The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-10-05
What They Fought for and What
They Have Got.

No braver soldier than General W. W. H.
Davis went forth as volunteer from Penn
sylYania. He was one Of the very first to take
up arms, and the many wounds he received
abundantly attest bis bravery In the fol-
lowing article from his paper, the Doylestown
! (Pennsyigania) Democrat he tells his sur
viving comrades what they fought for, and.
shows them what they got. Let every sol
I der read it
Never In the world were a people more
deceived and swindled than ours In the result
of the late unfortunate civil war. We fought
for one thing and have got something else.
When the war was begun the Government
made such solemn assurances that it was
only to be waged to restore the Constitution
and preserve the Union of their fathers
which had conferred SO many blessings on
them and their children, made them and
their children, made them willing to risk
everything for its preservation. When the
cry was raised that the South had unjustly
taken up arms to break up the Union and
destroy the Constitution, our people, almost
to man, rose up to resist The occasion
struck deep into the great patriotic heart of
the North, and the whole country gave up
her men and means. The Union and the
Constitution were the great battle CRY,
which resOunaed from the lakes to the Pc
tomac, and from the St Johns to the Pacific
No one thought or talked of anything else
and the soldiers had no intention of fighting |
for anything else. For the Union, fathers |
and mothers gave up their sons, sisters their |
brothers, and sweet hearts their lovers They 4
blessed them when they went to the field I
and offered them a willing sacrifice on the I
altar of the country What else could they !
have done for a cause so sacred2 For the /
Union men Of all degrees submitted to the |
most enormous taxes and willingly gave of /
their abundant or scanty store, because they |
deemed it would advance the great cause and i
hasten TIE return of peace, prosperity and a
united country. 1t Is useless for US to call
attention of our readers to the sacrifices
made by the North. We need only point to
the half million of our sons and brothers
slain In battle or MANNED for life, and the
three thousands millions of dollars spent of
the wealth of the people, to say nothing of
the agony and mourning all over the land.
Here is the price we paid for restored
Union. Have we got what we fought, and
bled and suffered for If we have, where
is the Union and Constitution that was to be
restored 2 Have we got them Alas, no
The one is hopelessfy shattered, and the
other is only known by the few fragments
that stick in the kidneys of some Senator"
we have only the negro to show. We have
got MIN at an enormous price to be fed out
of the public treasury and voted by the
Bureau. He is TO be made the ruler of the /
country, and the war has resulted in estab-
fishing eleven negro States in the South.
In these States there is not a vestige Of re-
publican government left Military despot-
ism prevails everywhere, and neither Con-
nor laws protects the people from
the tyranny Of the despots that rule over
them The country could not have been in
a worse condition if the Confederacy had
been established While we fought to make
the foundations of constitutional liberty
more enduring, we see the edifce pulled
down and the corner stones digged up. The
negro with the ballot IN his hands is the
only remedy offered TO the American people
to cure the serious ills that affiict the body
polite. Talk of taxes, and we receive the
answer of universal suffrage Complain
of despotism and we are told equality be-
fore the law" will set all things right. Ask
for a restoration of the Union and the Con
stitution, and we are told to wait until the
negro is secured in his rights.
Oh, oppressed, and outraged, and taxrid- I
den people, how long viii you submit to this |
state of things Win you always be will /
ing to receive stone for the bread that be-
longs to you? When will you demand a /
fulfllment of the terms of the war bond |
If not paid soon let US sue it outin the great |
tribunal where such claims are adjudicated |