The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-01-22
d economv of mere snhsistenoe- n

; comfort as the stalwart arm of th
: natural proyider would furnish them
If he were at home to do it. instca,
, OF laboring in our service, To war,
E calamity from our hearth stones.
In my Judgment three mills on TIN
; dollar is the least sum ut which thi
tax should be fixed, and / would pre-
: fer to see it four mills. The patriot
ic people Of the State will cheerful,
. pay it, and Justify you for imposin,
IT, The act should also require Coun
ty Commissioners to collect reports
oil disbursements from township anc
ward Trustces,and communicate thei
aggregate annually to the Auditor or
the State.
Our State has heretofore filed hel
quota IN the armies by volunteering
In addition to this, we have severa
thousand men in the service Of Yves,
Nirginia, Kentucky and Indiana, fol
which we cannot have credit in oul
alIotncnts. Hopes are entertained
that we will he able to fll the recent
call, without resorting to draft.
The conduct of our officers and
men in the field has been highly cred
liable to themselves and honorable TO
the State. Upon every battlefield
they have won high enconiums for
cool and steady courage, prompt obe-
dlenIe, and deeds of noble daring -
They are bright jewels 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
IN the prosecution of the war. We
have re-possessed ourselves of a larpe
amount Of the revolted territory, and
the triumphs of our arms and policy
that have strengthened us, have ma
Present events indicate very strongly
that the end Of the rebellion is rapid
Iiy approaching. The contest has
been fierce and sanguinary, and has
been protracted beyond the expecta-
tions of ourpeople. But, on the 9th
er hand, it is TO be remembered that
it was precipitated upon us under ev.
cry possible disadvantage. On the
part of the rebel leaders it WAS not
only coolly and deliberately planned,
but years were spent, while they
were still in the councils and even
control OF our Government, in prepar-
ing for it. They even exercised this
control to disarm us, in n great meas
ure, OF men and materials for the
conflict. They trained and educated
their people for it, by filling them
with falsehoods, and inspiring them
with hatred Of the people Of the North
ern States, and our republican form
Of govenmen c. They anticipated
much, no doubt, from the supposed
weakness Of that government to pro-
tect itself from such an assault. on
the one hand, and from political CO.
operation in the Northern States, on
the other. They brought about, by
their management, the necessity of
what they termed Il sectional elect
ion OF President, and then seized
upon that rs a preteNt to put in prac-
tic what they assumed to be the right
of ''peaceablc secession" They un-
dertook the revolution Of the govern
ment, but prepared for, and eventual
ly adopted the alternative of armed
rebellion. We were not prepared for
the first onset. We had armies to
gather, and arms and munitions to
provide for them; n navy to collect.
whence rebel leaders, while in power,
had scattered it, and eqnip it for
strife; and it was only with The lapse
OF time that we realized tie magui-
tude and strength OF the rebellion,
and the elaborate and efiectual means
that the leaders had taken for its
prosecution and success. When all
these things are carefully considered
our people should not be surprised ut
the duration OF the conflict, or the
cost Of blood and treasure it has in
volved.
BY no act Of wrong or oppression
did the people Of the Northern State
provoke this rebellion. 1t has no
warrant of justification whatever. -
We had infringed upon no right guar
anteed Co them by the Constitution of
the land. We had asschted To all the
compromises presented to us, and
kept our faith; while they violated
repealed and destroyed them atpleas-
ure. While the great mass Of our
people, Of both political parties, re
Trained from Interfering with their
"peculiar institution" we first faint
protested and then resolutoly declar-
ed against its being made an engine
of ofpolitical, and, for this purpoes,eY
tended over territory that otherwiac
should he free. We urged the south
em people TO conllnc that "institl-
ton" within its existing limits, and
take with it all the guarantees the na.
ton could give for its quiet and peac-
able enjoyment; but we could not con
sent that the hlighted influence Of
slavery should be spread over free
territory, merely to create Slave
States, in order TO preserve "the bal
ance OF political power For this
check to their political ambition, the
leaders maugurated this gigantic re
belliom aud II large portion OF their
people took upon themselves its con
sequences, in an armed attempt to
destroy u government under which
they had been prosperous andhappy;