Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-08-24
lFrom the Dayton Empire, August t1O.l vi
The Spirit off the Radicals

hfiiNilphpffi 3gi itlS- lENNHptlf
speech, to his constituents in Springfield,
for the apparent purpose of etnbitteling
the people of the North against those Of
the, South, BY reyiyipg the recolectiop, of
all the real and imputed atrocities of the
recent WarI1b ? 90l DO TH'HfnNs.h HH1 n7s
The gbntlemen who went to Philadelphia
as delegates from the Southern States, to
re-establish the amicable Intercourse and
friendly relations that existed before the
war, are stigmatiheda as unhungI pirates,
assassins and murdepers, The people of The
South are abused and traduced as robbers.
traitors, and plotters tor the overthrow of
the liberties OF their country. llGd 'sI
A man of Mr.. Shellabarger's intelli igence
knows that language of this kind is not only
unbecOming patriot and gentlemafi,r but
that ! it is essentially false. The. war has
been sad enough in all its aspects, without
resOrting to falseho9d and malicious de-
famation to make it worse. 1t WAS, upon
the part of the South an effort TO establish
a separate and independent Government
result which, was the arling scheme of
AbOlitionism from its inception until the
firing of the first gun Of the late rebellion.
The dissolution of the Union was for years
the fondest dream of that radicaliSm OF
which Mr.. Shellabarger is now disciple.
1t never hestated to denounce all the com
promises, even ,thaCin the Constitution it,
self which were made for the preservation
of the Federal Union. There never was a
moment that plighted faith, however sacred,
would not have met an instant sacrifice to
achieve the overthrow OF slavery. 1t was
because it was feared that even at the last
moment reconciliation between the North
and South would again be effected by COM
promise, that the spirit of Radical AbOli-
mi Tna "a xtrnp a M y
that means. to attain its final purpose. i'
The war was fought, not to overthrow
the Constitution of the United States as to
those S,ates1which- desired to adhere to it
as fundamental law-and this Mr. Shella-
barger well kuOws-it was fought to estab-
lish new Federal Government over those
States that had accepted the doctrine
of an irrepressible conflict, taught by ABB
olitionism. ... .. ...... ...........
There were no doubt, many atrocities
committed, but they were not confined to
one party alone efthe cOmbatalits .t.-
| Until Raqicalism can answer why it did
not accede to repeated offers upon the part
of the Confederate Government to effect a
general and complete exchange OF prison.
ers, these gentlemen may well spare their
tears over tue horrors of AndersonYille and
the Libby prison. The candid pen of his
tory will record it as an indelible evidence
of brutality. unparalleled in the annals Ot
civilized warfare, that the Federal Secre-
tary of War allowed our wounded and
maimed soldiers to rot and die in the open
prisons of the South, because, II an eXi
change had been effected, sound men would
have been restored to the armies OF the
COnfederacy.
/ Mr.. Sheliabarger glibly denounces the
men whom the Federal Government rec
ogniZed as belligerents, now that they, are
conquered-as murderers, assassins, and
pirates. This is brave-it is the impulse OF
that high and chivalrie sentiment that
MilToy and Turchin, Butler, Hunter, and
Schenck exhibited in their brilliant career,
but alas! there can be no trace Of Il
| found IN that .'inf'Im0us arrangement Of
the obscure Sherman, which was so swiftly
stigmatized by Radiealism as "Sherman'S
shame nor, eYeny in the final capitulation
by which Grant, who as Mr.. Shellabarger
expresses it, event through to the Conquest
of the continent and the, fame Of theiage,"
fixed the final seal of failure upon the re-
bellion. .,yr p3 r-s5rrl -sif tegt.Yrs y..f
1t is mean and coWardly to stigmatize
those who have been met and overcome In
honorable warfare as "asSassinsl and pi-
rates." The men who fought undertAe Com
'federate flag on the-eeean were not pirates,
and no man betbers knows this, than Mr..
Samuel Shellabager. They were recog-
nized,as lawful belligerents, not Onlydby
the Federal Government, but by, the other
powers of the world. So with those VINO
fought under the same flag ON the land.
They believed they mad the right sepa-
rate themselves from the North, and tba6
AbOitiouism was sincere when It pr0clalmT
ed for twenty years ''no Union With slave
holders. They appealed to the arbitra-
ment of arms. They were overcome; They
submit tolthe decision in good faith, and
ask again TO be participants in the Govern
lment' from which they sought in vain to
SEPARATE themselves. The war was like
other wars. Menwere killed, and proper
ty was destroyed. The Confederate armies
finally surrendered, upon conditions which
were alike liberal to. them and honorable to
their conquerprS.j They were, therefore,
neither asSassins, murderers, nor pirates.
Mr.. Shellabarger thinks that the people
of the South are not loyal to the Constitute
tion- Well, how is this to be edeteTmined?
Is there any longer any resistance to its
authority, or to the authority Of the Fed
eral Government in the Southern States
Has not general amnesty been declared,
by competent authority absolying all from
accountabilitY,, under certain conditions
and restrictions, by reason OF participation
in the rebellion? Does any one refuse to
take an oath of allegiance to the Constitu-
tiAn of the United States? Ii there are
any such they are certainly not fit to bold
office, nor are they entitled to any Of the
rights and privileges of citizens. 100 iaTU
The. great trouble with Radicalism Is,
that it has awakened to the consciousness
that its days are numbered, and its final dis
solution is at hand. 1t seeks to perpetuate
its lease upon life, by forCibly excluding
from paYticipationin.the Government those
who, by the provisions OF the Constitution,
have the right to do So. The effort will not
succeed; but, if persisted in, will only end
in the utter overthrow and destruction of
those WHO oppose themselves to the re-es-
tablishment OF the Federal Union under
the Federal Constitution. ~ 1u5..rT Gin
.A wish of a Good Man. iaill d
''Twould rather" said Or. Sharp, "when
r asIa .n.k AI... y. n.