The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-09-26
The Truth About 1t.

The Truth About 1t.
After the oligarchists and madcaps of
the South had fully inaugurated the pres
ent iniquitous and unholy Rebellion, and
the administration of Mr.. Lincoln had
taken its position and indicated its policy,
many of the leading Republicans of Cam
bria county were willing and anxious to
lay aside partisanship, and meet their for
mer political opponents on common plat
form for sustaining the government and
perpetuating our republican institutions.
They believed that in the great and alb
sorbing solicitude for the Union, all party
strife should be banished, and when an
enemy was struggling to overthrow the
government, and subvert the constitution,
it was no time for party divisions and con-
tentions So general was this feeling,
and so much was it encouraged and diff
fused among the Republicans, that it may
truthfully be said to have become a party
feeling. Early in the campaign, therefore,
long before call for party convention
had been thought of, much less made
the more prominent Republicans used
their efforts to bring abouta Union ticket,
to be formed and supported without dis
tinction of party. On every suitable oc-
casion they conferred with prominent Dem
ocrats as to the propriety of such move
ment and (to their credit be it spoken
many of the latter expressed themselves
highly in favor Of it.
But the party tacticians, the miserable
tricksters, the unscrupulous individuals
| who are wont to dive down into the mud,
| and pull the wires at Democratic Conyen-
tions, to suit their own selfish purposes,
determined to give another and differ
ent kind Of response to the patriotic sug-
| gestions Of the Republicans and of the
honest members of their own party. They
answered the proposition for Union tick
eft, by calling party Convention, and ma
king full party nominations. 1t would be
| idle, at this point to inquire at length into
the motives which prompted the course
| it is sufficient to say that, after the action
of that Convention, great number Of the
Republicans felt that all hope of union
had been cut off, and that no alternative
was now left their party but to vote the
| Democratic ticket, not vote at all, or nom
mate and support ticket of their own
composed of true, tried, and unequivocal
union men. They very properly chose the
latter horn of the dilemma it was certain.
ly the one most consistent with their self
respect. In accordance, therefore, with
party usage, a call was issued, and in due
time the Convention was held, and Re
publican ticket placed in the field We
shall speak of the merits of this tick e
hereafter.
From the Southern districts-the mos
populous, and the most strongly Republi
can portion of the county-this Conye1
ton had no representatives. The Repub
licans there had, from the first, evincet
a desire for Union ticket and being me
in corresponding spirit by many on the
other side, this desire had become Sc
strong, and the sentiment so prevalent
that they did not wish to curb or weake,
it, by any party demonstration. The,
did not, therefore, as we have already in
dicated, take part in this Convention
They still! hoped and labored for Unio,
as did also Republicans all over the coun
ty; nor did they regard the accomplish
ment of that idea as an impossibility, ever
though t'oo regularly nominated party
tickets were in the field
1t was during the first week of oul
September Court-a time which, above
all others, is the best in our political cam
paigns to ascertain and judge of the feel
ing throughout the county-that it wa.
resolved to bring the matter to a test
NJ. S. Harr, Esq, the Chairman of the
Republican County Committee, according