The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1866-03-15

IOBBCIlltttO
dozen hearers. j, 7o. ... ..Ir H n
8, We were sOlemnly warned that if
we made war upon the rebellion it
would destroy the Union, and that we
must compromise peace if we would
save the nation. Weflistened to the
siren song of compromise, and thought
there might be something in the eau
tion it suggested; we tried compromise,
but the imperious spirit Of the South
scorned to listen to our offers, and
closed the door in our faces with the ar
.rogant assumption by Jefferson Da-
Wis that "the time for compromising
was gone" NJ. ... ...g ..-s '-.
The rebels appealed to arms we ac-
cepted the challenge as the only re-
maining alternative except submission,
which we dare not for moment en- |
tertain; the nation triumphed, the re-
bells went down, treason struck its flag,
and the Union still survives. .,.
/ have said, Mr.. Speaker, that the
hostile spirit of the Opposition in this
House indicates very clearly that if
anything is done in the way of recon-
struction, with a view to the safety of
the country, it must be done by the
Union party here, unaided by the OPP
position; nay, sir, not content with a
mere silent negative upon every move
we'make, but an open, fierce assault at
every point, with all the power they
can command. ........
1t is not strange or new that they
: thus array themselves against their
country; they have done so from the
t beginning of our troubles, increasing
} in the intensity of their opposition on
: each fresh occasion. In the, midst of
! the war, when we were passing crisis,
when the Government needed the help
e of every citizen-his money, his vote,
: his good will at least, if he had moth.
$ ing better to yield-Where were these
e vain bOasters of Democracy? Denoun.
= cling the war, denouncing Lincoln, de.
\ nOuncing Congress, denouncing oul
generals, denOuncing our soldiers, cast.
t ing epithets and odium upon every
: thing connected with the war against
treason. ..
, They opposed all the measures de-
. viscd for raising means to carry on the
: war, to feed and clothe and pay the
: soldiers, to procure them the arms anC
:; munitions of war. They opposed
If taxes, opposed tariffs, opposed loans
t opposed greenbacks, opposed volun
e teering, opposed conscriptions, opposed
t filling the ranks with white men o.
: black men, opposed everything in ev
= cry shape and form presented thai
y tended to advance the great work of
If breaking down the rebellion. They
e did this in Congress, they did it in theil
G primary meetings, in State conventions
in their national convention at Chicago
4 held but few months before the down
VI fall of the rebellion, and when they
h knew it was reduced to the last eX-
l. tremity, and only lived upon the food
Il that the hopes of that convention af
/ forded it; then and there, they sol
L emnly but wickedly, falsely, and trea
e sonablyresOlved the war of the Unior
= to suppress the rebellion had proved {
It failure ..i. H.
IS The war q failure! Was it so?-
e Where was it failure? At For
n DonelsOn, at Shiloh, at NicFsbEg, a
G Gettysburg, at Il hundred other battles
II that 1 need not name? Allwere be
fore that convention assembled anC
II the whole country, South as; we'll a
Is North, felt and knew that the rebel
o were in utter despair, and that it onl.
+, required a ripening of the plans of ou
70 great generals to wind up the conflic
4. beyond all possible contingency favor
n ably to the Union, .,
81 And yet they resolved the war fail
II ure Yes, sir, and that resolve CAV
+ the traitors a spasmOdic pulsation o
vigor, and in the hope that succes
= :. would attend its nominations at tn
p pending presidential election, whereof
% they expected to secure a new an
formidable, support at the right tim
ne land in the right place and the rigl
OF men they did revive and seemed I
II manifest conscious inspiration q
ur success. But the hope thus llindle
til in rebel hearts was short-lived Il
d. fire soon went out, and with it Il
ct, spirit of the deluded traitors, who hg
We brief luxury in feeding upon antiC
Is pations of the promised reality. TT
We election came, and those who resolve
'pv the war failure lived to see that the
lc- themselves were the failure the friCn
It's of the country and the war glorious
EAT triumphed; Lincoln and Grant al
Sherman and the Army and the Na'
ial triumphed at the ballot box as well
Dse in the collision of arms. The Demo
lu- racy were sad and desponding, and
the were their rebel friends; the Democl
Ire cy were whipped, horse, foot, a
if Dragons, and soon were their rebel
viii lies to share like fate. Time moy
tol. apaee, and so did our armies the
md tbels saw theishadow of coming ever
lrn witfIaa sharpness of vision that prov
red their tenacity Of life, and such as eot
Get do so fled from the wrath to con-
del those that were besieged resigned the
be selves to the fate of choosing the
= ternatives of death by the bayonet
fers starvation, but finally resolving Il
eel after so long conflict they were not
by ready to die as when they first beg
ally the war upon the Union, and so Il
hat wisely decided to save their lives b,
tely timely surrender. Theydid surrend
nit the war was not failure, but a succ,
ion glorious success, triumph, not o.
\ -. 4 - 1.