Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-09-21
s u L E G II.
OF
HON. L. r. CRlTCHFlELD,
Delivered Before the Hardy
Township Democratic Club,
At NIiIIcrsburg. sept. 10. ISO5.

Delivered Before the Hardy
Township Democratic club,
At NIiIIcrsDurg. sept. 10, 1903.
FELLOW CITIZENS
! Nlontcsquieu o Frcnchman,
and . citizen ofa dcspotlc government, says.
"The enjoyment oflibcrty, and even its sup
port and preservation, consists in every
man being allowed to speak his thoughts,
and lay open his sentiments Hoping
that certain class Of our people entertain
less contempt for this freedom of dcspot.
ic government, than has been exhibited for
the guarantees Of our own glorious Consti
tuition, | avail myself of the Erenchmau $
selfevidcnt proposition.
look upon this period in our history as
one Of great interest to the masses Of the
people. We have in the last four years sui-
iered innumcrable disasters, which have
not yet spent their force. Important consc-
quences have yet to be met. The ordinary
and regular working Of our government
must be restored. The spirit of harmony
which sent forth from the bosom of Wash
ington and his compecrs the divine precepts
of Union, must again take up her dwelling
in the hearts of our people. We must re-
cur to the wisdom Of the past. We must
rchearse to each other the indispensable re-
quisitcs of free government. '1hc SUI
prcmacy of the civil over the military au-
thority; economy in the public expense,
that labor may be lightly bulthened; the
honest payment OF our debts, and sacred
preservation Of the public faith; the encour-
,agemcnt of agriculture, and commerce as
its haHdnmid; the diffusion of information
and arraeument of all abuses at the bar of
public reason. Freedom of religion free
i Of L, f.,,,l,,, ii
under the protection of the huJedS corpus,
and trial 10y .iuries impartially selected.
Jefferson says: These principles form the
bright constellation which has gone before
Us, and guided our steps through an age Of
revolution and reformation. The wisdom
Of our sages and blood Of our heroes have
been devoted to their attainment; they
should be the creed Of our political faith,
f the text Of civic instruction; the loadstone
! 10y which we try the services of those we
trust, and should we wander from them in
moments ul error and alarm, let Us hasten
, to rctrace our steps, and to regain the road
, which alone leads to peace, liberty and safe
.ty." In motive and design the masses of
the people have ever been true to these
principles. Public virtue was strengthened,
and spllit ofconcord preserved the Union.
CONSPIRACY OF CORRUPT LEADERS.
But the virtue Of mankind has in every
age, been shocked by npnstrons concretions
OF human vice, which rise up the personii,
cation o. discord Perhaps the most fatal
example on record has arisen amongst us,
l IN contrast to the most exalted virtue, and
+ unfortunately for MS all, for time, triumph.
o ed over it. From the most unimportan,
{ beginnings to the most fearful results, oul
, experience confirms the melancholy fact
> BY false pretences, by pursuit Of lictitiou.
and imaginary wrongs, by falacies, black
q and subtle, wOvc, candcstincly, into bright
: theories, by humanitarian garb and religious
: scmblance, our Institutions were stabbed
u with glievous wounds, the sacred cords OF
: Union were torn and manglcd, and tongues
Of consuming flame and minds devllishly
inventive ui rum, ovcrpOWered the unqucs-
toning confidence of the people in the sta
bility and justice of their country. The
warning of Washington in his farewell ad,
dress, My countrymen, frown Indignantly
upon every attempt to ALLEVIATE any portion
of our country from the rest. Beware OF
sectional organiZatonS--of arraying the
north against the south, or the south against
the north. In the end it will prove fatal tc
our liberties" seems but to have dircctcd
the malice Of the enemies Of liberty, for in
little while, in the life Of IA nation, we FIND
the enemies in the north asserting that
willingly, with deliberate purpose, our faith
crS burtered honesty for gain, (slavery) anC
became partners with tyrants, slavchold
ers) that they might share in the profits Of
tyranny aud boldly and reasonably an
'nouncing that, Fidelity to the cause Of hu
man freedom and allegiance to God, require
that the existing national compact shoulC
70 be Immediately dissolvcd that secession
from the government is a religious and po
litical duty" The enemies in the soutl
n. reply: They (the northern disunonistS
curse the old union and despise it, and 5,
do we. Let them keep dow
Nallandigham and his union party in th
yS,, north, then they tthe mort hern diSunionists
shall never be troubled by us with sue
IS, ion. " The people are familiar with tn
growth Of disuniOn-with what mighty en-
ny gines treason laborcd, and with what devil
Ie iSh acuncn and internal agreement the lea
TX ders north and south undermined the Unior
-, and precipitated the terrible shock an
Ii crushing Of happy people, and all the ho
a. rors of civil butchcry. The people II,
guitless of their countrys blood. Ii
m m name and in the hideousness of this gre;
* crime these conspirators against their cour
rd try's welfare, in proper person, are ruin
IL over the outraged people, and reVeilng |
'c the rank corruption Of the disaster. Thel
ot are many questions which precode and az
company the calamity, of momentous pra
tn tcal import to the people, They involv
in all of human welfare affected by govern
,rs ment. 1t is not the design Of my remark
r. to discuss these questions in legal point
ii1 rc view. They have been settled, as far {
%! can be in the midst of usurpation, by Il
nd ablest and purest men in the Union. w
know that out of this conflict has come fca
J. full policies and abuses and burdens of il
com putable magnitude. We know thi
emancipation has ruined the strength an
agriculture of the southern states. Thi
= confscation of property is infcting unto
miseries upon population that owed allcs
=, lance to de tdctO government, that we
4 helpless then and helpless now in ii
clutches Of power. That the suspension
y habeuS corpus when there is no danger
- the public safety, is an outrage upon rcasC
. and tyranical assumption. That the d.
fy sI- privaton of trial by Jury when, and wherev
" the trial can take place in the courts of ju
ticc, is a naked attack upon liberty Tn
- military courts are, simply, lawless mob
ss That the military establishment kept up
In ~ e,