The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-09-16
DEMOCRATIC SOLDIERS.
REPUBLICANS IN oFFIoE-DEMoCRATs IN
THE RANKS.

DEMOGhh ~ DOhO1I1GCs
REPUBLICANS IN oFFIoE-DEMoCRATs IN
THE RANKS.
When any one of my Republican
friends desire to put to me political
question he deems unanswerable, he
asks: "How can you act with che Dem
ocratiC party, which undertook to break
up the Union you fought to sustainP"
The trouble with your question, my
friends, is that you have forgotten the
history Of your country.
A portion of the Democratic party un-
dertook to seCede from the Union, and
thereby broke up the Democratic party.
If the Democratic party had undertaken
to break up the Union, the Union would
surely have been broken up. Does any
sane man, not blinded by partisan preju.
dice, doubt that without prompt, vigOr-
GUS, loyal, courageous and patriotic ac-
tion of the masses of the Democratic
party, it would have been possible for
The Republican party to have preserved
the UnionP If Dix, if Mcclellan, if Far,
ragut, if Grant, if Hancock, and a long
roll CT other heroic names l might name
had not stood by the Union, drawn
their swords, and marched to the rescue
of the Government, do you believe it
would have been saved by the present
stay at.home Senators and Representa-
tives of Massachusetts,, not one of whom
went to the war, even after MassaChu-
setts Democrats showed them the way,
staying at home in safety, so that their
ranks, undiminished by disease or the
bullet, are able to fill all the prominent
civil Offices both in the state and federal
government, with not a soldier, either
Republican or Democrat, among them.
But l need not cite as examples of the
and devotion of the Democracy of the
North to the flag and Constitution these
great and ilustrious names. Look at the
rank and file of our armieel There were
as many Democrats as Republicans in
the army. For The correctness of this
assertion, let me speak from my own
knowledge. l marched to the Gulf with
New England division, containing 5000
men, and there could not have been
found 500 men in that division who ever
voted any other than the Democratic
ticket. They came back, voting for the
Union they had fought for, and they
have been voting the same way since,
and will continue to 30 vote when they
vote with the Democracy for Hancock,
by whose side they fought.
Go to your Soldiers Homes, where the
shattered and warworn veterans are col.
lected to the number of some six thous
and, and you will find their votes have
OF late been largely for the Democracy,
where they have been permitted to vote
by the laws of the state.
In saying this, by no means detraCt
from the patriotism and zeal of the rank
and file Of the Republican voters, who
stood shoulder to shoulder with their
Democratic brethren for the preserya.
ton of the Union. pay, and have at
all times paid, just tribute to their good
qualities as citizens and soldiers, and |
have never undertaken to discriminate
between colder comrades in partisan
sense more than l do now.
I admit, freely, the fact, that there
were more Republican than Democratic
officers in the volunteer armies of the
United States, gallant, good men and
true, who arose from the lower to the
higher grades of military rank by their
heroism and patriotism.
The reason for this is obvious; quite
all the Governors ofthe Northern states
were Republicans. They appointed all
the regimental officers, and therefore,
they appointed most largely their Re-
publican friends. But the Democratic
soldier, when he enlisted, patriotiCally
appointed himself a private.
Yes, my comrades, whether you were
or Democratic; whether you
are now Republicans OF Democrats, what
ever tickets you may vote, let any body
Of men undertake to disrupt this Union
Of ours, whether from the North or South,
the East or West, with what are left of
our diminish d ranks, we will march
again under the leadership of our old
Gen. Hancock, and give an.
other lesson to the stay at.homes in pat.
riotism and devotion to the cause of our
Hancock did it then. In his
letter of acceptance he says it now; and
who will dare doubt his pledged honor
10 the nation?
Secession perished by thesword The
Union is savedI Nay, stands stronger,
irmer, better than before, its strength
having been tried, Cemented now by the
renewed acts and oaths of loyalty Of all
It's people. More worthy of the love
Of all its children, because Of he sacrif-
ces Of their fathers, because everything
but freedom to all, and equal rights to
all, is blotted from her escutCheon. Let
ls, then, preserve the Union in its uni
by; its institutions in all their purity; he
Constitution and laws in all their VigOr
and majesty.