The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1866-01-25
v.saa. was the war for!


ss3a: was the war for.
Now that the war is ended and the .mok;
OF battle is drifting away it viii not IL
amiss for each Amer can citizen TO ask
himself the que ion which forms the cap
ton OF this article Tie volunteer. who
at the call ci the executive calamity
threw himself on the altar Of his country
the husband and father, Who left his wife
and little ones to The care 0. neighbors or
the public; the son and brother who lef;
behind him the endearing Establishment,
Of home and friends; he man Who By tie
mex Drable draft was compelled to relin-
quish wife children, home end business
at he call of hi, couniry's rulers; al these
may now with propr.ety ak. what WAS
this for?" Was it that the slave should
be frcel? Was j: u secure the privilege
Of the ballot box and the right to he'd Of
fee for the negroes Of ;hc southern States j?
Was it 70 secure the eq ;aliiy Of the llsck
and white races OH this con,incn No,
none OF these i vas said t. be to pre-
serve the union Of the States; to preserve
the lie Of the nation. t. "rctake. hold
and possess the forts. as enals and ether
property belonging to the United States
;reacherously taken by the insurgents. to
vini:catc the laws of the country anl re-
insts'e Tie authority of the government
over the rcvoite,l States; all our rulers
.olemnly stated a. soon as these ends should
be accomplished the war should cease.
Even as lac as 1854, the then President.
3Ir Lincoln. toll he country that rs soon
Is I'll. rclcls LAID down their arm, and
yielded obedience to the col.-tituticn and
laws the war upon them should continue
10 longer. There was nothing more
clearly s.-tel Or expressl le~..ood thar
that tic wsr IVES tor the utposc Of
comI cling the rebels tc ,wlclee the
authority of the federal government. THIS
alone Is what they denied this !; was nee
essary they sheu.' acknowledge, f5r their
denial Of his va, Ii. sia-Ie l,9int in .ssue.
Both parties ians:erei their forces thous-
anis and !unlre IS Of thousands Of lives
we're sacrificed III the conflict which re-
suited in favcr OF the government. and
months AGO the insnrgent. were suJlued
and compelled to confess alicgianc. to the
government from which they tried to free
themselves. Why then IS !; that now the
sou;hsrn States as dcnel the RICH. of
representation in Congress, erceY: upon
The condition e hnm.i@tin. themselves in
the dust at &c feet of New England "a
na;ics aud southern tcsroes?
Let any man Of clrdor Al, Intelligence
read the lroec-iin1s e Congress during
TIE rr-ssu' scssen, and note the effort. OF
the radical members of that body to keep
the southern States unrcpresonted until
their People shs.l place their former slaves
on an equslity with themselves, and in
the meantime TO keep them in s.zte Of
military subsection, and then once again
a,k himself The question, vas it for this
the war wa pr5secuiel. Let the volun
reer .nl the drafted man who toiled ard
suffered, AMI foush aai be At the BID.
ding Of super.er7. AK them e'ycs, W.. il
for this thtt Ill AMI suffered these
thing. p Ifcser tie alag tia. whom
the Gnds desire 70 destroy they FIRST make
iuad' was true. j; is true now and ahunl-
sptly exc npliGei in tic course pursued
L. the fanatics AMI radicals ncw in the
asccn.:e1ey at Washington. They arc
fas, driving the ship Of state to inevitable
destruction. and unless the People arouse
themselves and take control of these things
political ruin AL ieyr4lation lie bu. Just
before them