Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1866-08-08
To the Union Electors Of Ohio:

| 4 Mass Convention will assemble a Colum-
bus, Ohio, on Tuesday, Ausust Z, lor the pur-
/ pose Of selecting four Senatorial, with two
1 Congressional delegates, from each District
20 attend National Union Convention Of
/ Delegates from all the States and Territories
in the Union to be held at Philadelphia, on
the second Tuesday (the l4th) Of August
next
| All Union men are invited TO come, who
believe that the States is indiSsolub,e, and
can not be broken up, either by State secess-
ion or Congressional action: who desire that
/ loyal Representatives should be admitted TO
their seats in Congress, no matter from what
State they NAV hail; who hold that to each
State belongs the regulation Of its own cleo
tive franchise, and who are unwilling to de-
clare the war for the Union practical failure,
by making its restoration contingent upon
political issues, Independent of obedience to
the Constitution of the United States, and
submission to the laws made in pursuance
thereof.
Fellow Citizens, fearful issues are upon US.
and unless wise counsels prevail a majority in
Congress viii perpetuate in our country civil
bate and interminable ieuds, hoping thereby
merely to proong their own hold on Office.
regardless Of the public welfare, or that har-
mony ard repose now needed by the Repnb-
lie after the long tension OF a protracted civil
war-a war to which our citizens contrbut-
ed freely their blood and treasure for the
maintenance Of the Union, but not TO make
any part of our free land Poland or Ireland,
to he held as conquered provinces by sahaps
and bayonets, alter resistance to the COnsti-
tuition and laws had ceased.
Ohio always stood by the restoration policy
Of the late amented President Lincoln, even
when it was most violently assailed by one Of
her own Senators-that policy he bequeath-
ed, as it were a legacy. to his successor in his
farewell speech to the American people, April
II, 1865 three days before his assassination,
which trust President johnson has refused to
surrender at the hehest Of a Congress which
could not have been elected had they an
uounced to the people their opposition to this
main featue OF PreSidznt Lincoln's admins
tration which was emphaficaliy indorsed by
bis rp-rlection President johnson, IN his
North Carolina proclamation Of Nav %, 1865,
and subsequent prOclamalinns, only pursued
the vell-known policy OF his predecessor. and
on The Dist Of June, 1865, the Union State
Convention of Ohio under the pressure Of
The gallant soidier-delegareS, fresh from the
FIELD, who refressed the eagerness Of certain
,taY-at-hOme politicians 10 make negro sniff
7'gr a 1refeSt tor a rFclgoEsd sfrugels ie1,or-
cd that issue. and resolved that President
Andrew Johnson, by his uHwaverirg deyo-
ton to the Onion. through years of fle Sc
verest trial, has won our highest confidence
that we cheeriuly indorse the policy OF his
Administration looking to the restoration of
reace and civil order n the sn-callcd seeded
States and as Union men of Ohio We viii
give him our hearty and undivided support"
That pledge was given by many af US in
cool faith and not Tor the purpose OF deceiv-
ing the people by an electioneering platform,
or misleading the President as to-popular SEN
timcnt, and then denouncing him as traitor
TO the party, because he believed that the
politicians who psssed it were in earnest; and
we intend to abide by that resolution, which
still stands unrepealed bv any subsequent
Union, State or National Convention.
Tie people Of the rebel States have, with
wonderful unanimity, accepted the situation
consequent upon the war in the abolition of
slavery and The repudiaiion Of the rebel debr;
the other conditions, now pressed upon them,
are matters for ordinary political action in the
regular working OF ur Government under
The Constitution. and can be settled IN due
time The great immediate issue is. whether
| the Union shall be practically dissolved by
action ola Congressional majority. in e'.elud-
! ing loyal Representatives from the late reb-
e. States from seats to which they have been
elected. On this point the platform Of the
late Union State Convention is silent so that
even by party usage every Union man is free
10 carry out his own convictions, by prarti-
cal action. There is no denial Of the exclu-
sive right Of Congress to pass on the return,
election and qualification Of its own members,
under the Constitution Of the United States,
but the complaint is that they refuse to eX-
ercise this right.
Are the State governments of the late
seeded States any less republican in form
then before the rebellion. because slavery is
abolished 2 and what difference does It make
who organize them if they are aSSented to by
the leoal electors over whom they are to
operate? The President and his friends have
never asked for the admission OF disloyal men
into Congress, and if not punished according
TO law it Is because the Courts do not ner-
form their dugy-a matter over which lie EX-
ecutive has no more control than IN anv 9TH
er class Of crimes in time of peace. When
this charge is made it comes with an III grace
from those who have all along protesSed a
willingness TO admit all the rebels to political
privileges on the principle of universal suf-
rage and universal amnesty.
Game up, then, Union men. 20 the Con-
yeulion. and see to it that the best citizens d
our State are sent as delegates to the Nation
al Union Convention. to susta;n the President
in his efforts to restore the Union Of these
States. II citizens belonging TO other politi-
cal organizations choose to cooperate with rs
upon this our own platform, to give it prac-
tical effect it is only proof that, however high
partisan strife may run in ordinary political
contests. the issne now before ihe country
the restoration OF the Union--rises above all
party feeling OF seotionalism, and appeals dir
ectlv TO the patriotism Of The nation to take
care that the B.nnbGc suffers no detriment."
Colonel John Mcdonnell. NJ A. Dsugherty,
John A Hunter. 0 L Davis john Garraehtv.
10 N S Wissmrn, Kilius FriIler Fairfield
County. Samuel D Harris. Colonel G S Cot
ter. + 4 Gillette, A F. Pr'ce Z G Russell,
William Ward. s D Norton. G B Bishop, G
Sammerviila. Portage Comfy. L D Camp
bell. J B MiiH;in- James 7 WsOR David
Browne VIM H Wilcox. Peter Black A G
Campbell, VIM Largalde. ] II Amsden, Ed
ward Patton, Ferd Van DerveT, Nathaniel
Reeder, John Fisher, Butler County. J W
Baldwin. R P L Baber, Sol S HeDkle, John
Gparv. G W Cushman, Joseph H Gelger A
W Doison, Colonel II B Hunter, B COtfoih,
B GwYune, Colonel H B Wilson. Fl S Miller,
| E J Biount. Col G S Innis, Franklin County.
! AT Ready, Tuscarawas County Moses Kelly,
] A vincent E A scoyill, o c sc0vill, Leon