Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-08
soIIloquy ora R.d,caI-No. L.

that good old party. How we battled for
our champion CLAY. But the Locofocos
were too numerous for us. Yet l rather
liked our opponents after all. Neighbor
BROWN and 1 after the election was over
were as good friends as ever, when now we
are enemies the whole year round. sup
pose he will never forgive me for calling
him Copperhead. Well, guess it was
wrong. He is sincere. He claimed If
LINCOLN were elected there would be a
bloody war and: an end to the Union. His
predictions were too true. Yet he was
aggravating during the war. He scoffed
at President LINCoLN's "war necessities 3
and asserted that he had no more right to
violate the Constitution than JEFF. DAYS.
had. Well, that was his opinion, and as
the President had taken an oath to main
tain that instrument, there was good
show of argument why he should not de-
termine when the necessity existed which
justified him in violating it. But 1t ap-
pears now the President isn't so much the
Government as he was. guess have
wronged Neighbor BROWN. will pray over
the matter and if am convinced. will ask
pardon, and we will be friends again. But
I'm Radical. wonder how ! got to be
Radical? fused to follow in the lead OF
the proud old Whig Party.
Let me see. What would the leaders OF
that noble party have said to our State
platform? Zounds! But wouldn't they
have knocked those planks out. CLAY up
pom a Negro Suffrage platformi can
hear his bitter denunciations of the fana-
tics, as he termed them, yet. But he Is
dead. Still I revere his memory, and
sometimes feel that the Whig party ought
to have adhered to those principles. Oh!
but those were proud days for me. was
a member of party was proud of, and
our leaders were among the greatest states
men the world ever produced. The inn
mortal WEBsTERi But then he was no
Radical either. I wonder how 1 came to
be a Radical? We used to talk about
JEFFERSON, MADISON, WASHINGTON, and a
host of others, and find that not single
one of them were Radicals. could not
have followed any of them. But for some
cause the old Wing party was abandoned.
1 had been used to battling the old Demo-
cratic party, and naturally took sides
against them. I was always opposed to
slavery In principle, but detested these
ranting, meddlesome Abolitionists.
So really wonder how come to be q
Radical. During the war I was bitter
war man, it is true. lost two noble sons.
They were averse to the war, but preach
ed until they consented to make the sacri-
flee. Poor boys! 1 never saw them again.
The old farm is neglected. My poor wife
is disconsolate. My daughter will never
forget those terrible days.
visited my sister in Georgia this winter.
Poor woman. Her husband and son fell
victims also. My sister and daughter
kneeled beside the grave of the Confederate
dead and wept. Then when she visited us
we knelt around two more graves and shed
tears over the graves of the Federal dead
Her farm is devastated; mine neglected.
Her home is desolate; mine is so also. And
yet I'm Radical.
l wonder how I came to be a Radical?
My days will soon be at an end. The farm
Lly gave mC VIII pdbS W OCuCl %
Will they ever enjoy the home-like happi-
ness we used to enjoy? Will the owner be
q Whig? Will he be proud of country and
love his home?
There goes Black man. He used to be
our house servant. Poor old Tom! His
days are almost numbered, too. Let me
see. 1 am Radical, and am in favor of
giving Tom vote. What a joke that would
have been when used to be Wing. Tom
and I going to the election together. Tom
voting with me.
Really, can hardly see how all this is.
And yet I'm Radical.
I used to argue with neighbor Brown
that I was follower of WASHINGTON,
JACKSON and JEFFERSON. guess I could
hardly claim that now.
But have followed somebody or l
be Radical. Let me see. l vo-
ted for FREMONT, but as he was defeated
and has never been party leader. since.
did not follow him. Then voted for
LIN COLIN. must have followed him. But
the Radicals abused him. He could not
have been of them.
They say now that Mr.. LINCOLN was
Radical. I can't think so. 1 heard his
speech at Columbus in September, 1859, and
heard him say: II am not or ever have
been in favor of making voters or jurors Of
negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold
Office or intermarrying with the white peo-
Pile; and will cay in addition to this that
there is a physical difference between the
white and black races which believe will
forever forbid the two races living together
on terms of social and political equality"
Now, that looks sensible. At least when
neighbor BROWN used to accuse me of be-
ing in favor of Negro Suffrage, 1 used to
deny it and asserted if the Republican par
ty ever adopted that as a plank in their
platform, would desert the party and vote
with him.
But I'm Radical, and I reckon I must
have lied to BROWN. 1 owe him another
apology.
But I've followed some one and who 1t is
I'm at loss to know. certainly never fol-
lowed BUTLER. 1 always detested thief
And besides, If had followed him in one
thing I would naturally follow him in an
other. and would ere this have had neigh
Dor BRowN's property principally on this
side of our division line. / couldn't have
followed STANTON, for as much as I revered
Mr.. LINCOLN and detested his murderers,
have always held, let Mrs. SURRATT be
innocent or guilty, she was entitled to a
fair and impartial trial, and her execution
without such trial was murder, second
only in magnitude to the murder of our
noble President. No, never followed a
murderer, and as hope to get to heaven,
I wash my hands of her blood. Our party