The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-09-12
SPEECH OF
GENL c. H. GRosvENoR,
At the meeting at the City Hall,
Lancaster, Saturday epsning, Sept,
7th. = N- 49,

Lancaster, Saturday epsning, Sept,
7th - ~, As
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW CIR
IzENs The issue presented in this
campaign is definite and unmistak
able. The plainest man of the
people who will read the platforms
of the two great parties in Ohio
will understand all about it, and
will need no Interpreter. Both
parties to this great contest arc
honestly stating their views. The
strong men-the men of brains and
nerve in both parties. stand square,
ly upon the political skirmish line
and are ready for battle. They
hare "forty rounds" Of ammuni
tion, and tbree days rations, and
are stripped for battle.' The bu,
glo note which calls tho great po.
litical hosts to the conflict. gives
forth no uncertain sound. The
weak mer, the men of indecision
| the faithless and timid of both par.
tics are sent to the rear. They are
guarding The sutler wagons, the
commissary supplies and the hos
lpital stores. The conflict will be
"short, sharp and decisive" 1t Il
one Of momentous importance. Not
so much in the light of the mate
rial results in Ohio, but in that il
will decide, at least for The time, q
great principlc-a principle under
lying tho very foundation Of the
National structure, and fraught
with mighty consequences in the
future. lo
What is the issue presented thus
frankly to the people? Is it new ?
Arc We carrying on now fight,
with new parties 10 new positions
orarc we fghting in the political
arena the same great battle which
for nearly five years We fought up,
on the field of material conflict
II is tho same battle, now trans
ferrcd from tho field to tho forum.
The weapons are changed from bul.
lets TO ballots. But the Union
men Of the Nation arc on the same
side now which they occupied du-
ring the war, and tho Same enemy
stands over on the other side Of the
line. What authority have we from
our Democratic friends for this
statement Hon. p. VAN TRoMp,
one of the able mcn of the party,
and moreover one Of tho men who
has devoted years Of his ablest cf.
forts to the cause OF tho rcbellion
in its peaceful form, said, in his Lo-
gan speech, on tho 18th Of August,
1857, II utter but the simple truth
when i declare to you from this
stand, that the great leading and
central question in the controversy
between tho Democratic and Radi-
cal Republican party is, Liberty or
Despotism - Union or DisuniOn.
That is the naked, simple, inevita.
bio issue which you are to pass up.
on. The termination offke udr has
neither changed or modified tAat is.
sue. Any one who will rocollect
anything al all of what l said to
the people before and during tho
war, will remember that | looked
with moro apprehension to the pc.
riod after the war, than to che war
itself" What did he fear "after
tho war;? While tho loyal sold
iers stood in the breach the Demo.
Gratis did not fear anything--but
the draft; and not that when they
got TO Canada. But they fearatter
tho war that the record OF rebel.
lion and sympathy with treason
thoy made will cling 10 them, and
tho loyal soldier and citizen Will
not forgive them,
But tho issues arc the same.
"Tho termination Of tho war has
neither changed or modified thai
ISSUE" What then, was tho issue
during the WARP This is the only
enquiry wc need make. lfthis is
ascertained, then wo know what
tho present question is. For what
did wo 60 to WARP The issue then
was we'll understood by every man
No man made any controversy
about it. The soldiers of tho army
went to fight to protect, dotend
and maintain tho natioR and es.
tablish tho supremacy of the Gov,
ernment, and to put down traitors
and rebels. The Union party OF
tho country took tho sido OF the
army of tho Union, Tho Demo.
cratic party, through it's leaders,
Vallandigham, ,Thurmanand othcrs,
took the other. The issue is the
samo now. This is the logic of his
tory. On which side will the Un-
ion men Of tho war array them.
selves 2 There can be but two
parties in this nation --one patriots
and tho other traitors," said Mr..
Douglas in 1861. "Tho termina.
tion OF tho war has neither changed
or mGdihed that ISSUE" says MIR
VAN TRUMP, Tho friends of the
soldiers during tho war RrC the
friends Of tho Union party today |
The men who hated tho soldiers in
tho war hate the Union party to
day. Tho hostility which mani.
atcd itself then hv inatifvinar thu