Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-10-04
To the Conscientious Men of
MarShall County.

SONS VINO are .cOnSclentlOuSly opposed 10
war and belong to churches whose discIp-
lines and articles of faith prohibit them
from voluntarily bearing arms. In this
respect their theory and practice nearly ac-
cord with,the theories of most other Christ
ians, and sometimes, though not one oi
them, we are nearly persuaded that they
are right. There can be no millennium in
this world until this theory is carried out
| in practice-in other wOrds-mtil war shall
have entirely ceased. We do not, howev-
er. propose to discuss church theories at the
present time.
Most persons hcrcabOuts commonly
known as conscientious belong To the
churches of the German Baptists or Dunk
ers, the Omish and the Christians 4 large
majority of the members of these societies
are pure minded, upright, honest persons.
have forsaken the wicked ways of the
world, clothed themselves in plain gar
mcnts, are a people unto themselves, and
cndeavor to truly follow their meek and
lowly master. No good man will revile
these holy and good people. but docs and
must respect them and their opinions.
AS general thing. the electors among
these exemplary people refuse TO partici-
pate in the political struggles that agitatc.
confuse and render turbulent other voters:
and Oftcntimes. from sense of duty, do
not attend elections. When they do at
tend, they almost with one accord, vote for
persons and parties whose opinions and
doctrines they believe least conflict with
their religion-and they always assay to
vote in the interests of peace and harmony.
We sincerely and honestly believe that
we can convince this class of voters that it
is their duty 10 attend the coming election.
and to vote in a particular way: that by so
doing they will have exercised the elective
franchise to a good and noble purpose. and
at the same time will have done that which
will greatly promote one of their cardinal
doctrines. Ii is superiluous to say that our
beloved country has passed through dcs-
perate conflict an ordeal the like of which.
we ar'lently and praycrfully hope, a merci-
iul God will not permit Us To pass through
again In proceeding To argue to that end.
Christian friends, do not let your prcjudi-
ccs in favor of party ties or names cause
you to he offended.
Under our form of government revolu-
ton is always wrong" that is, revolution
by means of war. We have i'm our funda-
mental law agreed 10 settle all matters of
difference 10y the peaceful ballot, rather
than by the angry and wicked bullet. and
all are bound by such decision until it be
reversed by another legal balloting. In the
year 1850 the awakened conscience of
constitutional majority of the nation de-
clared by the l'allOt That the buying. selling.
whipping. killing, raviShing or otherwise
maltrcating any class of persons was wrong
and rcpugnani To the spirit of our laws and
that such villainy should not he tolerated
in the virgin territories. At that time the
Democratic party was in power, and could
easily have caused the decision of the bal
lot To be acquiesced in and prevented war
IL did not do so, but many of its leaders. as
Nallandigham, Jesse ID. Bright and Worries
in the North, by their acts encouraged its
leaders in the South to make war upon the
government and not submit TO the lawful
decision of the ballot. Without this en-
cOuragement. The Democratic leaders South
would never. never. have dared draw the
sword. When actual war began these
Northern leaders lost their influence over
large numbers of patriotic Democrats
One of them threatened that the soldiers
should not 20 10 defend their flag until they
had passed over his dead body. Another
recommended an improved fire-arm to JEFF
ferson Davis, after the latter had become
the rebel president, and the other negota-
ted for the purchase of large quantity of
firearms for the purpose of making war in
our own State against the government
Arms were sent to Indianapolis to one Of
the chief conspirators and abettors OF the
rebellion and were labeled Sunday School
Books stealing the livery of Heaven
to serve the devil in" These are matters
of history and cannot be gainsayed. In our
own county were men who did all they
dare do in aid of the rcbellion--at all times
rcjOiced and mOurncd as the rebels rcjoic-
ed and mourncd. The appeal to arms was
ballot was sustained. When the rebellion
was about TO fail, Mr.. Pomeroy, alias
"Brick PomerOy, editor Of the Lacrosse
(Wis.) Democrat. and other so-called Dem
ocratic editors and writers, North and
South, advised the assassination of Lincoln
and, all too soon, the advice was acted up
ON 10y another Democrat. Wilkes Booth
All good men mourned the loss of the chief
magistrate, and they rs mourned they trcm-
blcd as they remembered and heard the ter
ribly savage threats of his successor. An
drew Johnson. They remembered that in
the United States Senate when Davis and
others were talking treason and threatening
TO break up the government johnson bold
" said that if he were president he would
arrest them traitors, try them as traitors
land. il found guilty, hang them as traitors.
and had not forgotts n how he had subse-
quently made dire threats against rebels.
1t was feared that upon his accession to
the executive office the new president wo'd
deal too harshly with conquered rebels,
and we all shuddered as we thought of
their probable fate. But after hanging a
woman, the miserable Wirz and few 9th
ers, the work of making treason odious,'
as the nrpsident had nrOmiSed WAS all