Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-10-28
ON THE WAR.


MR.. PRESIDENT, LADIES, SOLDIERS AND
CITIzENs:-It is not my purpose toenter in
to general discussion of the momentous
questions which agitate the country, but to
address my remarks chiefly to our brave
soldiers, their relatives and friends, who
have honored us by their presence. For
no portion of our people have endured so
much, and endured SO nobly during the
grand and terrible drama which has been
enacted upon q continent for stage. In
no age, and in no country have there been
greater sufferings, or more heroic deeds,
than in this dread and terrible conflict,
during which in stern reality brother has
been arrayed against brother, and father
against son. But time will not permit me
to nafrate the glories of Rich Mountain and
of Carrick's Ford, of Springfield and Pea
Ridge, of Donelson and Shiloh, of Corinth
and Vicksburg, of Stone river, and the
battles on the mountains of Chattanooga,
where our brave boys-like the tabled gods
of old-fought and conquered high above
the clouds! Nor will my time enable me to
speak of Yorktown and Hanover Court
House, OF Williamsburg and of the seven
days of desperate and immortal battles be-
tween Mcclellan and his eighty thousand
heroes, against Lee with more than double
his force; nor can L refer to South Noun
tain and Antietam, while Lees army, flush
ed with recent victory, was met and con-
quered by Mcclellan, and driven southwark
across the Potomac, by the very soldiers
who but few weeks before had been rOut-
ed under Pope on the ill-starred field of
Bull Run; nor can | tell the thrilling story
of Gettysburg, as told Inc by soldier who
had been wounded on that glorious field.
No, my friends, / must leave those themes
to lips far more eloquent than mine; to the
poet and historian, who, while mourning
over the desolation of once so free and SO
fair land, will yet in fitting terms recount
the marvels of valor and of skill performed
in this most grand and terrible of wars
And much less will 1 attempt to portray
the unspeakable anguish caused by the
war; of the thousands of widows who have
gone broken-hearted to their graves; of the
tens OF thousands of suffering orphans
whose wall can now almost hearupon the
chilly night wind; of the bereaved mother
whose only son has been stricken down in
youths first bloom; nor of the venerable
father whose hopes of happiness lie smoth-
cred in his children's bloody graves. No
my friends, l cannot stop in this solemn
hour of our country's peril, to speak of the
gallant dead, but l must talk to you of the
actual, the living present, and of your duty
and of mine as men who love their country
| But, as my theme is one of war, before
proceed to its discussion, must be permit
ted to pay the tribute of my respect to ont
| of your most eminent citizens-a man o
whom Cincinnati, Ohio and the nation hav,
just cause of being proud. A politician 0
unblemished honor, q statesman profound
| ly versed in the principles upon which oul
| institutions are based, and a patriot who
loses sight Of self, while striving for hi
country's good q man is George III
| Pendleton, the Democratic candidate fol
| Vice-President. And maligned and ira
| duced as he is, as Washington, and Jeffer.
son, aud Madison have been, and as McClel.
Ian is now assailed, yet am not afraid o.
| trusting his reputation with those who
| truly love their country. He is charged
| with having voted against supplies; the
charge falsifies his record, for never wa:
there vote tor supplies, strictly as such
| that he did not vote in the affirmative. Ant
when our paper currency deprecated h,
voted to have the army paid in gold ant
silver. And yet the supporters of Mr.. Lin
coin dare to charge him with being hostil,
to the army and an enemy to the Union.-
But his record disproves their aspersions
for he has publicly declared: "The Union il
the guarantee of peace, power and the pros.
perity of the people. And no one would
more earnestly labor for its restoration, BY
ALL THE MEANS which would effect that end
Nhn..