The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1868-09-03
A Private Soldier to His Comrades

A Private Soldier to His Comrades.
To my Old Comrades in tie Grand Army Of
tile Republic:
On the picket line yet-we are on the
picket line yet, boys, and, look you,
yonder stand the rebel pickets too!
The pickets have not been called in, not
one of them, since they shot each other
across the Potomac. The picket line
is not moved an inch. Everything
along the line is the same as it was
when the bushwhackers Crept up in the
night and shot some poor private SOL
der Behold the line-drawn dis
tinctly, as if furrowed with plow of
fire. On one side as, of old, all the
boys in gray. On the other side as, of
old, all the boys in blue. Boys in gray
yelling for Seymour, but boys in blue
cheering for Grant. Let US not shut
our eyes to the truth There is the
line. There is the pickets. The blue
confronting the gray, the same as in
1876, with only this difference the
contest is no longer doubtful, for VIC
tory is ours. What was the war for ?
On our part, it was for the Union; on
the rebel part, it was against the Union.
1t is the same fight yet-we fighting
for the Union, and the Johnnies and
Copperheads fighting againstthe Union
Do yon suppose the rebels have expert
enced change of heart since they shot
at you and me and our hag2 No, sir;
they are the same old rebels yet. | was
among them only the other day, | was
hungry, and wanted something to eat,
made my request politely and offered
TO pay them libersbly. They cursed
me for a id Yankee. They knew |
had been a Union soldier, for they can
tell a Union man as quick as you Or |
can tell rebel They cursed M, for a
id Yankee, and would give me'pro-
visions for neither love nor money.
That was in Maryland, July "a, 1858,
and was precisely the same kind Of
hospitality they showed you and me in
1866, when we were in the field
/ tell you the rebels hate you and me,
because we were Union soldiers, They
told me so wherever met them in
Maryland, the other day. ANY one
that thinks rebels are changed, and are
better than they were during the war,
ought to 90 among them to-day He
will find, as l did, they are bitter
against the Union, and hate Union SOL
diers. There are no exceptions to this
rule. know what | say; for have
been enough among rebels to know
and appreciate their persistent and
unchanged hate of every Union man.
A Union man who falls among them
to-day is lucky if he escapes alive, as
much so as in 1852. Look it right in
the face. These rebels are in the Dem
ocratic party and control it. Seymour
is their candidate. He cares for no.
thing but himself He never was sup
posed to have a spark of patriotism
If the rebels get into power, woe tc
Union men. Rebel soldiers will be
pensioned next year by Democratic
Congress. The bounties of the Boys
in Blue will not be paid. The one.
legged Union soldier will have to gel
along without a pension. De you sup
pose rebels will be such fools as to pay
pensions to the men that whipped
| them? That would be like man pay
ing a fine of ten dollars for the privi'
lege of having another break his head.
The Democratic party, once in power
will repudiate every debt and curse thu
Union army.
And how can you believe one wore
that these rebels say in their platform
they never kept a promise yet! Nov
tell me, did you ever see CopperheaC
that praised the Union army? Dic
you ever see a Copperhead that rejoiceC
over a Union victoryf Did you eve
see Copperhrad that cursed Jeff Da
Wis, or praised Lincoln3 Did yo'
ever see q Copperhead that voted fo
the Union, fought for the Union, spok,
for the Union, wrote for the Union, ,an'
spent his money for the Unionl No
YOU never saw one such, and neve
will. They hated Lincoln because hi
mt down the Rebellion. You know
that is so. The Copperheads an
rebels took up Seymour because h
never hurt rebels any. The Copper
heads and rebels hate Grant because h
whipped them. Very natural for
thief to hate the jailor, OF the assassi
to hate the hangman. Rebels can nc
help hating Grant
Let us not mince words. You and
know all about the rebels. They nevC