Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-03-10

we cOulu possibly cOnCeue III prVoi VI Iflsf
we refer TO the repeated rejection of all [
terms of conciliation and compromise, 70
their recent contemptuous refusal to receive ,
the Vice President, who was sent 10 nego- ,
tate for softening the ssperities Of war,
and the scornful rejection Of the offer Of a
neutral power to mediate between the con-
tending parties. If cumulative evidence be
needed it can be found in the following res
olution recently adopted in the House Of
Representatives in Washington
"Resolued, That as our country, and the
very existence of best Government ever in
stituted by man are imperrilled by the most
causeless and wicked rebellion that the
world has seen, and believing, as we do,
that the only hope Of saving this country
and preserving this Government is by the
power Of the sword, we are for the most
vigorous prosecution Of the war until the
Constitution and the laws shall be enforced
and obeyed in all parts of the United States
and to that end, we oppose any armistice,
or intervention, or mediation, or PROPOSE
ton for peace, from any quarter, so long |
as there shall be found o rebel in arms
against the Government-and we ignore all |
party names, lines and issues, and recog-
nize but two parties in this war-patriots
and traitors"
! The motive of such strange conduct is OBJ |
vious. The Republican party was founded
to destroy slavery and the equality OF the
States, and Lincoln was selected as the in
strument to accomplish this object The
Union was barrier to the consummation
this policy, because the Constitution, which
was its bond, recognized and protected sla-
very and the sovereignty of the States
The Union must, therefore, be sacrificed
and to insure its destruction, war was de-
termined on.
The mass of the Northern people were
not privy to, and sympathized in no such
design They foved the Union and wished
to preserve it. To rally the people to the sup
port of the war, its object was proclaimed to
be "a restoration of the Union" as if that
which implied voluntary assent, of which
agreement was an indispensable. clement
and condition, could be preserved by coer-
cion.
1t is absurd to pretend that Govern
ment really desirpus of restoring the Union,
would adopt such measures as the conisca-
ton of private property the emancipation
of slaves, systematic efforts to invite them
to insurrection, forcible abduction from
their homes and compulsory enlistment in
, the army, the division of sovereign State
, without its consent, and a proclamation
, that one tenth of the population of State,
and that tenth under military rule, should
control the will of the remaining nine-tenths.
f The only relation possible between the two
sections, under such policy, is that Of con-
Q queror and conquered, superior and depen-
dent. Rest assured, llow-citizens, that
: although restoration may still be used as a
J, war-cry by the Government, 1t Is only to
/ delude and betray.
Fanaticism has summoned to its aid Gu
1 cha,. 4.
d your utter subjugation, the destruction o
y your State Governments, the destruction
a. of your social and political fabric. your pei
s. sonal and public degradation and ruin wi
ID satisfy the demands of the North ? Ca
s. there be a man so vile, so debased, so ur
to worthy of liberty as to accept peace on sue
le humiliating terms?t
of 1t would not be fair to assert that all tn
n Northern people participatein these designs
re On the contrary, there exists a powerful
,e political party which openly condemns them
,r The administration has, however, been abb
,e thus far, by its enormous patronage ant
,- it's lavish expenditures, to seduce, or by it
IS Ilegions of 'Hessian" mercenaries, to over
r awe the masses, to control the elections
% and to establish an arbitrary despotism. |
h cannot be possible that this state Of thing
id can continue.
The people of the United States, accus
r toned to freedom, cannot consent to be ru
h ined and enslaved, in order to enslave us
,f Moral, like physical epidemics, have thel
o. y allotted periods, and must sooner or late
s. be exhausted and disappear. When reasol
o- returns our enemies will probably reflect
D. that people, like ours, who have exhibit
t ed such capabilities, and extemporized sucl
,r resurces, can never be subdue1; that vas
to expanse of territory, with such a popula
= ton, cannot be governed as an obedien
10 colony. Victory would not be conquest
r. The inextinguishable quarrel would b
v transmitted !" from bleeding sire to son,
" and the struggle would be renewed betwee
e, generations yet unborn. To impoyerlsh u
n would only be to dry up some OF the four
r, tains of Northern prosperity-to destro
,ir Southern wealth is to reduce Norther
profits, while the restoration of peace wo'
It necessarily re-establish some commercli
l. intercourse.
e, 1t may not be amiss, in this connection
he to say that at one time it was the and expe,
ed tation of many at the South to form a tre'
x ty of amity .ond friendship with the Nortl
en- ern States, by which both peoples migl
to derive the benefits of commercial intercou'
he and move on side by side in the arts
N. peace and civilization. History has conf
he med the lesson taught by Divine authorit
~. that each nation, as'well as each individua
re, should seek their happiness in the prospe
al. ity of others, and not in the injury or ru
M of neighbor. The general welfare OF &
EN- is the highest dictate of moral duty ar
a economic policy, while heritage Of triur
ne. phant wrong is the greatest curse that C;
befall nation.
'ed Until some evidence is given of chan
70 of policy on the part of the Governmer
he and some assurance is received, that etfoI
nm at negotiation will not be spurned, the Co
,ial gross are of opinion, that any direct ovt
les lures for peace would compromise our Sc
er. respect, be fruitless of good, and interpr
ers ted by the enemy as an indication of wea
he ness. We can only repeat the desire of t
ee people for peace, and our readiness to 6
cept terms, consistent with the honor al
,en integrity and independence of the State
has and compatible with the safety of our d
lis nestle institutions.
The Not content with rejecting all propos;
,en for peaceful settlement of the Icontrovt
,;s- sv. a cruel war of invasion was commence
the which, in its progress, has been marked
brutality and disregard of the rules OF Ct
,ss- ilized warfare, as stand out in upexampl
to barbarity in the history of modern wars.
,at- Accompanied by every act OF cruelty a
tia. rapine the conduct'of the enemy has be
cen destitute of that forbearance, and magr
ion nimity which civilization and Christian
blic have introduced to mitigate the asperlt
i've of war The atrocities are too lncredl
ICE. for narration. Instead of a regular w
,e;r our resistance of the unholy efforts to cru