The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-03-16

1 /
really desirous Of restoring. the Upion, wouli
adopt sneh measures as the eenfscation of pri-
yate property, the emancipation of slaves svs-
tematic efforts TO invite them, to insurrection,
forcible abduction from their homes and com-
pulsory enlistme pt ip The army, the division
Of q sovereign State without its cossent, and
procls NATION that one tenth of the. popula-
ttion' Of State. and that tenth under military
rule, should control the will OF. the remaining
nine. tenfhs.g The only relation possible be-
tween the two sections, under such "a policy,
4 is that of conaueror and conquered, supe rier
and dependent. Rest assured, fellow. citixers,
that although restoration may still be used sas
i war cry by the 9oserE ment, IL is only To-
Fanaticism has Summoned to it's aid cupid
/ ity and Vengeance; and nothing short of your
ntter subjugation, the destruction of your
1 State Governments, the destrgstion of your
social and political fabEia, yonr personal and
public degradation and ruin, will satisfy the
demands of the North Can there be a man
SO vile, SO debased, SO unworthy Of liberty as
to accept peace on such humilating terms r,
It would hardly be fair to assert that all the
Northern people participate in these designs.
i On the contrary there exists powerful poit-
ical party which openly condemns them The
Administration has, however, been able thus
far, by its enormous patronage and its lavish
expenditures, to seduce, or by its legions of
/ 'tHessian" mercenaries, to overawe the masses,
| to control the elections, and to establish an ar
bitrary despotism. It can not be possible
! that this state of things can continue.
The people of the limited States, accus-
toned to freedom, can not consent to be ru-
inea and enslaved, inorder to ruin and ensave
/ US. Moral, like physical epidemics, have
their allotted periods, and must sooner or later
be exhausted ana disappear. When reason
returns, our enemies will probably reflect,
i that people, like ours, who have exhibited
such capabilities, and extemporized such re-
Sources can never be subdued !; that vast
expanse ofterritory, with such population,
| can not be governed as an obedient colony
| Victory would not be conquest. The uncxtin-
guishable quarrel would be transmitted ''irom
| bleeding sire to sos" and the struggle would
be renewed between generations yet unborn.
| To mPoverish us would only be to dry up
some of the springs of Northern prosperity
to destroy Southern wealth is to reduce North
eru profits, while the restoration of peace
would necessarily re-establsh some commercial
| intercourse.
| 1t may net be amiss, in this connection, to
say that at one time it was the wish and ex-
peetation of many at the South to form trea-
| ty of 'amity and friendship with the Northern
States, by which both people might derive
! lhe bene6ts of-cemmereiaf intercourse and
move on side by sidein the art of peace and
civilization. History has confirmed the lessen
| taught by Divine authority, that each nation,
as well each individual, should seek their
| happiness in the prosperity of others, and not
| in the injury or ruin Of : neighbor. The gem
eral welfare of all is the highest dictate of
moral duty and economic policy, while heri-
| tage of triumphant wrong is the greatest cufse
! than can belali nation.
Until some evidence is given of change of
policy on the part Of the Government, and
| some assurance is received, that efforts at ne
gociation will not be spurped, the Congress
are Of opinion, that any direct ovcrtures for
peace would compromise our seifrespect. be
iruitless of good, and Interpreted by the enc.
my as an indication of weakness. We can on,
ly repeat the desire Of the people for peace.
and our readiness to accept terms, consistent
with the honor and integrity neutrality-suspicious.
of the States, and compatible With the safety
oil our domestic Institutions. -ha-
Not content with rejecting all proposals for
a peaceful settlement of thes controversy, a
cruel war of invasion was commenced, which,
in its progress. has been marked by such q
brutality asd disregard of the niles of civil
zed warfare. stand out in unexampled bar
barty in the history of modern wars Accom- |
panied by every act of cruelty and rspine the /
conduct OF the enemy has been destitute ofi
that forbearapcs and magnapimity which civ
ilization and Christianity have introduced to /
mitigate the asperities OF war. The atrocities I
are too Incredible for narration Instead of |
regular war, our resistance of the unholy ef- |
forts to crush out our national existence is /
treated as rebellion, aud the settled interna-
tional rules between bel.igerents are ignored /
Instead of conducting the as te:ween
two MILITARY and political organizations, it
is a war against the whole popuiation. Hous-
es are pillaged anb bufncd;i churches are de-
faced; towns are ransackea; clothin:, of woman
and infants is stripped, from their persons; jew
elry and memeptoes of.thes dead are stolen, 4
mills and implements Of sagricnltnre are de-
stroyed; private salt works are broken mp; the
of medicines is forbidden; means
of subsistence are wantunly wasted to produce
beggary; prisoners are retained with coDta y
gious diseases; the lsstmorsel of food has been
taken from families, who were not allowed to
carry on trade or branch of industry; rig
id and offensive espionage has been introduced
TO ferret.out s'disloyalty;" persons have been.
forced to cheese between starvation Of help (
less children and taking the oath of allegiance +
10 hated Government.
The cartel for the exchange of pris ,ners has
been suspended. ). and our poor soldiers subject.
ed to 1.-The most gross ipdigpisies. The j
rounded at Gettysburg were deprived of their
nurses and inhumanly left to perish on the
field, Helpless woman haye been exp sed to
the most cruel outrages and to that dishonor
which is infinitely worse than DEATH Citi-
zens have been murdered by the Buffers and
McNeils aad Mifroys, who are fayorite Gene
rails of our enemies. Fefined and delicate la
dies have been seized. bound with cords, i'm
prisoued, guarded by negroes, and he'd, as
hostages for the return of yecapthred slaves
Unofending non-combatants have been ban
nished or dragged from theirhomes to be inn
INJURED in filthy jailsI r lPreaohing the Gospel
has been refused except condition of Ia
King the oath of allegiance Parents have
been forbidden to name their children in hon,
or of rebel ch ;efs. Properly has been con6s.