Sunday, February 17, 2008

Voters of our County.

Freemen to the rescue; your liberties are in danger; the foe is upon us, and our Country is bleeding. Then rush to the polls on Tuesday the 13th inst.; let no man who loves his country, and her glorious institutions and desires in his inmost soul that this Government may live and flourish in eternal beauty, and granduer, as she glides down the stream of time, dispensing her benefits of liberty, religious and political, to the latest generations of men – let none such stay away from the polls. On that day you will be permitted to exercise the highest prerogative awarded to a freeman, the elective franchise. Your country in her benificent regard and tender care for your rights has given you this high privilege; will you exercise it, and will you do so on the side of right, and for the promotion of the best interests of our suffering country? Perilous times are upon us; wicked men and devils have combined to destroy our beloved Union and crush out the last hope of constitutional liberty on this continent, and throughout the earth. Will you sit idly by and see them do it, or will you follow the council of those who cry peace, when there can be no peace, till rebellion is subdued. The road to peace lies through the lines of the rebel hosts that have disturbed our peace, and brought upon us this wicked and cruel war. They must be routed with the sword, and bayonet, and with fire. Until then we can have no peace in all our borders.

Your country is struggling for life. Will you see her die by the ruthless hand of traitors, and all your future hopes and those of your children after you, perish in the wreck and ruins thereof?

Union men of Clark [sic] County, and of Iowa, stand by our country in this the day of her great trial and affliction. There are two Parties, and only two now in this country. The one is in favor of supporting the Government, and sustaining the Administration in all its efforts to put down rebellion; the other is in opposition to it. If you are for your country, and wish to save it from ruin, then we beseech you, in the name of liberty, of a common humanity, and of all you hold sacred and desirable upon earth, to rally to the polls, vote the Union ticket, Vote it for the sake of the grand and sublime principles that are embodied in the Union party; Vote it because it is the only party that is striving to save the life of the nation; Vote it for the grand reason that it is the only party that encourages and comforts the hearts of our brave and gallant soldiers, who are fighting the battles of freedom for us. The crisis is at hand, the Civil Government must sustain and push forward the efforts of the military. Every vote cast for the Union party, will be as a shell were thrown into the rebel ranks, and it will spread dismay throughout the camp; but if you vote the opposition ticket, you encourage and comfort traitors. They are looking with anxious thought for the result of the coming election; their hopes of success of the opposition party in the loyal States. Then if you would not encourage traitors, protract the war, or longer peril the life of the nation, go to the polls and vote the Union ticket. Let the old men take council together, while the young men have gone to war, that their efforts may be united, that they may march in solid phalanx against the enemies of our Country. Then will Peace begin to dawn upon our land; such a peace as will be permanent and enduring.

J. R.

- Published in The Union Sentinel, Osceola, Iowa, October 10 , 1863

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