The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-12-26
Letter from Occasional.
WAsHiNGroN, Dec. IS, 1861.


us in this hour of sore tribulation, while
we are engaged In a contest, the magnifi-
oence Of which no chronicle records. We
are in struggle which involves our life
aud our liberty-our happiness as peo-
pie, and our existence as Government.
w e have thrown every dollar We possess
our own lives, aud the lives CT those we
love-into this struggle. And now, when
on the point Of crushing this Infamous
serpent of Secession, Great Britain appears
upon the scene, and menaces us with de-
struotion. 1t is as though strong man,
engaged in a death-struggle with his foe,
finds himself stabbed in the back by an
insidious friend, who takes advantage Of
his misfortune to consulate his assasslna-
ton. While other nations gaze with awe,
and most of them with earnest sympathy,
upon the conflict of our people with a
gang of robbers, England helps the rob-
bers, and draws the dagger upon our
country
England knows she is strong. This is
our hour of weakness, and she may make
it her opportunity to strike. She can now
be arrogant and insulting, for now her ar
rogance and insult cannot be resented
The Northern coast is exposed to her large
and powerful navy our towns are not for
tilted, and she may bring desolation upon
our people and our manufacturing inter-
ests. All this she knows. Her ornaments
are large and well appointed her army
has been increased almost TO war foot
ing she is prepared to throw large bodies
of troops into the Eastern and Northern
portions of our Republic Canada is filed
with armed men, and the frontiers OF
Canada are simply SO many garrisons--
Our commerce is at her mercy. In the
Mexican gulf there is large British feet,
which could render our newly-gained
strongholds on the Southern coast, unten-
able, and accomplish the destruction Of
the brave men at Port Royal, Hatteras,
and Santa Rosa Island. She may break
our blockade, and entirely nullify our ex-
peditionary operations. With the Poto-
mac virtually blockaded, and an immense
army under BeauregaTd in our rear, Wash
ington would probably fall. With the
Chesapeake Bay open to any navy that
may choose to enter; with disloyal pop
ulation in Maryland with enemies along
the Virginia and Atlantic coasts, England
could precipitate fearful series Of disas-
ters, and, perhaps, with the aid Of the
Southern armies, turn the bloody tide of
war upon the Northern States.
1t may be in view Of all these consid-
erations, and the sad necessities of the
case, that, in order to avoid a war which
could only end in our discontinue, the
Administration may be compelled to con-
cede the demands of England, and, perhaps,
j III y
forbid but in crisis like this we must
adapt ourselves to stern circumstances,
and yield every feeling of pride to main
tain our existence. If this contingency
should ever arrive-and | am only spec
ulating upon a disagreeable possibility
then let us swear-not only to ourselves,
but our children who come after us-to
repay this greedy, insolent, and cowardly
Power with the retribution of just and
fearful vengance. If England, in our
time of distress, makes herself our foe, and
offers to be our assassin, We will treat her
as foe when we can do so untrameled
and unmenaoed by another enemy.
There are several methods by which 20
battle England if she is disposed to take
part against the cause Of Civilized Free
dom on this continent. If Captain Wilkes
has erred, it was only by following British
authority. We can offer to replace the
rebel ENJOYS on board the Trent, and then
have that vessel conveyed, with its soon
traband" cargo, to neutral port, and tried
according to the British construction of
international law. Or we can say that no
offence was intended tc England as none
was intended) in the detention of the Trent,
but that, in arresting two notorious trait
ors bent upon destroying our glorious
Government, we felt thst what we did was
precisely what England would have done
under the same circumstances. Or, with
these propositions and protestatiors, we can
offer to submit the whole case to the arbi
tration of Russia or France, or both to-
gether. Should the British Government
accept any one of these suggestions or
explanations, the case can readily be ad-
justed Should she refuse, there can be
but one judgment pronounced She will
forfeit the respect of every civilized Gov
ernment on earth. But whether she ac-
cepts or rejects them, this much is written
IN the Book of Fate-thot If she has az
tempted to ean5arrass or to assod the United
States an u.eir present mighty trouble, she
has made eternal foes of all the loyal nli2ions
Of AnaericG and their postcyity torerer.
1t we do corcede to the demands of
England, however, it will only be because
we desire to crush this rebellion-as a
duty we owe to mankind. 1t will be be-