Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-08-29
From the Ohio State Journal.
" Let us Have Peace. F"

Some of the Democratic press exhibit great
alarm at the spirit in which the letters of Blair
have been received by the public
When those letters were first written the
Democratic papers all over the country were
thrown into spasms of historical admiration.
Here was vigor. Here was boldness equal to
the crises. Here was the man to turn and
oyerturn, until the Klu Klux reigned trump
hant
But the people were tired of war. The pros
pect of a four years prolongation of the wran-
gle between the Congress and the Executive
was not pleasant But when we had added to
this the avowed determination that the new
Executive if the Democratic candidates were
elected, should use the army in overturning
the Work of Congress, thus establishing an
imperial government backed by bayonets, and
overriding the representatives ofthe people by
force and with arms, the matter became one
for serious and thoughtful consideration. The
whole county stood aghast at such reckless,
foolhardy trifing with so deadly an imple-
ment-so vile threat against the peace of the
country and the liberties of the people. If the
SCuClIC vi ILLS oNi-
venturer should be carried out peacefully ian
impossibility) it would still be a re-opening
of the whole subject of reconstruction, with all
its wearisome and perplexing details, and a
plunging of everything back into original
chaos.
With reconstruction now an accomplished
fact, and all but three of the revolted States
restored TO their practical relations in the
Union; with confidence measurably restored,
civil order established, and material prosperity
once more grasped and almost held secure,
the prospect of a plunge into chaos was un-
welcome even if peacefully accomplished.
But the unerring instincts of the people told
them that peaceful accomplishment of such
a revolution was impossible. The moment a
man holding the place of Chief Executive
should attempt to use the army to set aside
the law of the land, the whole people would
rise to defend their liberties against such tyran-
nical usurpation and treachery.
And the Journals which were at the start in
such ecstacies of admiration at the vigor and
boldness of Blair's rhetoric, begin to sing
small They affect TO be astonished that any
body should believe that Blair meant anything
revolutionary. Blair, you must know, is in:
discreet-says things carelessly which are the
outgush of the oratorical afflatus, and are not
to be taken too literally. Beside-a word in
your ear, it is well known that he-he is apt
to-to be a little excited" at certain times
-he-well, he drinks like a fish! The
party is not to be held responsible for what he
says at such times. He isn't more than half
Democrat anyhow Regular Bohemian. Sort
of soldier of fortune, ready to take service in
any party that will pay well. A Dugald
Dalgetty.
And so they attempt to smooth over the
nasty piece of business.
Now any one who can read the English Ian
guage knows that Blair's letters mean revolu-
tion-executive urpation-overthrow of law
by armed force at the dictation of one man
anarchy and civil war.
1t was the certainty of this meaning which
secured the nomination of Frank Blair by one
Confederate General, the second of another
Confederate, and the greeting of the well
know rebel yell" in the Convention. 1t Sc
cured the Endorsement of that Convention, the
adoption of Wade Hampton's amendment to
the platform, and triumphant congratulations
of every unhung rebel North and South, from
Maine to Georgia
But the people say, with Grant, "let us have
peace" They intend next November to place
the matter in charge of the man who conquer
ed peace from the unwilling hands of these
same men who are even now clamoring for
another war