Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-09-18
Rebound for Calico Charley.


Rebound for Calico Charley.
TExtracts from the Speech of General Joseph Fl.
Geiger, at Portsmouth, september l.
The Democratic Oraters and editors
publish abroad, g Let the past be forgot
ten; the dead bury its dead.'' Their con
duct be unremembered, while the cOun-
try was struggling for its honor, its laws,
its Constitution and its life, and treat a
war that sent slaughtering armies into
the field and teemed the land with mas
sacres and blood as a slight misunder-
standing. That is rich. The man with
ont n memory is an idiot; the man who
will not exercise it is fool. What would
any of you know about past events or in
cidents of your life except by recollec-
ton? What would you know of great
Julius Caesar, Napo-
leon, George Washington, Daniel Web
ster, General Jackson or me-eXcept
through memory? In lit we all stand
forth boldly. They treat the late war as
a mere dance in which stlthe girl with the
check apron on goes down the middle, -
and the heroine with the short petticoat
&C balances to her partners" a huge joke.
Two things, however, they distinctly re-
member as they take survey of the
fearful war through the barrel of a goose
quill to cOnfine their vision. They see
Charley Foster selling calico at seventy
five cents a yard and do not see him in
the field, and their patriotic eyes pop out
like mushrooms with horror and their
hearts grow faint within them. They
think, talk, dream of his outrageous be-
havior until it fatteHs them, and, COM
pared with it, all other considerations
dwindle into insignificance. Tell them
that the slave States had the control in
the Supreme Court of the United States,
the majority of our foreign ministry, the
ruling of every Cabinet from the begin
ming of the administration of Washing
ton until the election OF Abraham Lin
coin, although the North was superior in
wealth, Intelligence, population and
power, and they reply, Who cares about
that, when Charley Foster sold calico for
seventy-ffve cents yard?'' Tell them
that Lincoln was fairly and honestly
elected President, and that the Senate OF
the United States was Democratic to pass
on all his appointments, and they reply,
EtWho cares about that, when Charley
Foster sold calico for seventy-five cents a
yard ?'' Tell them that old dotard, James
Buchanan, declared thatthe government
had not power enough to preserve its life
from destruction, and they will reply,
Sc What has that to do with Charley Fos-
ter selling calico for seventy-five cents q
yard 2" Tell them that the traitors seized
our custom houses and post offices, robbed
"
down our forts, menaced our Capital
| threatened our archives, murdered oul
! President, and they murmur, "Who the
| thunder cares for that, when Charley
| Foster sold calico for seventy-fve cents
a yard ?'' Tell them of the widows anG
orphans, of the imprisonment, punish
ment and suffering of our men at Libby:
of their languishing and dying under
famine, torture and poison, without food
water or shelter at Andersonville, anC
they reply, t What the deuce do we care
for that, when Charley Foster sold calico
for seyenty-five cents a yard ?" Tell then
that the intense Democracy of Kentuck,
nominated and elected as their Governor
with full knowledge of his characte
and conduct, Luke P. Blackburn, Il soul
lion and barbarian, who had impregnate'
calico, blankets and clothing with small
pox and yellow fever to introduce thOs
diseases not only in our army but among
the women and children, to bear into pre-
mature graves the innocent and unof
Tending, and they rejoin, 6 Who care
what Blackburn did, when Charley Fos
ter sold calico for seventy-fiVe cents
ward ?'' Ask them why Dixon was s
foully murdered by midnight marauders
why Ewing and Rice voted against
proposition that no one should carr,
deadly weapons at the polls, and thei
reply is, 'fDidn't Charley Foster sci
calico at seventy-five cents a yard j?
Shame, perpetual shame, upon NOrther
men who can thus ignore manhood ser
vilety to party. Charley Foster did no
sell calico or any other article in his lin
of trade for any higher price than an
other prudent merchant. | will bet on
hundred dollars that Charley Foster CAV
more money and material to support th
war and the families of the soldiers an
sailors that were in the army and nav
than all the men you have in your cit
who voted for Vallandigham. Demo
cratic towards, who, like Jobs war horse
" smelt the battle afar off, and praye
to God it might stay there, now are lou
in their screechings, g Where was Char
ley Foster during the WARP" He was
home taking care of the families of thOs
who were in the fight, encouraging Ell
listments and doing all he could for tn
T country. Just prior to the war CharlC
Foster could number among the love
r and living five brothers and sisters. A
were carried to their graves by typhoi
: fever, and he, the very youngest of I'll
+. family, was borne to the very gates
2 death by the destroyer, but luckily su
; vived to be Governor of Ohio. He WI
% the only child spared, in their fearft
2 affiiction, to the aged parents. They b
q sought him to remain with them, and h
fidelity to them, with large and compl
70 Gated business which no other persC
: could either close or carry on, compelle
him to remain in Fostoria. 1t was not
time, either, for all the loyal men to |
e away from Ohio, or the Buckeye Sta
= would have been transferred to the Coz
federacy in less than.thirty days after tt
Copperheads had ascertained their pr
pOnderance. His record during the stru
gle is all right. l challenge any man
: show me an application from the fami
of any one who was in the army for an
thing that Charles Foster could honorab
give that was not freely given. and the
are thousands of dollars now uncollect
on his books against soldiers, and he l
joices that he was able to help those w
were fighting for him. He never pr
sented a bill to any man on his retu
from serving his country, and he nev
= will. Many of the soldiers paid, a
some were unable to pay; but never,
= direct request or intimation, was a
man in the army or navy asked by Char
Foster to pay cent of his indebtedne
Was it treachery to the country or d
graceful to manhood to not be in the wa
If so, permit me to ask few simple qu
Il tions. Where was Governor Bishop, Lie
tenant-GoVernor Fitch and every OtI
= Democratic State officer? Where "
Allen G. Thurman during the Wa
Where was George H. Pendleton,
United States Democratic Senators, d
ing the war? Where was John G. Thon
son and Frank Mckinney during the w,
Where were your Democratic CongrC
. men of the lower house during the w;
+" Under which King, Benzonian
Where were their voices? where w
their votes !? where was their influen
IL nd these gentlemen who in NntiO