The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-09-07

In the South we have overcome
the concentration of the whole
physical power Of the rebel States,
under n really dcspotic government.
Beginning with the assertion OF
State rights, the rebellion culmi-
mated in tho most absolute and
complete overthrow oi them. New
or, under u Russian Gar or Ro.
man Emperor, was the power OF
the country more absolutely WELD
ed by one man, than was the power
of the Southern Confederacy by
Jefferson Davis. The protests OF
State Governors, and the opposition
ofthc so.callod congress, were alike
over.ridden, and the doctrine Of
State Sovereignty had its most
complete refutation in the submis-
sion of the rebels themselves to this
absolute Capitalization of power
and Of administration which they
saw was indispensable to enable
them to continue this contest.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
At the North we have had an
opposition less open but scarcely
less bitter. The powerful organi.
zation ofa great political party,
which had the prestige oflong con-
tinued success to attach to its fol-
lowers, was used as an engine to
thwart and oppose the Government,
at every step of its struggle for ex-
istencc, When the war began the
members of this party, whoss 10y.
atty to their government was
stronger than their party allegiance
abandoned it. Such men as my
friend who is present here, (allud.
ing to EX. Governor Tod } and the
present Governor of this State, fol-
lowed by great numbers of men
who showed their patriotic spirit,
abandoned the organization of the
Democratic party, and in the ranks
of the defenders of the Union have
labored with us to support the
Government. The disloyal element
which remained, showed its chord
of sympathy with the South from
the very beginning. They oppos.
ed all prcparatian to meet the out
burst that was so maniiestIy ap-
preaching. The slightest military
expenditure, the mere repairing OF
the material Of war, was decided
by them as both unnecessary and
directly tending to disturbance
While every Southern city witness
cd the drill and organization OF
those who were preparing for an
attack upon the Union, our hands
were tied under the pretenso thar
the Government would be safe il
we showed that we were unprepar.
ed to defend it. They declared
that there was no power in the
Government to coerce in submis-
sion those States which might enter
into open rebellion. They posi-
lively asserted the right Of the Sc
cession, although they pretendedly
opposed the policy. They did not
hesitate to declare that the bond OF
the Union was permanently broken
and to advance with more or less
openness the still further subdivis.
ion of the territory Of the country.
From the beginning they recogniz
cd the contederacy MS a real and
independent Government. They
talked of it as of q foreign power
fully established. They compared
it to our own, praising the consti
tuition under which it was framed
and preferred it to that established
by our fathers They exaggerated
its strength, and DETAINED and be
Ilittled our own administration, anC
our own resources and power o
upholding the Government. They
opposed allreal and effective meas
ures OF legislation for the conduct
of the war. They opposed al
practical efforts to enlist or drai'
troops for the army. They en-
couraged desertions, and sought t'
produce dissatisfaction among on
soldiers. They made use Of lOca
courts and other authorities to pre-
vent the return of deserters arrest
ed, and through their influence
forcible opposition was often mad
, to the military officers of the Gov
ernment, who were striving to ar
rest and return to duty those VIII
were guilty of abandoning thei
colors. They united in secret as
sociations and plots to overthrow
the Government within the North
ern States. Under the pretens
that their rights would be tram
pied upon, they made secret arme'
organizations, and laid plans t
resist the enemy by destroyin
: Northern towns, and releasing re
bel prisoners. The whole spirit @
this disloyal party was SO manifest
5 ly hostile to our own Government
. and friendly to the rebellion, tha
every citizen for himself can bea
&. witness to his consciousness thi
: its members were actuated by TIT
5 disposition wherever they wei
J found. That there were man
f private individuals who were d,
: fuded by their leaders, and who j
: their hearts did not intend to /
a traitors, was doubtless true, bl
: the organization as such, control
0 ed as it was, was a manitestly III
d friendly power, limiting the eXh