Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1865-09-28

from the eQlLOrlal column OF tne
Cincinnati Gazette, and commend it
to the careful perusal of our readers.
1t is complete in itself, needs no ex-
planation, and must strike the COM
mon sense of every man, as the
truth The whole truth and nothing
but the truth" Friends of the sol
dier, circulate the the document.
Let every solGier see it for himself
DESERVING TO THE ENEMY.
The American army, though par
TALLY disbanded, is yet unit The
same high emotions which knit its,
members together when hardship
came or the conflict ragged, stiH ae-
tuate the mass of our soldiers Its
an army at home on furlough. Let
the assembly sound from Washing
ton, and the ranks will stand up
strong and steady again. Yet not all
would be there. f-'.-
Each day while the war went on,
against the name of some coward or
skulker there was entered on the
rolls, deserted to the enemy" and
that record stares the friends of those
men in the face to- day, and brings
the blush of shame and the conscious
ness of lasting disgrace in their fam
lily line.
And now that the campaign is
closed, and the army has separated,
and joined the ranks of the loyal at
home to secure the fruits of the war
at the ballot box, day by day the
sentence is written down for some
fainthearted one ''deserted to the
enemy" and the disgrace of his fam
lily will assuredlY follow it. ,f.-o
All soldiers argue that those who
deserted during the war were cow
ards, bounty jumpers, or shirks.-
The rolls of the army viii scarcely
show that a single deserter did his
duty up to the hour of his desertion.
The same is true now; the Copper
heads among the disbanded soldiers,
are, with scarce an exception, the
towards who were too cowardIy to
desert in the field, and only show
their apostacy now, when no physl-
cal danger can attend it.
Is it not true desertion for a sol
dier to forsake his comrades now, and
vote the Democratic ticket? Let us
see. VINO compose the party? The
men who have worked against you
in the dark through all the war; the
men who rejoiced at your failure and
over your success; the men
who exulted when the flag you fol-
lowed went down in the dust; the men
who were just cowardly enough to be
the tools of traitors; the men who
placed party above country, who
voted against giving you bread or
clothing, or caring for your families;
the men who, above all others, haye
been traitors without excuse, will
fully plotting the destruction of tmeir
Such has been this North
ern wing of the rebel army.
While you were still striving nobly
10 conquer an open foe, it was seek
ing to thwart all your efforts, while
You sought to establish law, it hoped
70 strengthen the breakers of the law;
when you rejoice over repeated VIC
tories. it shouted back to you ''the
wars failure" and this is still the
burden of It's cry.
Can any soldier act with such
party without admitting that his
course in the war has been wrong
one? BY no argument can loyal
soldier convince his conscience that
it is consistent to fight under the flag
and vote with its enemies. A sol
dier who thus votes would, if the
two sections were called to arms
again, array himself under that trai-
tor flag whose supporters have muir
dered his comrades and struck at the
life of the nation.
It matters not upon what minor
points one may differ with the Union
party now. 1t is the only party that
carries the fag, and maintains that
the war has been a glorious success,
and that nothing shall be surrendered
which has been gained by the blood
of your comrades, by your own ef-
forts, and the treasure of your loyal
Opposition to the Union
party now IS prompted by treason
alone. No patriot can join in the op-
position, and remain a patriot.
Let soldiers who would have
scorned to desert in the field, stand
by their colors now. Let them not
appear on the final records of the
war as deserters. These records
cannot be written up till the results
of the war are fully reached. just
now the battle RACES fiercelY.-
Though changed to the political
arena, it is the same battle. with the
same opposing forces, and the same
issues at stake. One side lifts up It's
banners in the name of God, and
country, and freedom; the other
marches sullenly under the flag of
treason. Now that the final victory
is about to be declared, will you de-
sert your comrades and go over to
the enemy?