The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-02-28

exact opposites OF Messrs. Ruohauar
and Blaok. Mr.. Lincoln was vel
known TO hold Cas VIC did the righl
Of the people TO modify OF change
thcir form Of government as tran.
scsuding all written constitutions OF
charters, but he. with great clearness
aud cogeucy, yet in perfect kindness
demonstrated that a President must
to the utmost limit Of his ability, cause
tho laws of the Union to be respected
aud obeyed in every State aud Terri
tory-thSt, should collision of forces
result, his position would be strictly
defensive aud oonservative-that the
consequent war would be made upon
him. Never was manifesto more
firm aud lucid never was one less ir-
irritating. Either its doc riues we're
sound, or any State might at any time
dissolve the Union. Yet. of the 500
Democratic journals within our reach,
we believed no single Que approved
and sustained the position Of Mr.,
Lincoln
Z. Throughout that winter and the
eusuing spring, all the orl ans of the
democratic opinion within our obser-
vation reprobated Mr.. Lincoln and
tho Republicans as disturbers and
disunionists, because Of their intent
to oppose force by force, if that should
become necessary, TO maintain the in. 9.
tegrity aud authority of the Union
We can recall no instance of Demo.
cratic rebuke TO those who were epcn-
ly, ostentatiously conspiring anlNrm.
ing to resist the Union, which they
proclaimed already dissolved.
s. \ Confederaey of the seeded
States having been formed, leading
Northern aud Western Democrats
, OF enly advocated the secession of
their several States from the Union,
and their secession 20 the Southern
lConfederacy. IL the Union is to
be dissolved" Il" said Georgo w. Wood.
ward, Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor in 1868, 81 want the line TO
run North Of Pennsylvania" Ex-
Governor Rodman NJ Price, of New
Jersey, wrote aud printed letter
elaborately urging that New Jersey
should forthwith unite her fortunes
with those Of the slave holding Con-
federacy. (See " American Conflict,
.vol. l, p, 439) Aud Ex-Goveruor
horatio Seymour, Of this State, pri.
yately urged that New York should
also unite with the Confederacy,
whose head was Jefferson Davis IL
was held by leading Democrats that
the Union might thus be reconstruct
cd without bloodshcd or convuIsion,
only New England, and perhaps two
or three Of the more fsnatical States
of the Northwest, being excluded
therelrom, as unacceptable to our
Southern brethren.
0. Actual hostilities were com.
menced by the rebels--not by firing
on Fort Sumter, as is often asserted,
and as Pollard now asserts, but be-
fore, while Mr. Buchanan was yet
President. They seized and appro-
priated the forts, arsenals, armories,
ordinance, arms, munitions, custom
houses, postoffces, sub treasures, &c,
throughout nearly half the Uuion,
without shadow of resistance-his
Democratic Secretaries of War and
the Treasury being conspicuous, active
disunionists, and he himself, with tho
most of his counselors, playing into
their hands. Before Texas was out
of the Union, according to rebel
computation, the bulk our little army
had been betrayed by its commander,
Gen. Twiggs, and surrendered to
three rebel commissioners-Feb. IS,
1S6l-a fortnight before Buchanan
went out of Office. fever govern
ment forbore till smitten on both
cheeks, and till tobacco juice had been
spit in its eyes, that did the Federal
Government before graphing with
the shareholders rebellion. And yet
from frst to last, the Democratic
journals and canvassers. represented
:he war for the Union waged by Mr..
Liccoln and the Republicans, aud
Sssumsd that the rebels we're assailed
ana standing on the defensive
10. Dem ocratio protests and re-
monstranees, public and private,
against the war as cruel, fratricidal,
wicked, revolving, Sbhorrent, &c..
we're abundant throughout the strug
gle not one of them, SO far as we can
reeolleet, addressed to tho rebel
chiefs, but all assuming that Mr., Lin
coin aud the Republicans were vag-
ing hostilities needlessly, if not wan
tonly, and might have an honorable
peace whenever they would Thomas
Ii. Seymour, Of Connecticut, was the
author Of one Of the earliest Of these
paraiizing missives land he was nom
mated by acelamatioa by the Demo.
Gratis Of Connecticut as their eandi-
date for Governor in 1868, and his
election enthusiastically supported by !
the party. 'aa
II. In this city, one Of our Dem
ocratic journals, the Daily News, was
an open, unqualified contemner ofthe
war on our side, and the champion Of
the rebellion, from first to last. 1t
did its utmost 10 prevent euusthcnts
in the Union armies, euloglzed the
rebel chiefs, and proclaimed that they
could never be subduedi systematical-
lly magniGed their success, and denied
or belittled their roverses; aud was
well understood to be their stipendi-
ary and tool. In full view Of these
facts, its editor was, in 1862, made
1.-THE Democratic candidate for Con-
eress 10 one of our strong Democrat
ic districts, running on the same
ticket with Governor Seymour, aud
receiving nearly the full vote Of his
party; and he has since been chosen
by that party toa seat in our State
Senate. - H,s
10 Aa 10 the propositions, speech