American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-10-12

says TO me: Nixon, don't YOU think II
we would declare cessation of hostili.
tics and zee Democrats would go down to
Charleston and commence where we left
off in 1860, take off our hats, get down
upon our knees and say to our friends of
the south: "We lost Bull Run" and now
we are willing to vote for the Brecken-
ridge Platform, and say that territorial
Legislature had no power to exclude sla-
very from a tertiary" that we would dis
arm their slaves and send them back re-
establish slavery in the District of Co
lumbia, re-enact the Fugitive Slave Law,
repeal the Confscation Act. Don't you
think if we would do this. aud ask them
to receive us back into the Democratic
party, they would do it? Well | think
they would not. Butsuppose they woull,
the question would be, who do you
propose for president? You say MClel-
Ian, they say jeff Davis. The next ques-
tion is, what will you call it? You say
Union, they say Confederate Well you
viii compromise we know that They
say il we give You Mcclellan, you must
give us the name; you say we have all
ways been for the Union, we cant call it
''coafeferdte," so you ta,e Union and
jeff such is your peace, such your com
promise. Then why in the name of com
mon honesty-you mscrrble sneakiug
Copperhcacs don't you vote for jeff Da
Wis nor.
But hy ,gW tell you, you talk like Il
crazy man. What good will y our Breck-
enridge platform do us where slavery is
disorganizod, the territories free and sla-
very abolished in Missouri What good
will slavery do in the District OF Colum-
bia with Virginia and Maryland free.
or what use fugitive slave law, while
you pray Tor the oppressed, and what can
we dc with an Ijoitiop soldier as a
slave. Once We fought for slavery. but
now it is dead, We have no hope in union
with You, we desire none TO talk to the
(cafers of this rebellion about peace. it is
OILY to cXasperatc them, they remember
the sweet peace they once had and the
guarantees OF property, but now all is
gone. lie looks upon his once happy
family, brought down from oppulonce and
pride to want and misery. he looks upon
his ruined estate, his devastated fields and
with the energy OF dispair heresolyes "to
swim the sea Of slau ,hter or sink beneath
the wave, you can not compromise with
these arch traitors. like rebel angels
they have lost a heaven and only seek to
reign in hell But there are class with
whom you can compromise, they had
nothing to do with this rebellion except
they We're forced to lightits battles They
have often told me they had no interest
in slavery they owned no slaves, they ha-
ted both master and slave, they don't
like the society in which they have been
raised because ii don't like them. They
will tell you that when they go to the
masters house, its not " good morning
poor man" but, he sends his nigger out
to meet him at the gate and inquiries what
he wants These men with few exccp-
tions cant read, they know nothing ex-
cept that its "a right smart distance over
there clever ways" and have no idea
about this war except that they will tell
you we don't think youus all ought to
come away down here to fight we ems all.
1hGy think that 1ge rebelled against the
Southern Coniederacy and come down
there for plunder. Many of them enlist
ed for six months and have now been in
three years and a half, they would like to
see the war ended, but there is only two
ways for them to get out Of it-one is to
crawl under the ground and the other is,
to crawl into our lines. The former,
Gen. Grant says in a letter Of the 10th
OF August, about a thousand are doing ey-
cry day. They swear to support the gov
ernment are liberated and sent North.
We have several regiments in our service
composed exclusively Of deserters from
the rebel amy. Here is the road opeace
they cannot long stand this decimation,
support your armies, prosecute the war,
declare freedom to their slaves, freedom
TO their soldiers and soon by our example
we will be able to declare liberty to the
world. Well, but you Democrats think
slavery is in the Constitution and you
ought to do something for it-Eell now
what can you do? Your fathers thought
they would do something-they took The
powder Of slavery and the lighted match
Of freedom and they put them into the
Union gun, the powder exploded anu the
gun burst, we are now gathering up the
pieces you want to put slavery back in
again, but when you come to look for il
you can't find it. The fact is slavery has
been a thorn in the body polite of this
nation since its formation, the body has
gone through all the stages of nfama-
ton, it is now testercd and Abraham Lin
coin who is sworn to preserve protect and
defend the body, has declared it neces.
sary to preserve the body, that the thorn
be taken out, and here history dates tie
natural and painful death of American
Slavery, and every Union man thanks
God. This institution has marred our
peace and happiness ever since the for
nation Of the government, we look for
ward with bright hopes, for we know Of
no subject, so aggravating that could ever
arise again to divide us. Being one pco-
pie, speaking one language, iuhab;ting one
country and having a common history, in
the death of slavery there remains no
longer anything to distract or divide us.
and in thn honds Of Ehartv ond t,nion vro