The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-09-19
To the Democracy Of the 18th Confessional
District

DiatTlCt.
i Fellow DEMOCRATS Never HAVING
had desire to seek through the medium
of the Press public notoriety, have
heretofore been content to remain a ouje,
observer of passing events. Nor would I
at this time have anything to say requi.
ring your attention mad truth, justice Or
honesty, influenced or controlled the feel.
ings and expressions of those who cater
for the favor of political suffrage. But
the appearance of an article in the last
number of the "Westmoreland Republi-
can," over the signature of Alexander Nc
Kinney, imperatively demands from me-
a passing notice. l can easily make al.
lowance for scoonded pride, and disap-
pointed aspirations, when they come forth
clothed in the language of truth and sin
| cerity, but for the man who, forgettul of
his nature, descends to vile and scurriious
nYective, can have no sympathy. 1t is
not my intention to make any charge or
insinuation against the purity of motive
which governed the actions of the men,
bers of the Congressional Conferees" at
Johnssown. as well as at Ligonier. Nor
Is II my desire TO make an apology for The
course pursued by me as one of the Con-
ferees from "Westmoreland county" Nv
only object is to place before you few
plain unvarnished facts to correct few
false statements made by infuriated minds;
and having done this, / shall be content to
abide the issue, feeling confident that
Truth crushed to earth will rise again.
The Eternal years Of God are hers,
But Error smitten writhes in pain,
And dies amidst its worshlDDersn
Before proceeding to explain the cause
of the course pursued by me in that Con-
ference, l shall briefly advert TO some
mistatements made by Alexander McKin-
ney. and contained in his Uery able appeal
to you for your suffrage.
He then goes on to say that boasled
of having refused one thousand dollars
offered me to desert my friend Mckinney
hesitate not to pronounce this statement
false utterly, absolutely .false-false as
the Democracy of the man who stated il;
neither Mckinney or any other person
heard me state that l was offered a Bride
Again Mr.. Mckinney boastingly says he
never sought the nomination-this also
falls into the catalogue of m isstatements.
For It's a well known fact, that he not
only traversed the different townships
himself, prior to our primary election, out
his aids were TO be found in every nook
and corner of the county trying by their
duplicity and cunning TO win you 10 his
standard.
These few illustrations of falsehood
would doubtless be enough 10 convince
you, Fellow Democrats, of the utter re-
gardlessness of this would be Representa-
tive of the 18th Congressional District for
political Truth or Justice. But it NAV
not be uninteresting to you to know how
or by what manner of political chicane-
ry" this man Alexander Mckinney (whO
has scarce attained the constitutional age
to III him for Congressional representa-
tive; and whose celebrity as politician
and Democrat has been gained by play
ing ''popgu,a" III the different Democratic
meetings of our county,) managed TO Sc
cure the majority of the votes polled at
our primary Election in June last. 1t was
thus-Mr. Mckinney, knowing that the
disinterested democrats of this county
generally were favorable to the nomina
tion of Gen. Joseph Mcdonald, who at
that time was and is now the favorite son
of "Little Cambria" and knowing further,
that his friends would support the man IN
this county, who would be most likely to
yield his support and influence TO the
choice of Cambria, "Trus to his Instincts,
goes to those men, whom he supposed 10
have influence, told them his great object
was 10 defeat Mr.. Snodgrass in this coun-
ty thai he did not care about the nomlna.
ton farther than his own county, that if
they aided him in the consumnation OF
this his cherished wish, that his choice,
was and would be Mcdonald, before any
body else, that in the event Of bis success
here and failure in Convention, his friends
should be the friends of Gen. Mcdonald
and his influence should aid in his noml-
nation, tha: 1t was only by defeating
Snodgrass here that "Cambria would have
chance"
Believing these representations TO be
true, these men, amongst tChonl I lCaS
one, used their efforts in procuring for
him the majority of the votes polled in
! Westmoreland county at our primary
election; thus You will see that Mckinney
is indebted, mot to his own mighty pow
er of influence, for the position he attained
at our June election,) but TO the friends Of
Mcdonald, who aided in procuring the
defeat of Snodgrass in our county. bu'
fellow Democrats no sooner had Mchln-
new became aware of his success here
than hope mighty hope swelled his bosom
visions of Congressional revel' fitting
through his brain, and he doubtless began
the study of .P olitical Oratory," in antieI'
of The ure,t rocoope,b,l,tv that was