Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1868-08-27
War or Peace.
GALLrpoLIs, Aug. "a, '68.

r.'Iii GALLTPoLIs, Aug. "a, 90.
Mr.. EDITOR: Since 1 delivered the
speech, published by you in your last
number, some new facts and censid-
erations have been presented, which
bear directly upon the points I then
sought to enferce. -i - '-''
One point I made was that the
election Of Seymour would prolong
the agitation, which has SO long dis
troyed the peace of the nation, and
might induce second civil war.
Mr.. Seymour in his letter of accep-
tance admits that the democratic par
ty can only hope to elect a President
and secure majority in the House
of Representatives. The Senate is
so largely Republican that there can
be no prospect of changing its ma
jority for the next four years. He
says that the Preside ent and the House
will be a check upon the Senate.
This is true. So will the Senate be
a check upon the President and the
House, what the one house may pass
the other will reject, and thus moth.
ing can be done for the next four
years for the quiet and peace OF the
nation. The election OF Seymour
then necessarily prolongs this dis.
tressing conflict, which President
johnson and his rebel allies have
kept up for three years, to the injury
of both North and South. Thus Mr..
Seymour admits that the party, which
he leads, can do nothing if he is
elected, only to keep up the pending
conflict. Is it desirable that this dis
pute should be kept up? That this
uncertainty as to the future should
be prolonged? Is not any settlement
better than this state Of conflict? Is
not peace a great blessing? One not
lightly to be cast aside? II Grant is
elected, he and Congress will settle
this conflict, will restore peace ts
the country by some agreement, by
some consistent policy carried ont
with Justice and firmness. II then
we are to have peace, we can reach
it in no other way thsn by the cleo
tion Of Grant. ~ ~ 1D,'''' ''' '''''
Another point discussed by me was
the constitutionaiity Of the recon
struction laws. These laws the DEM
ocratic party declare to be void.
Chief Justice Chase at Parkersburg
the other day, in his charge to the,
United States Grand Jury, declared
that tie fourteenth Constitutional amend
ment had been legally adopted end was
now part of tie constitution Of the
United States. '-,' .''''I M. -
This decision is an important one.
A part of the States adopting it and
constituting part of the vote neces-
sary for its adoption, is the vote of
these very RECONSTRUCTED States. Now if
these reconstruction laws are void,
then these States do not exist, and
their vste would be a nullity. But
the Chief Justice decides that the
amendment is legally adopted, and
hence he must necessarily have de-
cided that these reconstraction ldws are
Constitutional, and these States now to
be legally restored to their position
in the Union. And yet this demo
cratic rebel party propose to set
aside these laws, revolutionize these
legal State gov ernments, and set Up /
others Ia their stead; and this is 10
Be done by mob That is the prop!
osition Of Blair and of his rebel; ad. 4
nirers, ,9and nowhere mhas Seymour
said he was opposednto tins course
Of lawlessness and violence. He acn
cepts the platform; nor does he hint
that he disapproves of Blair's con-
struction Of that platform .eei3aaao2
If then Seymour is elected, we
nust prepare ourselves for acts Of
violence and bloodshed. : These
Southern rebels will rise up in re.
Dellien and by lawless violence over
urn these legal State governments,
Is Judge Chase has decided them to |
De, while Seymour as President, like
DuCuuuoH, VIII Ictuo6 W IutcftcTc |
md thus allow the rebels to inaugu.
ate new rebellion and carry it out
Then viii be the time
or action, of which Gen. Forrestl
peeks. Then too will the people
cap the bloody harvest of 3 demo.
ratio election, of their felly in seek.
ng peace by voting afor thareDel
'arty, by electing Seymour. who ols
he leader of all, . North and South, I
rho were opposed to lincoln, othe
var. and the Union. 9lai5 haa hgifol {
| warn the people tn beware in
lme of the dangers, which lie in the
lection OF Seymour, or of any man
t his party The people must not
q led astray by the falshoods scat. !,
cred broadcast over the hand, blythe Ia
platform, and its legion (
t eleetioneering agents. Ne effort Z
) to be left untried to indnce the
eople to restore to power, the same | 4