The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1864-11-03
A Word To Citizens who are not
politioiana,

A Word TO Citizens who are not
Politicians,
There are large number OF persons In
this county who are not adherents TO any
political party who care little Tor the
success Of either or any party but who
arc vet deeply interested IN the Preser'
vation Of the particular institution Of their
country. To this cisss we desire to ad-
dress few calm considerations.
Ours alone, Of all the great nations Of
the world, has a form Of government In
which the popular will, as expSessed
through the ballot box, rules. TNpsoys
an exchange, Is the essential, distinctive,
and most sacred principles Of our form Of
government. by constantly and scru.
pulously respecting aud obtying the
decisions made nt the ballot box, we
have been blessed with tranquility, pros.
peri,y and progress in a greater measure
than any other people or nation In the
world. II we desire a continuance Of
these blessings, we must earnestly aud
solemnly determine to defend the pecu.
/ liar institution which has conferred them.
We must remember that, unlike other
forms of government which urc construct
ed and maintained for the benefit Of the
few, our form, so long as il is strictly
adhered 10, In for the bent TT Of all; and
we can only fall prey to the selfish and
ambitious politicians by our own surren-
der of those safeguards which surround
us, Of which the sncredness aud binding
nature Of decision al the ballos.box is
the chief. -.
II Is by forgetting this, or failing to
appreciate II, that republican government
has been permitted to fail in some other
countries. Such form Of government
has been established in Central America
IN South America, in Mexico, and IN
France at different times. IL has never
been lnsting or successful in these coun.
trics, because n party defeated at an
election was not satisfied to accept this
decision, but appealed to arms. The
necessary result was perpetual tufbu'
lencc, bIoodshcd. civil disse ensions, pover-
iy, national degradation, with eventual
loss { liberty. The French people, with
intelligence AMI public spirit enough TO
maintain free institutions, have failed
through lack Of patience. Uuscrupulous
party leaders, taking advantage of this
excitability Of the people, have been able
to persuade them not TO submit to the
decision Of the ballot bcr, but TO make
the appeal to arms. Society at once be-
came a prey to faction, and free govern
mcnt perished.
For eighty years. in this country, oil
parties, when defeated, no matter WIN,
their supposed wrongs, no matter what
the abuses existing, on the day aiter the
election checrrully and loyalty acquics.
ccd in the verdict of the constitutional
majority; all knew that, through defeat,
ir the principles they maintained were
right, free discussion BY press and speech
would in time bring tho majority of the
people to proper views, and thus ensure
the triumph of the right. In 1861, for the
first time in our history, the Shareholders
Of the Southern States, defeated in the
Presidential election, refused to submit
to tho verdict Of the people, and appealed
TO arms. Their revolt has been regarded
by the greater part of Europe as the sig
nal of destruction of frec government in
/ America, aud us a most notable proof ihut
free popular government is impossible.
II remains for us to prove, by the manner
/ in which we deal with this revolt this
attempt to subvert aud destroy aud make
impossible free government in the re.
public that these representations OF
monarchisi and the lovers Of despUtism
are false, aud that free popular govern
ment Is possible, and will be sacredly
maintained by the American people.
The shameful departure from Ameri-
can principle involved in the rebellion oil
the shareholders must 10 rebuked, not
only by supprcssing the outbreak by
force Of arms, but further by the most
clear and decided expression Of public
sentiment. This moral force must come
in aid Of the iltary in order to make
the work thorough, as, for the sake OF
our future tranquility, happiness and
progress, 1t must be. The misguided
reoels must be convinced, by every way
in which the people Of this country can
express their determination. that neither
now, nor at any time, nor under any cir
cumStanccs, can this movement or any
OF u Ike nature, succeed in the republic.
While tho military force iefeuts ana
destroys the organized power of tho
rcvolutionists, il is the highest duty OF
the people TO rebuke, by their voice al
the polls, the spirit Of resistance to the
traditional Americas principle aud policy
which lies at the bottom of the slavehold
ers' insurrcction.
/ BY voting for the government against
which the sluveholders rcyolted, we uttcI
this rebuke, add the moral and military
force of the nation, aud MAINTAIN the
American principles. by voting for the
candidates who propose to yield even ia
the slightest degree to the insurgents
we surrender the American principle
and our future progress. We abandon
that pcculiurity OF our system which Ia,
; been the chief source of our distinction =
home aud abroad, The plory of IN,