Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-06-19
ssWar Records, in Ohio.

"War Records in Ohio.
The Democratic nomination of two
gentlemen who served on the Union side
during the late war, for the leading Off
ces in Ohio, has awakened something
like enthusiasm in many newspaper Of
fees where the promotion of Union sol
diers has not ordinarily aroused patriot
ic fervor. There was one such case
the nomination of Union soldier by
Democrats, and for very high Office
which did have similar effect In those
localities. In that case, as in this, the
demonstrations of satisfaction were not
over the fact of the nomination, but
over the trick it covered. I'VE cannot
with any propriety be charged with
-'disloyalty now, or with sympathizing
with the rebellion they said. I'VE
shave nominated a Union soldier for
President" They had, sure enough,
Gen. Mcclellan as their candidate, which
signified nothing; they tackled a plat
form to him, however, which declared
the war failure, and that meant much.
1t is worthy of note that they have nev-
er nominated Union soldier for Office
without having practically the same end
in view. That is what they mean, what
ever they may say, or however shrewdly
they may conceal their real purpose
They are not prOclaiming openly in
Ohio to-day that the war was failure.
out they are throwing out lures fOr the
votes of Union soldiers in favor of a
policy which, either by the success of an
imitation and reputation programme, or
by the reversal of the verdict of the war,
in the establishment of State suprema-
cy and National subseryiency, will
amount to just that. Let this party,
now dominant in Congress, but come in
to full possession of power, and the cost
ly war to maintain the Union is as
much failure as though it had ended
with the first Bull Run or been settled
by Mr.. Vallandigham. @
In all the congratulations which the
Democratic newspapers are exchanging
with each other over the nomination of
the two Union soldiers in Ohio, there is
a reading between the lines that can
not escape the observation of men
of ordinary intelligence who know the
party and its history. 1t is perceptible
hn oh IL Of
cOnfdence-men over new dodge that
promises profit. One newspaper speaks
of the ticket as work of genuine inspi-
ration. Another says these two Union
soldiers will have an opportunity now
to learn how insincere and hollow are
Republican professions of regard for the
soldiers, and how impudently jnconsis-
tent party is (which lays so much
"stress upon the war records of candi-
"dates, yet coolly repudiates every Dem
~ocratic soldier on account of his poll
''tics." But the inspiration is very much
the same as that out of which came Gen.
McClellan's nOminaliOn-the inspiration
of the thimble-rigger. And Gen. Nc.
Clellan had the opportunity which one
of these newspapers says Messrs Ewing
and Rice will have, of seeing Demo
cratic soldier repudiated on account OF
his politics. And we venture to say that
the action, in the sight of any fntelli-
gent man not blinded by partisanship,
will be called both Ineligible and con-
sistent. Republicans were charged with
acting inconsistently in voting against
Gen. Mcclellan, with the declaration
tackled On to him that the war was
failure. The war had not ended then,
and Democrats talked with less reserve
than now. They nominate soldiers now,
and, without declaring the war fail
ure, proceed to practically make it so.
Ii this were merely a question of per-
sonal advancement, and there were no
larger issues hanging upon it; or if it
were a question of appointments to be
made, as, for instance, to offices in the
Senate and House, by a party in power,
Republicans would be found considering
the war records of the gentlemen in
question in their favor with the same
readiness that the Democrats il Con-
gress practice the opposite. When the
Democrats have an office squarely with
in their gift and no public favor to be
solicited a loyal war record is to the
prejudice of the applicant. Their use
VI OulOu Etlu is
simply in the way of lures and bats.
But Republicans in Ohio and every
where else believe that the election of |
Messrs. Ewing and Rice would be the |
very furthest thing possible from an in
dorsement of their course as soldiers il. |
the maintenance of the Union and sup
port of the rebellion. They believe, and |
their belief is justified by the action of
the dominant party in Congress, that
whatever the past record of these gentle
men may have been, they ale now allied |
with, and representing the Solid South |
that raised the rebellion and the North |
ern Democracy who sympathized with |
it; and that in all the essential features |
of their belief, their purposes and their |
hopes, they are both unchanged. And |
Republicans believe that the success of |
this ticket would go far to fasten upon |
the country the rule of party whose |
history proves it to be selfish, unpatriot- |
ic, dishonest, and in the last degree |
dangerous to the preservation of the |
honor, the credit and the very existence |
OF the Nation Against such considera- !
tiOns war records cannot have much |
weight; especially. the nomination |
is so transparent trick, and the whole |
talk about it so unmistakable chuckle. |
IN. Y. Tribune.
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