The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1864-07-14
Peace or War-Which Will we
s'hOOSG
From the franklin IN, " Gazette

in which thousands were slain, and other
thousands left manned and wounded on the
field; of monster hospitals, in which thou
sands upon thousands are suffering from
disease, dying by scores and hundreds, and
who see the sad, sickening effects of war all
about them, can stand up even in the pres
ence of sorrowing, almost heart broken
| fathers and mothers. widows and orphans.
brothers and sisters, and in unfecling
words which could only come from a heart
Of stone, say that all the waste Of life and
suffering which this cruel war has pro-
duced is but cheap sacrifice to make for
the emancipation of the bOndmen Of the
South This is Puritanic fanaticism boil
ed down into ultra Abolitionism, than
which there is no lower or vilcr consist
ence to which it can be reduced. But
this war IS serious business to men whose
sons have gone down in the shock Of bat
tie or fallen victims to fatigue and expo.
sure in on unnatural climate; ii is an in
expressbly sad business to those whose
! friends come home to them MANNED and
crippled for life, or pine in hospitals or
Southern prisons. 10 them the waste is
irreparllc, ard it is poor consolation to
them, as they think of the dead or look
upon the poor sufferers who yet live, that
few thousand comparatively happy ne
groes have, by means of the war, been
transformed into miserable outcasts and
starving paupers 1t will dry up few
tears, alleviate few pangs, to tell the faith
I .t,f, no
of a dear son, that his life was a cheap
sacrifice for them in the glorious cause of
negro emancipation.
In view of all that has happened du-
ring the past three years, and is likely to
happen in years to come if the war is rot
stopped, which will the people choose,
peace or war? Considerations so pertinent
to this question, accompanied with an ap-
peal SO timely and appropriate, are CON
tained in ali article in i Bridgeport (Ct.)
Farmer, that We copy them below:
1t seems, to the locker on, but yesterday
that thousand men marched from among
us, with waving banners, FURNISHED weap-
ems. gay Uniforms, drums beating, and ju-
bllant step and to-day a hundred, may be
three hundred men, come back to us. bro
ken in health, ragged, Scared, to ted the
story Of their deeds. and answer The pitt
ful questiOuings Of those who do not tinG
a:lung this remnant their loved ones
Ana thi= is var. and some Of lis glorious
! fruits.
On Friday night last sueli i regiment
passed thrt UGH Bri9ccport Three years
ago the Third Maine LETT that State amid
the cheers ofthousands Of friends and rcla-
tiyes, for the scat Of war, l.00D strong
OF this host Just ll5 men returned. IL
command Of enc OF the surviving cap
| tains
The same afternoon the remnant Of the
Garibaldi Guard returned to New York.
We happened to be in the city when that
regiment, three years ago, took its depart
ure for the battlefield They marched
Gown Broadway, accompanied by thou
sands oi friends, men AID women jubilant,
triumphant. full of high hopes and great
resolves. Forty bugles made that grand
splendid street ring with their wild music
Every window and housetop swarmcd with
spectators, cheering. shouting. wild with
excitement. The effect was dramatic in
the extreme. The regiment has fought
bravely since, and now comes home for
resting spcll,-how many? just $50 .
On Saturday afternoon last the Ninth
New York returned home, after three
years service, bringing back IS men and
- officers only, the remains of as fine a
regiment as has left New York city since
the war began. Here s still another in
stance. The Pennsylvania Reserves went
into the field $4,000 strong, in 1861; they
return home 1900 in 1861
We read, too, of regiments coming out
OF action with but few score Of men and
two or three officers, as was the case with
the Ninth New York the other day. The
Detroit Free Press, in its last issue speaks
of the condition of the Third and Fifth
regiments of Michigan infantry. The
Fifth few days ago had ciyht mcn and
two o6fcers left, while the Third had been
equally as badly cut up! The two regi-
ments were consolidated in one, and both
together now number less tran taco conpa
mes! These are not insulated and pecu-
ldI CdScs. slS all KNOW. Our Oiu Iotdlc reg
iments are but skeleton regiments. How
long can such u state Of things continue
Grant is losing men by thousands, eve
ry day, and it is pretty plainly intimated
that there must be draft in July, now
but a few weeks distant, and the States
must again send forth their thousands to
disappear, as others have gone down be-
fore, in the red tide of battle
The time is fast approaching when the
people can demand, by the election of
President, change in affairs If they
desire to perpetual, this condition of
things, they have only to re-elect the ig-
norant boor who the other day received
the news Of his denomination with silly
jest, and this, too, while our Litchfield
county boys, and thousands of American
freeman, were suffering, dying in Virginia
If, Democrats, you wish for Peace, for a
cessation of carnage, for the end of this
hellish slaughter, let your delegates speak
for you at Chicago, in the selection of a
Presidential candidate whose hands have
no mark upon them of the damned spot,
that cannot be efaced. The alternative
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