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

ultHOuHH lie hdu no Interest Wlln them,
yet could see in that mans countenance,
that while those old comrades in battle
stood on the other shore, it was wounding
to his pride to leave them. So it is with
many noble demoerates we have among
us, their sons or their brothers are over on
this side, away down in Virginia or Geor-
gia fighting to maintain this government,
but they have beeu fighting on the other
side for twenty years, and to-day, although
they have no interest there, and feel in
their heart that they are wrong, yet they
cannot wound their pride so much as. to
come over / would say in all kindness,
if like this man they had lived soldier
life for two years it might help their pride.
But let me say to you day, you know
you are wrong ask you kindly to come
over, don't want any of your democracy.
| don't use the weed But you have
been drinking of the bitter waters of re-
bellion for folr years, come and drink OF
the waters of Constitution aud Liberty =
You know that you are wrong, and the
sooner you swim the Rappahannock tn It
separates you iromyOur sons and brothers,
the sooner you will have clear con
science. When the Democracy halloo.
"Where are you going y tell them you
have a wounded son or an aiiectionatc
brother over on this side and you are go
ing to see them. They may tellyou that
they always thought you were an Aboli-
ZIONIST, and that viii be all there will be
Of it They won't fire on you, for we
stand on this side ready to fire back
"The brayest deed over man done was
to acknowledge that he was wrong
am pleased to see that you still con
tinue to build churches, until they are al
most on every hillside. ! love to see it.
Only see to it that you vote as you pray.
wouldn't give more than thirty pieces OF
silver for that mans religion, who can
taste treason in the sacramental cup, And
what are you worth as a christian, to your
country, if you vote with The New York
rioters and Richmond rebels We are
told that religion and politics must be kept
separate. Yes, we have no right to ask
what church Abraham Lincoln belongs,
but if we suspect his loyalty, aud know
that he was nominated by such traitors a5
Valandigham, was cheered by the rebel
army aud the New York rioters, it would
be our duty to ask what denomination we
belonged to, what was our profession, and
whether our religion would permit us to
vote for him.
| like to see consistency. The heath
en-, when they go away from the temple,
or wherever they go, have a small god in
their pocket. | want to see men who
profess 10 believe in Christ, to carry him
along to the election. As one who has
hbored eight years for the salvation Of
this country, | take this opportunity to
return the thanks Of the country to the
ministers Of the Christian church They
have been her right hand men in this
great struggle for national existence and
nationtl liberty. ! have found them al
ways with us, in the church, in the clec-
tion, in the battle and in the hospital.
know speak the truth when ! say that
Abraham Lincoln owes his election to the
spirit Of Christianity in our country, and
as every act Of his administration COM
ports with a pure Christianity, ! have
reason to believe he will receive the same
support from the Christian churches. /
am aware that in the first of this war JeH
Davis fought to protect slavery, and AbIa-
ham Lincoln fought that no person should
touch it. But that policy has long since
been changed, and his emancipation proc
lamation is before you for approval or dis
approval We have il it a guarantee for
ourfuture peace and prosperity, something
worthy of the great crisis through which
we have passed. and above all our country
yet remains. Let us protect and defend
it, This war has been no war for con
quest, for every battle has been fought on
our own soil. 1t has been no war for
persecution, for the enemy have been wei
come at all times to come and share the
blessings Of liberty with us.
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion, | again appeal to
you to stand by your brothers in arms,
do not say to the enemy surrounded
by your brethren, that he need not
surrender. Do not tell the enemy
they can have the gunboat Nashyi lc,
or the gunboat Slavery. No man
can believe you are in favor Of this
Union, when you are opposed to
fighting for it. Yon fight your neigh
Dor for twenty years for IA strip of
land the breadth of your bqc", but
more honorably you can fight your
enemies, and get a clear deed for the
breadth of your back down in Virgin
ia. | have told you slavery was the
hinge Of this rebellion, we must cut
the hinge before it will drop, it is and
always has been a military 'ccessity.
We had no success until after the
Emancipation Proclamation, Slav-
cry is the horn which has goaded you
from one compromise to another, and
finally goaded eleven States out of
this Union. You can have no peace
until you destroy the horn. They
tell their slaves you have lived on
black meat, but the fact is they have
clothed and fed tn mselves with black
meat all their lives. You must not
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