The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-09-13
A BugIe cam to One war Demoeraey,


General Walbridge, formerly of To-
ledo, and now the gallant leader oflthe
war Democracy of New York, has is
sued the following address, in which
he tersely sums up the issue now be-
fore the country Like our own Lo-
gan, Butler, Geary, Burnside and the
great body of Democrats who stood
heartily by their country when the
Union was in danger from rebel foes
in the field, he avows his sympathies
to be entirely with the party who bore
aloftthe banner of freedom and Union,
and who still support the principles
for which the soldiers of the Union
fought and fell: 80
To the War Democrats:
The political contest now Imminent,
.compels us to view our position, ana
decide on our. future action in light af-
forded by the past.
Let me entreat you to answer to
yourselves these questions:
Were we right or wrong in resolving
to stand by our country and its flag,
when traitors desperately struggled to
divide the former, and strike down
the latter?
=; Were we right or wrong in our de-
termination to spurn all party ties that
threatened to weaken the efficiency or
tranmel the freedom of our efforts to
maintain the integrity of the Union?
- Were they right or wrong who
sought to paralyze the national arm,
appraised in self defence against seces-
sion and disunion, who proclaimed
the war for the Union failure, after
having done their best to make it SO,
and whose partial, short-lived sue
cesses were hailed with hearty cheers
along the lines of the rebel armies? :
| > Is there ,rightful difference in
your regard for the soldier who died
fighting to preserve our nationality,
and him who poured out his life blood
while battling for the rebel cause2 81
Ny questions sufficiently indicate
the answer l deem prompted by the
instincts of true patriotism. Hating
none; denouncing none. wishing i'll
to none, / yet love and honor those
who struggled and fought to uphold
the Union, as do not those who did
their worst to overthrow it.
Have we, then, who stood by the
old flag, gained nothing by its tri-
umph but the privilege of being ruled
by those who fought for its prostra-
ton? Do the beaten rebels return to
a. dubious loyalty, with all the rights
they enjoyed before they plunged into
treason? .f.g .,....@-.s. ..i.1l
/ think not. / hold that the loyal
States and people achieved by their
successful struggle right to complete
security against future rebellions on
such grounds and with such impulses
as were held to justify that of 1861.
i hold that the, present Congress is
emphatically right in demanding that
| the States lately In revolt, shall no.
longer enjoy fictitious and exception
| al power in our national councils,
based on four millions of their peo-
pie, whom they obstinately refuse to
educate or disfranchise, and whom
they divest of the arms and deny the
military organization and discipline
required to render them efficient in
our national defense. t.. lHI
t., In short, / hold that Congress is
substantially right, the President gen.
orally wrong, in the contest which has
ahenated them; and / propose to aid
and act with those who sustain Com
gress and oppose the President, until
the controversy which now convulses
the Republic shall have been brought
to a final issue. s-
Never doubling that such an issue
will be the logical contamination of
the victories achieved by Grant, Sher
man, Sheridan and Thomas, / respect
fully solicit your concurrence in secu-
ring it, eg Yours, truly, @ - 49,
mn ~. HIRAM WALBRIDGE.
New YORK. Aug. %, 1866. -.