Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-06-23
The Soldier at Home.

Welcome to the war worn and tired
defcndcr Of Union and Liberty. who han
experienced and witnessed thousands o.
hardships and palms incident 10 his voca,
ton. v
Think Of the calling of the soldier
What life his is. Think Of the battle
the chances Of death, Of imprisonment
which was worse than death. The liability
of manning and mutilation. The hard
fare Of the fela, camp and hospital tent
Who works as he has. Who faces sucl
dangers as he has. His life has been the
elimination of sacrifice. He left home,
and wife and chiMre, and all, aud threw
himself into the vortex to save the coun-
try and liberty. He returns manned and
crippled; broken down in physical strength
and endurance. likely to drag out the re-
mainder of his life in pain and suffering.
Yet who is happier than he, who looks on
the bright side of life with more faith in
the future store Of good, than this same
broken and sick soldier. The sun is
brighter to him aud llfc's hardships more
bearable for all the experience Of his
soldier days. He rcioices amidst his
poverty and wounds, and only asks that
the bailot-box be Us true an index Of
Union and liberty as his cartridgc-box has
been.
Sinking the soldier into the citizen again,
he enters once more upon the duties Of
life, socially. politically and reliyiously a
wiser and better man. The experience Of
four years of terrible war. the right against
the wrong. has taught him much more
than any other class Of persons other
things being equal. Prcjudiccs life long.
have given way before the onward march
of civil liberty in which march he was one
of the actors. He secs through this earn
age of blood the ont-working Of an equal
franchise without distinction Of condition
or race; and while he would be mcrciful,
he would be just, not throwing away the
victory OF the cartridgcbox ut the ballet
box, nor through the clcnIcncy of cXeeu-
tives. -,st
He demands the gathering Of the fruit Of
peace and liberty. which has been Powered
and rlpcned in the furnace of civil war, in
such manner rs that the worthless and
vicious may be cast into the fire Of annihilia-
ton. None Of the corruption, rottenncss,
worm eaten, hcartlcss and ugly scrags are
tn escape the close scruting Of an equal
ballot box: and if found wanting in pure,
complete freedom union soundiless, then
it must 20 with jeff"
Traitors. whom he has fought must be
tried and if found guilty hung; while
another class should be outlawcd, and an
other class disiranehiscd forever. and the
balance of all rcbcldom DISTINGUISHED for a
time, putting them on trial for good be-
havior, and when found worthy clothed
with complete citizenship.
We should not he in too great haste to
bring back the rebels to the bosom which
they SO lately tried TO destroy. Put them
all upon probation, and when they have
come to love freedom, free schools. equal
rights and distributed justice for all. bet
ter than slavery and treason, then. with
the loyal black we can safely give back
into their hands the government Of the
State, not before.
Such must be our course. and eyevy cn-
ightened soldier comes to the franchise tie
manding that We he true to liberty. justice
and traitors, by speech, by pen, by vote,
while the half million who gave up their
lives for freedom and Union, join in the
demand.
Ellsworth, June 10Th. la65.
G.. W. ".
\ Soldier.