The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-07-19

lnulcteu, tne creatures OF Cne peO-
pie, and bound to do their will +?
Citizens, the peoples liberties can
never suffer. Their rights can new
er be betrayed but by the default
of the people themselves. It's by
their want of vigilance, by their
misplaced confidence in parties
and men, by their apathy and tor
por, that their ruin is wrought.
Oh for some master-voice to rouse
society from its stupor, to stir it in
to thought, as did the angel of old
stir the stagnant pool that the blind
and paralyzed might be cured and
invigorated. Let but the people
speak; their voice will roll like
thunder over all the land. Who
shall say them nay? Let but the
people wake, and these enemies of
the Republic will scattered as the
dewdrops Of the night the lion
shakes from his name. | hear it
said that Southern people are not
loyal, and guarantees are needed
from them. Loyal to what? To
the Constitution? Where else but
the Constitution can they find any
hope? They ask for its protection
as well as its obligations. That it
shall not be only a sword by which
they are assailed, but a shield by
which they may be defended.
Their conduct for the last twelve
months proves that they have
abandoned, in good faith, abandon
ed the theory of secession. They
pray for "UniOn," and Union is de-
MED them. How long is this to
last? What was this civil war for I?
That was the deliberate, solemn
declaration Of the North.
1t was for that, to save, restore,
preserve the Union, they fought. -
For this purpose and no other, then,
young men left the plow and the
bench and took up arms. For this
they suffered and died. Through
all their long days of toll and dan
ger this was the prize they sought
to win. They gained it. They
conquered it. They returned to
their homes rejoicing that the Uni
on their fathers bequeathed to
them had been by their strong arms
preserved. And now they find
they but grasped shadow. The
reality is snatched from them. The
Union is not saved. The Union is
not preserved. The Union is pre-
vented and delayed lest its restora-
ton may thwart the plans or cross
the speculations Of the honorable
gentlemen in Congress to whom
civil war, disunion have been the
source of profit and power they
could not otherwise attain to. They
need guarantees. Guarantees for
what? That the South will hence
forth be loyal and obedient to the
Constitution, and the laws that ac.
cord Herewith. What better guar
antees can you have than they
have given you and give? Is not
their defeat complete, admitted,
crushing as it it? Is not this n
guarantee that they will never
again take arms against the omnip-
otent will which has ordained that
secession is impossible, and the
| Union shall never be dissolved?-
Are not their ruined cities, their
wasted fields, their desolate hearths,
the graves Of their dead-father,
son, brother, husband-the graves
of their loved ones, on which Ma.
ture, higher, mightier, kindlier than
mans laws, will dash the tear?-
Have we no guarantee in this that
these men are Americans, our own
brothers-defeated, but not yet hu-
inflated, too proud to be false?-
Ask our soldiers-the men who
stood face to face with them in
many hot and bloody fight-who
met them under flag of truce, who
met them on the lonely picket,
where kindred,i ignoring the articles
of war, made them for while COM
panions and friends. Ask the Cen
erals who commanded our victOri-
Gus hosts-ask them if they would
not trust the word of those whom
they had seen so gallantly defend
ing a theory with their lives. Ask
Grant if he does not trust Lee
Take the vote of the whole army
and navy. The men who fought,
not the men who talked; ask them
if they trust the loyalty of the
men they fought, vanquished and
forgave, and, my life for it, from
end to end of that glorious column
of borooc will ,.;,, =. o,,I q lA,,o .a,,r 3,