Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-09-29
nIlFnrncRATIC LEADERS.

t The Democratic leaders, so far as it is possI-
bic for them, are showing their shrewdness, in
avoiding the real issues of the past four years,
and endeavoring to cover up their record by
taking their starting points from the present.
e'Fhey endeavor to hide the "awful past and
cling firmly tothe present. They now accept
the war and would appear to have had more to
do with carrying it forward to its end than all
Others. They accept the men it has made and
speak warmly Of soldiers One faction accepts
the debt it has created. From these they make
new start, thinking the past is buried and
blotted from the sight of all men. This is, on
their part, wise, prudent ahd cunning for in
this way they may appear to be as patriotic as
any 1t displays keen sense of the necessi-
G ties of the times; it shows clear insight into
the future. z -'
But will their points, from which they take
their bearings, avail them at this timer Let Us
look little to the history of the party and see
1T from it. we may not draw our conclusion.
- Since ls4s this party has been embarrassed
and has had but little to give it strength. On
the questions of the territories it yielded its
sprinciple of universal freedom to join hands
with the slave power. At the commencement
of the war many of the leaders of this party
took an active part 10 an armed effort to destroy
the integrity Of the nation. They proclaimed
their adherence of the contest and openly de-
clared they never would aid or give counten-
ance to such All 'unholy, unjust war" More
than this, they invited foreign monarches to as
isist in giving the death blow to the Republic.
During the war the same leaders did what they
could to discouraged; they discouraged enlist
ments; they exhOrted men to resist the draft;
they ridiculed the Generals; they taunted the
enlisted men, they denounced the Government,
and slandered any mau, no matter what his pO-
litical anticedents were who took any part in
aiding the putting down the rebellion already
raging. When victory was ours, it was spoken
lightly of by these men; our strategy was laugh
ed at; our strength to accomplish what we had
set out to do was questioned; and the brave
bows, our fathers, our brothers, our SONS, our
noblest men, who had left home and all things
dear to meet the dangers of the field and of the
camp, were made to feel there was an enemy in
their rear almost as dangerous as that they had
gone to contend with. Nor did this enemy in
the rear cease being such so long as the enemy
in the front maintained its strength. As the foe
in advance was whipped into subjection, the foe
behind was more submissive.
Now, we say, such history as this still fresh
in the memory of all, is not a popular one, is
not one such as any truly loyal man can accept.
1t is not commendable and glorious. But on
the contrary, it is dishOnOrable one, a dis
graceful one; a history which is foul and mean.
tits treachery, or so much like it, that every
magnanimous mind should instinctively be as
shamed of it. Then we conclude, if we are true
to the history of the party, that their present
position cannot avail them the end they seek.