Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-12-04
RESIGNATION OF COL. BIDDLE.
RING OF THE TRUE METAL.

= Orr readers VIII remember thnt Charles
J. Bidde ~as elected to Congress Ia tho
I'd District. q, the special election held in
June las, that being then in the three
months services, he rernained in the field,
and did not take bis seal in Congress -
that upon the orgaoi oisa,ioa Of the Penn.
sylvania Reserve Corps, lie was sproin ed
TO the command Of tho First (Bu,ktaiil
Regiment, 10 which eApaci'! he has seiy'
ed up 10 this time.
Col. Biddle was on viSit 30 Phiiade,-
!phia, the other day, when he Was konored
With tho iondpr Of a public dinner, bu.
which honor he declined in the folio ring
truly patriotic letter;
To he Hon. Geo. ". Dallas. Charles J. Inger.
soil, Peter Ne Call. John Cad,caiadtr, Geery1
Shar,wood, 4. Y. Parsons, Frederick Fra
Icy, Henry N. Phidps, Esq'irfs, and Sthers.
GENTLEMEN: hare had the pleasure to
receive, TO day, your communication. and
heg YOU TO accept my tlshks for the
Iflaitering terms 10 which ynu have sI-
pEtb~tp N'b' NPNIs 'Ns"b
TO ma, a subject OF anxiOns reflection.
|, In, been my earnest desire, ~ this
grea, junciure in onr National affairs. TO
give my humble services where they may
be most useful TO NV country. With hi.
purpose | took tho field aud holding. du.
ring, the entire period of the Extra Sea-
sion. n sep> ate aud important command,
| did no, feel at liberty to quit it to take
the seat in Congress, 10 which you had in
my absence elected me-.
! hare come, for day or two, from the
sres, camp in from, of Washington, where
| commanded regiment that has been
10 me u source Of the highest pride and
satisfaction and will leave IL with feel
iugs OF regret which shall not attempt 10
express here. But, Weld to the repre-.
senta,ions OF tn. wishe, of my eon,tl:u-
ents, conveyed TO me in your letter and
n other forms. shall, therefore, tender
through the proper authorities, the re,ig.
nation os my military commission from
the State, and S your representative. .s
turn To Washington.
/. is true tha, according to high au-
q hrritieS, ] might at once hold the two
,u,i,ions but it is plain that could not
.erform the duties Of both, and, waving
Ac bare legal question, II seems to mo 20
10 incompsIib u with ihe character # u
representative and leglsla.o. to be
aid officer. subject to the orders of the
Executive, ana preseat in his place only
10y the rayocable leave of y military supe.
rior. have, theretors, come tn the son-
clasion that your representative must not
now be thus lrammelled yet, SHOULD the
iide OF wa, indeed, roll around the Ma
tional Capital, hope that my brethren in
arms will fad room in their ranks for one
sol lier more.
Ny political opinions are rha. they
have always been. ana . Democra, -
reyer more one than at this hour. ! ~.
joice that it Was with my name upon your
banners that you overthrow the Republic
can party III this city.
When say am a Democrat, | do not
mean that belong TO any knot of poll
ticians. When say Am a Dsmocrai, j
mean that have evcr maintained those
national principles which, under God,
made and preserved Us natl IN; thos.
great national principles of justice and
equality for all the States which, so long
as they we're practi.ed, made our Vsrous
institutions and interchangeable commod'
tiles bond. Of strength and union rather
,han grounds for tttiie.
This, at least, ws may say for the Dem
scratic party--it rated ~ their true value
the fantastic theories. the WITNESSES, the
''isms," the questions OF mers phraseolo.
~, TIM, men, calling themselves states
men have preferred 10 peace, 10 union, to
the gradual progress and development OF
each section, and all races in due relations
to natural causes. This, too, we may say
Tor the democratic party while it maln-
tanned it's sway, "Secessi "a" WAS little,
baffled clique as the Republican party
rose, Secession" became ian army with
banners
Nor vas he foresight Of the Republi-
can parry leaders any wider than their
patriotism. The false prophets Of their
party pronii.ed their followers that three
months should see tho end OF the trouble;
and when war came upon them even then
they wanted only three months voluu.
teers to end it. They created ard fo.ter-
ed that Intoxicating self confidence tina,
was the cause Of our earlier reverses.-
They had so persistenty abused that part
of the American people that lived across
geographical line, tha. they had come
At last to underratc and despise them, and
Republican oratory summoned it's hear
ers not to stern encounters, but only 10
pays and pillase.
When tho national flag wa, struck
down at Charleston, and the national capi.
tai was threatened 10y secession, the North
rose like one man. The world saw with
astonishment the great uprising Of the
people; Europe prejudged tho issue in
our favor yet, as IL smitten with blind
ness, the Republican leaders seemed sriv.
ing to waste and dissipate, instead OF TO
seize and use, the noble ma,crial tor gres,
armies which was, with scarcely any limit
placed a, their disposal. The soldier who
offered birself for .he public service
found that he mus. earwig some politician
before he could be allowed 20 fsh, or die
for his country. Men began TO say that
the war was 10 be made - Black Ropub.
lican job"
Politicians were pot at the hend Of
A. Il A