Year: 1863




President of the Democratic mass meeting held
in this city on the l7th inst The letter. so
characteristic of its able author, is most valua
BILE and interesting document, and will be read
with extreme qualification by Democrats every
where. Mr.. Vallandigham points out, with sig
nal cearness, the dangers impending over the
country and shows how important 1t is to the
Union that the Democratic party should be re-
stored to power not only in the States but in the
Federal Government. He meets. with overwhel-
ming force, certain wicked Misrepresentation of
himself which are now uuscrupulously used by
his opponents in Ohio We hope that this letter
will find place in the columns of every Repub-
lcan paper, that the opponents of Mr.. Vallandig-
ham may obtain glimpse of truth:


WINDSOR, G. W., Sept. Is, 1863.
President ofthe Democratic mass meeting, Day


ton, Ohio:


SIR:-Complying with the desire Of many of
my Democratic friends i'm the city and county
where have for so many years resided, address
them briefly through you.


No further warning entreaty hom me is
needed to arouse the people to the importance of
the great issue before them, and to the danger
which on every side threatens their liberties. The
great popular demonstrations, occurring every
day throughout the State, prove their zeal and
devotion to the cause of liberty and Union, and
thatthev mean that these two shall in very deed
be inseparable Both these depend largely upon
the issue of the Ohio campaign. If that party
should succeed. which, upon the one hand, ap-
plauds the atrocious acts of Abraham Lincoln
and his servants, and indorses the monstrous
claim Of absolute power over person and property,
not to say life itself, set up by him in his recent
letters to the Albany and Columbus committees;
and, on the other. accepts as its own the whole
radical policy, root and branch" of Congress
and the Executive in the conduct of the war,
there is an end To both la the North and West
every lover OF constitutional liberty looks anxious
ly to the approaching elections In the South
the ewes of hundreds of thousands who vet in
their hearts love the Union as it was, the old
Union which their fathers and our fathers made,
and with security to all, are turned now in earnest
desire for the triumph of the Democratic party,
as their last hope for its restoration Aud the very
successes of the Federal armies do but render this
triumph the more important; for while, according
to Mr.. Lincoln they have not AZ all broken the
strength or subdued the spirit of the Con
federates in arms, they have done much to
open the eyes of the people of the States still
adhering the Union, to the fact that the policy
of Cancellation must at least iolow-far better
that before any war il had preceded-the policy of
coercion Moreover, the recent extraordinary
events in Mexico have greatly augmented the
necessity and Importance of speedily putting into
power the party in whose hands the rights and





Recognition by Mexico and France and subse
quent alliance between them and the Confederate
States, are impending dangers, every hour be-
coming more imminent Napoleon well knows
and Joseph of Austria also, whom he has enlist
ed now with him, that If n united government of
any kind be restored here, either "the Union as
it was'' of the Democrats ''the Union as it
should be- Of the abolitionists-a unity of des-
potism-no empire. at least no European empire,
a
he, and all whom he can persuade or force with
him. will very speedily recognize the Confederate
States. on condition of guarantee Of the Mexi-
empire. and that by a treaty of alliance
offensive and defensive, as did Louis XVI in
l777. And thus the leaders of the Southern
revolt will be enabled to keep the whole people
with them. encouraged, as they will be- by the
powerful support OF the army, the navy and the
credit of France The mission of Mr.
Stephens to Paris clearly points to this
result Unwisey and wickedy rejected by the
Court 1t Washington. where. according to South
ern authority, he came with "full powers to treat
for peace and settlement" he goes now on
special embassy u the Court of Versailles. The
disastrous results oi the success Of sucl. embassy,
either through him or Mr. Slide already there
upon the interests and future peace fthe North
west, no man can calculate Then. indeed, along
with permanent disruption of the Union. and



sippi be effecually closed against Us except upon
such terms AS foreign nations may choose to i'm
pose; aud thus every city and town upon that
river and It's tributaries would begin TO fall into
decay Victories in the field will not nj all tend
to retard or prevent this alliance and its ruinous
results. Now. therefore, is the accepted time,
the very hour before the blow be struck, for the
people of the North and West To rebuke the rad
icals and nalignants who coHtrQ public affairs,
and prove to the people of the South that they
return to their allegiance to the Constitution,
and thus 10 the Union, with all the dignity,
equality and rights of their several States unim
paired" +" repeat that the success Of the Demo
cratic party in Ohio and the other States will 60
further toward this result than any event which
can happen within the next twelve months. Shall
the golden moment to aid powerfully in the res
toration of the Union as t was, be suffered to
pass?


Upon another subject allow me now a word,
not volunteered but called out and made appro-
pirate BY those who assail me


CANDIDATE of the Administration party is
reported to have spoken recently at Columbus,
in public meeting in substance as follows:


"What viii he the effect Of electing Mr.. Val
landgham Governor of OhioY will tell you
what the effect will be- IL will inaugurate civil
war in your State Ii will bring civil war to
your homes, upon the soil of your own State; for
tell you there is mighty mass of men in this
State whose nerves are strung up like steel, who
will never permit this dishonor to be consumated
in their native State. Another effect will be
that invitaton to the rebels in arms to come
up and take possession OF our soil"


Now | have 50 often myself been made the
subject of false statement and msreport. that L
will not hold Mr. Brough responsible for either
the sentimen, above expressed, or the presump-
Stiffness OF referring to the election by the
people of his opponent. to bring ''dishonor" upon
the State Butt know that the proposition itself
is beginning to he urged by many OF his friends
as a mennce to the freemen of Ohio; and choose
to meet il fatty Eif ses.f


First. The ''invitarion. to rebels in arms. -
which my election will signify. will be to lay
down their arms and return 10 the Old Union and
to obedience to and protection under the Consti-
tuition. laws and flag. secure from Abolition in
termeidling and agitation, rs before the war. and
from conscription, conhscston. execution eman-
cipation. negro equality and all exertions of ar
btrary, desppric power since.


Second There will be 40 ''civil war; in Ohio
if am elected Governor. unless Mr. Brough and
his party inaugurafe IL; in which event we will
"crush on, the rebellion" in very much shorter
space Of time than they have employed in putting
down the 'slaveholders' rebellion F" Ii. however,
he means that they will "secede'' from the State
BY voluntary exile to Canada, or elsewhere, there
will be no coercion in that event. But the
threat, if intended TO intmdate. is as idle as
the wind; il meant seriously, il is time that
the people should know it, that they may affix
the mark of Cain upon the foreheads Of these
new conspirators against the ballot-box. In
any event. he whom a majority Of the equal
ifed electors of Ohio may choose for their
Governor will be inaugurated, and the vast mass
of the people. without distinction of party, will
aid, IL need be. in the work of keeping the peace
Of the State, and carrying out the fundamental