The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-08-30

the power OF party"
After repeating long catalogue o
crimes against the Constitution ant
against the rights of citizens, com
mitted by the party which supported
the war-statements identical in sub
stance, and very nearly identical il
language, with those which he wa:
in the habit of making while the wal
was still raging-he proceeds te
quote long extracts from newspaper
correspondents and others, tending
to show that the abolition of SLAYER,
in Hayti, in Jamaica, and in Other
countries, has proved injurious to Tho
emancipated slaves and ruinous Il
the country in which they were SCI
free. Some of these extracts are
very familiar to the public. They
have been for many years on duty il
the mouths of men who were engaged
in the task of defending slavery and
the aggressions of the STAKEHOLDER.
/ do not propose this evening to
notice in detail the charges made by
Judge Thurman. / take the broad
ground that if they were all as true
as Judge Thurman processes to be-
lleve them to be, they would furnish
no justification to the MEL who, du-
ring the great struggle for the ma
tion's life, opposed the war.
The war of the rebellion was nc
common war. 1t was not a war to
settle disputed boundary, or to vim
dicate the invaded rights of individ-
ual American citizens. Wars fol
such purposes are, unfortunately,
sometimes necessary, and impose i'm
Iportant duties upon every man who
owes allegiance TO the Government
But the great civil war in which We
were lately engaged was a war OF
much higher significance. 1t involv-
ed the existence of our Government,
of our nationality, and the interest oil
free institutions all over the world.
In the language of Douglas, lit was
q question of country or no country;
of Government or no Government;
and hence it became the imperative
duty Of every Union man, every
friend of Constitutional liberty, to
rally to the support of our common
country, its Government and flag.
In the words of Abraham Lincoln, ii
was "a war testing the question
whether any Government of the peo-
pie. by the people and for the people,
could long endure" "
l will not consume the time of a
patriotic audience, inqulring as to
the duties OF citizens, and of public
men in such q war ] will merely
ask your attention to the consldera
tion Of an authority, sufficiently CON-
manding for my present purpose, as
to the duty Of public men when the
nation is engaged in an ordinary war
In the year 1916 the United States
became involved in a war with Mex
leo, mainly owing to a dispute on a
question of boundary. Several mem
0ers of the Twenty ninth Congress,
in the debates as to the origin aud
grounds of the war, threw the blame
of the war on President Polk. The
friends of the Administrator replied
to them A distinguished member
of the House of Representatives
from Ohio, took part in the debate
of the 18th and 18th DAYS of May,
1916, and what he said is reported IN
the Congressional Globe, containing
the official report of the proceedings
of Congress on those days. Among
other things he said:
Different opinions may be enter
tanned as to what has produced this
war. In the judgments of some, our
own Government may be to blame.
But this is mol the time to be finding
fault with it. 1t is not in crisis
like this that such judgment should
be pronounced. 1t is not in the very
of contest with an enemy
that we should lessen our own moral
force. 1t is no time now to tell the
world that we are the aggressors.-I
success in war does not depend on
arms alone in this age of the world.
We have other enemies. and power
iul enemies, too, besides the Mexi-
who will gladly seize
On everything that seems to put us
IN the wrong. We must not furnish
hem with arguments against US; ar
guments that would derive their chief
weight from being first uttered by
Us. Above all, must we not disheart
en- our own people, and exait the
spirits of our foes. We must encour-
age enlistments. We must increase,
not repress, the ardor OF our cOun
,rymen. Did We even know with
certainty that our Government Is toI
blame, this would yet be our duty.
Will there be found any among us
seeking to make little party capi
.al by throwing the blame of the war
upon the President? Will the scenes
Of 1872, 'l3 and IA be revived, and
an attempt be again made to try,
Judge and condemn an administration
N the midst of war, on the charge
hat on it, and not On the enemy,
rests the responsibility of producing
the war? We hope not; we believe
not. We trust that the lessons of
experience have not been taught in
vain"
Alluding to the speech of one of
his colleagues, in opposition to the
conduct of President Polk, the gen.
Ilemen from whom l am quoting also
said:
"Could the voice of their Represen-
tatiye have reached their homes in
stead of hearing him vindicate his
country from the charge of being the
aggressor in the conflict, they would
have hesrd him loudly accuse its
President OF having wantOniy AMI
wickedly produced the war; instead
of hearing him speak of it as con-
test in defense of our rights, they
would have heard him denounce it as
q war of agrandizement and plunder
on our part; instead of hearing him
treat it as a struggle forced upon US
against our will, they would have
herd hum declare it a war unconsti-
made by our Chief Magis-
trste; instead of hearing him main
tain that justice is upon the side of
his own nation. they would have
heard him affirm and repeat that she
is prosecuting an unrighteous, unholy
and damnable war; instead of hear