Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-05-03
IoeAN's REN, RD.
HIS IndecisiOn Under whici Flag to Fight.
Cincinnati News journal.

His Indecislon Under whici Flag to Fight.
Cincinnati News journal.
Ita very wicked sinn ner "gets re.
| ligi0n," he Is thought Il more shin.
ing light than one brought up Ia.
the church. Ira drunknrd reforms,
he IS thought a bette. preacher az
temperance Than one who never
drank Why does not the same
rule work in patriotism and war?
Yet, because John a. Logan wants
to be president, they are throwing
up at him that when secession bd-
gan ii took him two months afler
the firing on Sumpter to find out
whether he was going south or com
ing back.
But after this long vacillaiion he
decided to go with the North, ana
me sealed IL by asking for cOfnmIs-
sion as colonel. Ii the rule holds
good, was not his adhesion 10 the
union, after all the doubt and all
the inclining to the other way,
more than that of those whose pa
triOtism never wavered?
He had been elected To congress-
in a very democratic district in
Lower Egypt. His democratic
constituents looked TO him for lead
ership in the crisis. He had been
very jealous for savory, and for
catching fugitive slaves; and he
called the whole business an abO-
litiOn war. All his influence was
ON the secession side. How far he
went in actual aid and comfort II
rot publicly known. III, as Is gem
orally supposed, he was raising
troops for the secession side IL does
not appear TO be established by
proof. But if his heart and attitude
and influence had been for the union,
there would have been no such
doubt of it as there was Ht the time,
and no such dispute now.
During all the winter when seces-
sion was brewing, and through the
spring and into thesummer when IL
was fermenting, and alter the be-
ginning OF war at Fort Sumter had
made every man show his flag there
was, no doubt, among John A. I1,p-
gan's neighbOrs that his heart WAS
in the secession. Rash and Ignorant
young men were volunteering for
the confederacy, and his public at
titude encouraged il, whatever he
may have done in private, in organ
izing them. 1t was time when
the voice and attitude OF leader
had great Influence In deciding
mems minds, aud this Is the way
his leadership stood.
IL was commented on, but this
brought no sign from hlm. The
press was inquiring and noting. A
dispatch, June 4, 1861, told of the
arrest Of DIR. Blanchard Logan's
brother-in-law, at DE Soto, as a rebel.
The public is Informed that in l.O-
gari's domestic relations the gray
mare is the better horse. The Car
bondale Times of June 10 claimed
that Williamson County, in which
Logan's influence was paramount,
was strongly for secession. About
the same time, the ShawneetOwn
Mercury asked "Where Is our con-
gressman, John a. Logan? Rumor
after rumor comes TO us concerning
the position of our representatives,
John A. Logan, about the difficult
ties that threaten 60 destroy our
union, and we deem il our duty 10
ask him to come out and defend his
position, as the time for neutrality
has passed"
The Harrisburg Chronicle repeats
this call. Two months had elapsed
since the country was fired by the
firing on Sumter, and still LOgan,s
LOYALTY was In doubt or rather,
there was no doubt about it. The
side had expectations from
him. AT length he wrote letter
10 the ST. Louis Republican denying
that he was a secesslOnist. Jefier-
son Davis could do that. IL created
the impression that he was "A seees-
sionist.
A called session Of congress was
TO be had, and Logan's constituents
and the public wanted TO know
what cause he would take, and
whether he would enter into plan
10 organize the h1usr To Obstruct the
public defense.
AT last Il Washington dispatchtO
Ihe Chicago Tribune, July &, 1861,
the following: John
Logan falls in, quits his dirty work,
aud even wants a regiment" He
had seen how the cat was going tO
ump. The Northern uprising con-
pinced him that the North would
prevail, and he decided to throw in
ais unpledged store sword on the
leaVy side Of the scale.
There Is JOY in heaven over one
inner that repenteth more than
,ver ninety and nine that need no
repentance. There was Joy In the
when Logan repent
"a, more Than over ten thousand
republicans. Lincoln
promoted him rapidly, and he got
ntO the Grant.Shernlan poltico-
military circle, which has ON It's
,olitical side Washburn ande John
sherman.
Democrats were preferred for all
he good things in commissions and
Logan never had cause
o repent OF his conversion. lie had
ne reputation Of being good sol
Iier, but so much OF opportunity
nd fame was COTTON by lavOrtisIn
n those days that the great military
have mythical eharac-
er.
The bIackest sinner may return
nd become "A saint. The Chicago
Tribune takes the Christian view
nd supports Logan. But Others
re still fiinging up at him that IL
ook him six months after secession
,egan To decide for the union. This
GEMS unfair, but II is the republican
Iash, and not our mutton. logan
las about az much chance To be
as Ia become gentle
nan. or to learn grammar.
state Temperance Convention.
r.. a Campbell. secretary of the