;
but in fact Yankees are mode ready with
language than with any other kind of instru-
me ntality to "crush rebellion" If phrsseol-
ogy could have overwhelmed us, it would
have been all over with us long ago. In the
meantime the war goes on !; and ten days ago
our fDrces killed and wounded thirty thousand
of the Pederals On the bank of the beautiful
latle river Chickamauea.
1t Is sad to me TO think low many Of our
own countrymen fall on every field of this
war-on the Federal side | mean For, as to
the Irishmen in the Confederate army, who
fight for their homes, and property, and life
against invaders, there is nothing sad in the
case at ali they are in their duty, and driven
to arms by as strong and imperious "a nee. ssh
ty as ever impelled the Switzers to fight the
Austrians at Sempach, or the Hol1auders to
resist the invading Losts of Spain. Those
Irishmen wlle have thrcnged into the Federal
army have, unfortunately, nude themselves
guilty parties to the foulest crusade of mode n
timc-to desolate the homes OF people who
have never wronged them, and large pro-
portion of whom are their own kindred. Can
not something be done to stop the fraudulent
operations of Yankee agents in ireland, who
aTe soliciting 'emigration" by large promises,
not one of which viii be fulfilled? If any
uulucky Irishmen are induced to come to this
continent, and join the Federal army by ex-
pectations of grants of land to be assigned
them in this Confederate country, after the
"rebellon" is crushed, they will be sorely dis
appointed indeed. [ trust my fellow country
men believe that would not Intentionally
mislead them. Well, then, tell them that
if the Confederate country should evertbe sub
jueated and confiscated, it will not be for
them. They are to be made use of precisely
as the poor negroes are-thrust to e,front In
every fight and thrown asi le afterwards as
broken tools. They will never hold land in
the Confederate country, save that regrlar
fre-simrle of six feet by two, which many
thousands of them now peacefully hold. 1t is
meet Yankee or German regiments. In the
BATTLES before Richmond, their stubborn fight
ing won the admiration of our officers and
afterwards at Fredericksburg. their repeated
CHARGES upon our batteries at Mary's Hill will
be long remembered as the most desperate
feat of the war Our foolish, glorious Irish
Their gaantry aud devotion were useless
there. Walton's Louisiana artillery and the
deadly fire of the Gecrgia trooys moved them
down like grass, and they lay on that fatal
field in s1dthes. And for what? For the
service of people who despise and hate them
more bitterly than the English themselves
You are aware that the Yenkee people have
not an idea nor half idea, of their own /;
they derive all from England and there is no
British doctrine or principle which they have
imbibea so fully, AMI so cordially embrace, as
hatred and horror of the Irish. After all the
services which our countrymen have done for
them in peace and war, there is not new in
their service SO much as Brigadier General;
Shields, Melgher, Corcoran, have oil been get
rid OF one after another and it is fact worth
noting that the Confederate service boasts a
gallant Irish officer of higher military rank
than any Irishman ever held amongst the
Yankees speak of Major General Pat Gle
burne, whose division forms part of Bragg's
army and WHIP has distinguished himself in
all the battles OF the West.
But know that many of our countrymen
came over to join the Federal service, merely
to learn he use of arms-with the hope of
having one day opportunity to turn them
against our mortal enemies, TIE British. In
short. they taught that while dashing
themselves against the muzzles of Confeder-
ate cannon, they are in some sort of libcrating
Ireland 1t is certainly at least, roundabout
way. They may imagine, indeed, that the
Yankee nation is likely to go to war against
England alter this present war is finished. :
Another greivous hallucination 1 tell you
that the Yank .es have no idea of the kind
that their pretended indignation against Eng
loud is assumed for the very purpose of delu-
ding the Irish into their service-and that in
stead of war between England and the Yam
KEGS, there is much more probability of an at