Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1866-07-05
The Issue IN Ohio.

The Issue fh Ohio.
The two political parties of the
stste. the Union and the Democratic,
have held their conventions, nomi-
mated their candidates, announced
the platforms of principles upon
which they stand, and are now be-
fore the people for trial upon the
;s,ues embodied in those platforms,
M citizen of Ohio can stand by, an
uninterested spectator of the politi-
cal contest upen which we are just
entering. It is 10 ordinary contest,
and the issues involved in it, and
which. the voters of this State are
now called upon to decide, are no
ordinary issues. 1t is not merely a
question of the fitness Of particular
candidates for office; nor is it mar
rowed down to any mere question OF
State policy and State poiincs; II Is
far broader IN its scope, in word is
Notional in its character, involving
the well-heing and interests of the
whole country. In this contest the
people of Ohio are called upon not
merely to decide upon the policy
which shall govern and shape the al
fairs of their own State, but beyond
this they are called upon also to de-
eide and determine the policy and
the principles upon which, in future,
the National Government itself shall
be conducted.
It is indeed no ordinary contest,
for though treason has been crushed
upon the field of battle. it is not
dead, but has been overpowered there
only 10 renew the fight in the field oil
politics. 1t is true that the armies
of the so-called Confederacy have
been beaten and forced to surrender,
and that the armies of the Onion,
with their glorious work all done and
well done. have been dIsbanded and
returned to their homes and former
peaceful pursuits: but the internal
spirit of secession and slavery, winch
gave birth to the rebellion and the
war, is not dead, but as full Of life
and energy and determination, as
when, in 1861, in the pride of its
strength, it boldly declared itself in
the halls of Congress, and challenged
the loyal North to arms. The war
between loyalty and treason, between
free institutions and slave institu-
tons, is not ended: the field Of ope-
rations merely is changed.
Feeling that this is no ordinary
contest. we consider it nothing less
than duty to impress that fact upon
the minds of the people, that they
may be vigilant and fully alive to the
Importance of the great issues, upon
which they are now called to decide;
and we warn the people against set
ting down into the belief, that be-
canse the armed power of the rebel
lion has been crushed, therefore our
work is all done, and we may quietly
fold our arms and let politics take
care of themselves. The work is
not completed, aSd never will be
completed until we have obtained
from the South such Constitutional
guarantees as will hereafter make Sc.
cession and rebellion impossibilities;
and the Fall elections in this and 9TH
er States will go far towards deciding
whether these guarantees are to be
secured, or whether the whole politi-
cal power Of the country is to drift
back into the hands OF those very
rebels, who for four years fought to
destroy the govsrnment In view
therefore Of the Importance of this
political campaign. let every voter
throughout the Stale scan carefully
the-men and measures that are now
before the people, that in October
next he may cast his vote intelligent
ly and for the right As for our
selves, fully endorsing the position
assumed by the party in their plat
form lately adopted st Columbus, we
shall from time to tine, through our
columns, discuss fully, fairly, and
impsrtially, the Issue which has been
made up between the Union and
Democratic parties Of the State, be-
lieving that it only needs fair pre-
sertstion Of that issue to the people
in order to secure the complete sue
cess of the Union party in October |
next The scope of this article viii !
not permit us to enter upon the dis
cussion of that issue at this time
At another time we skali have some
thing to say upon this point.
EThe great Democracy has been
,.,,-d f-o,,,. +bax, frad thar fret r,n,,