Smyrna times., 1866-09-05

Dover, the war had been prosecuted with altern-
ate success and disaster. The country had be- |
come terribly in earnest. The Democratic Gov |
ernOr sent in his message, and it was full of
against the General Government
replete with charges of violated Constitutional
obligations, and OverhOwing with prophesies
which time has failed to fulfill Liberty had
ceased to exist the currency was worthless or
would be in very short time and the
Emancipation measures Of President Lincoln
would leave US without "glmmerlng hope of
a restoration of the Union"!! |! There must be
an armlstlce-there must be a Convention of
States-slavery must be preserved at ali haz-
ards! How strangely all this sounds now?
In short time the Union Governor was in
augurated; and then the Legislature delbe.
rTately set to work to insult and to checkmate
MN IN every effort he made to assist the Union
cause. lie plead for our soldiers, but what did
democrats care for "Lincoln's hirelings:"
he as ked pittance for their suffering families.
but they had no charity for the near and dear
ones or those who wore the "livery of the
United States. " What should have been done
by the state as an organized body was perform
ed by voluntary combination. When the Legis-
lature was entertaining the proposition to raise
the white flag on the State House, the armo-
rial enslgns of the State were already at the
head OF her troops in the field While the
Democratic leaders and rulers were arminp
State troops, so as to be in readiness for
future developments, Union regiments, un-
aided by the State, were in that army which
was charged with the salvation of the country
-rlsklng all of life in the holiest earthly cause
tor which man ever contended
The Legislature of lSG3-64 made up a record
which, in the light of to-day, argues little for
the patriotism, foresight or craftsmanship of
its controlling members, or its outside advisers
The treasury of the State will always bear it in
memory. 1t was most expensive machine to
keep running. Its meetings were "duarter-
! ly, for what purpOse-eXcept to give General
Lee cordial reception should it be in his DOW.
er to visit our State, one OF the future devel-
Opments in the category of Democratic proba.
billties- never been clearly understood. =
1t not only refused the aid Ofthe State to those
who cheerfully volunteered in the service OF
their country, but it offered premium to keeI
our citizens from such service. 1t refused to
grant power to the city of Wilmington to dc
what the State should have done-provide
bOunties for volunteers. 1t never voluntarily
appropriated dollar to strengthen the Union
armies 1t rejected the proposition to provide
for the wants of soldiers families, and denied
to the county OF New Castle the power to make
such provision as its Levy Court was willing tC
adopt. 1t voted down resolutions simply
thanking the soldiers of Delaware who were de
Tending the Government, and expressly tolC
them it had no sympathy for the wounded, o.
for the orphans and widows Of those who dice
upon the battle field. And, if no other proc
was wanting-lf every act in the catalogue
have enumerated was blotted out and for
gOtten-the rejection of the proposition to ap
prOprlate a few hundred dollars to decent,
h., IL II Al, e
of Gettysburg, would bring home to this LegiS
lature the charge, that all its sympathies, it
hopes and its prayers, were with those who, il
that conflict, fought under a strange banner
and for a cause unworthy Of the civilization G
the age. | sometimes think of this insult
the dead patriots in anger-I sometimes thin
of it in sOrrOw-and always its remembrance
comes as burning disgrace to Delaware. He
brave sons were treated as Outcasts in life, the
were repudiated, and even in death they wer
rejected. The State, as a State sought to Iii.
own and dishonor them, but there were thos
among its citizens, who provided for the las
rites to remains which the Republic has n
temple too sacred to enshrine. "Of thOs
who, in classic ages, have thus served the
country and honored humanity, and have falle
in the protracted struggle with malignity, tire;
! son, folly and tyranny, it has been well said,
: terms which richly express the proper sense {
, their claims, that
I, ''They fell devoted but undying;
;. The very gales their names are signing;
The silent pillar, lone and gray,
~ Claims kindred with their sacred clay.
. = Their spirits wrap the dusky mountain,
4 Their memory sparkles o er the fountain;
! The meaneSt rill, the mightiest river
q Rolls mingling with their fame forever"
d The Legislature of 1865 was but secor
h edition of that which preceded it, without r
= vision or improvement. 1t absolutely ignore
IS the fact, that in the Union army were four res
Is ments of infantry, battalion of cavalry and
y battery of artillery, who marched under tt
Ie arms of Delaware 1t had no sorrow for Il
Is gallant dead-it had no thanks for the livin
m 1t extended to the widows and orphans Il
!; cold charity Of the world. 1t would see the
r beggars in land saved by their great sacri
" ces In making provisions to meet the mi
tary drafts, it protested against the continuan
le of the war, and then offered premiums to OF
le citizens to stay at home, in place of Undue
le ments for volunteers. Its hatred to the gen
at raj government was so intense, that it refus
a to accept the donation Of public lands for Il
d benefit of education in the State. 1t could n
I'd look beyond the contracted lines of miserat
party spirit In affairs but remotely connect
ne with politics there was no acceptance of fac
ss as they existed. 1t rejected prudent and d
W. Greet action, COMFORTING with surrOundi
o. changes and circumstances. Hence the refu.
IL to assist, by an enabling act, the conversion
T. our State banks into banking institutions of
en- national character. Hence the present COM
he ton of the Farmers Bank, in which the Sta
. is so largely interested as a stockhoder. Hen
mt the denial of the legality of the Constitution
IN Amendment abolishing slavery, and the reft
of al to accept it as part of the fundamental i
to of the land. Delaware is free State, but
rit Legislature in its action has carefully exclud
er any avowal of the great change in her conc
es ton ; and still insists upon the retention ON
lOr Statue Book of all the barbarous barricaC
in with which the slave power surrounded lis
his when in the vigOr of fife, but which now ha
nd nothing to protect but the fetid carcass of
he Institution, destroyed in storm and whirlwir
to BY the acts of those who blindly imagined tb
we were preserving it. To the Democratic par
ate Delaware is still slave State, without sla,
&C. or the right to hold one, within its borders
lp- No concessions are to be made to freedom. a
er- all the incidents of dead system are te be
rk, tanned in the body polite.
the BY an act Of Congress, approved Aupust
I'M 1861, tax OF twenty millions was levied mn
real estate, and ordered to be collected for !
at purpose OF meeting the expenses of the W