Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-09-05
ID e. Nx oCR a. T ).
H.aG GGgN9aRE

were spurned with contempt by the representa-
tiy es of seceeded States, and yet you would palm
the quotation upon the readers of the Democratic
Watchman as the sentiments of that patriot on the
day of his death, and as applicable to the situa-
of our country at the present time.
have copied the article entire that every eiti-
zen of Centre comfy, who will, may read it and
decide for himself upon the proclivities and SYM
pathes of the editors of the Democratic Watch
man-decide for himself whether the tendency and
design of the article was not to discourage and
dishearten our soldiers, and retard and prevent
enlistments absolutely necessary to fill up the
ranks of the army. Why else? With what other
motive and design did you contrast the Blessings
Of peace with the mseries of ,ear, and attribute all
the evils of the latter to "unfeeling rulers who,
needless of the prayers of the people, dsregarding
the teachings of christianity, hurry on the work
of destruction" Why ese2 With what motive
or design did you abuse the Administr alton be-
cause they did not offer the Rebels compromise
and peace? You know perfectly well, and have
since admitted by your unqu Allied endorse
ment of the first of the Union Meeting resolutions
that the war was forced upon the country by the
disunionsts of the South" You know perfectly
we'll, ard have so since admitted by your unqual-
fled endorsement of the second of the Uncn
Meeting resolutions, that "the Only hope for the
integrity of the Union and the restoration of an
honorable pence rests not in compromise, but in
vigorous and successful prosecution of the
war"
Why, then, preyaricate? Why attemptt to gull,
deceive and mislead the people, but to divide and
distract them and thus to diminish the force, NOR
al and physical, of the North Did you really
and honestly intend to excite military courage1 ?
To fill up the ranks of the army? To nerve the
soldiers arm in the hour of battle by impressing
bis mind that the war in which we are engaged is
unconstitutional, unjust and unholy That christi
anity forbids its prosecution? That the Comman-
der-i n Chief, the President of the United States
and his Cabinet, are devils and fends?
But let us pass to the next article, whieh pur-
since the BuyI Rnn Battle the whole tendency
of which is to discourage and dishearten the sol>
diers and psople of the North by interrogatory
htera'ia yop ash, " What is to become of the
country Where is all this to end? Have we
net been mistaken in our estimate of the whole
subject Have we not underrated the strength
Of the South? Can we conquer it May not the
expense of the war be more crushing and longer
continued than we had supposed? Tow are we
to raise money? Can We continue to do it by
borrowing, or wiz not ouorous direct taxes be-
come necessary? win cur people for a long time
submit to these burdens, ana can We point them
to compensating benefits?
Are these questions calcpIated-were they in
tended to inspire confidence and courage and to
promote vigorous prosecution of the war?
What would have been the result
of our struggle for independence if
Patriot Editors bad filed their journals
with such interrogatories Nay. what
would have been the result if tory editors
had by our Revolutionary sres been per-
mitted to discourage, and dishearten the
people by contrasting the horrors of war
with the blessings of peace-by contrasting
the blood and treasure the war would cost
with the payment of a tax Of few pennies
on tea?
But let Us proceed to the next article
which also appears as original. You say,
"Since the affair at Bull Run the abolition
lists are making desperate efforts to have the
war ascrbed to the right cause.-the aboli-
ton of slavery. The country is not going
to destruction fast enough for them. But
when our nation is completely destroyed
when the citizens become ralized, and
the people ground into the earth by taxes
and debts, that they will not be able to pay,
then these men will be very innocent and
will wonder who brought about such a
state Of affairs Democrats lednt peace.
They Recer aUanted blood, they are stck OF
aohat They haze had already" If you and
your Democratic friends propose to aid in
the vigorous prosecution Of the war by edi-
torials and publications like this, God save
our country from your help.
How encouraging to our army this Dem
ocra:ic cry of "Psace, peace. we are sick OF
blood, we have had enough already"
tits gross SANDER upon the great Dem
ocrdtic party of Pennsylvania to lmpute this
language to them as a party. Since the
endorsement of the Democratic WatchnaGn
and Centre Reporter by the Centre county
nominating Convention | shall not defend
them from the imrutation. But | do know
that there are many Democrats in Centre
county who condemn alike the publication ]
and the publishers, the treason and the trat-
tors.
The paragraph is heftting The associates
and admirers of Vallandigham, and Ben.
Wood, and Breckinridge, Burnett and May,
who, with very few others, opposed all
the leading measures of the last Congress,
providing for the vigorous prosecution of
the war.
This brings me to the laudations, bes5ow-
ed by the editors of the Democratic Watch-
man upon these very men. In the same
number of your paper to which have been
referring is paragraph headed Hon. G.
L. Vallandigham, Introducing a letter
for the purpose Of refuting a private SANDER,
you say, "a base effort has been made by
the Republican press to degrade ttis able
and chivalric Democratic member OF Con
gress."
And in another paragraph headed "Dis-
graceful Proceedings" you belabor the Po-
lice Of Baltimore, organized under military
authority, because they prevented the Hon.
John G. Breckenridge, the guest of Hon.
Henry May, from making a political speech
in the streets of Baltimore. Had you in
formed the patrons of the Democratic Hatch
man that the Hon. Henry May was a seces-
sion member of Congress from the city of
Baltimore, the only secessionist in Con-
gress from the State of Maryland that after
his election and Immediately prior to his
taking his seat. he visited Jefferson Davis.
that he and Yallandigham, and Wood, and
Burnett of the House, had acted IN concert
with Breckinridge q the Senate in opposing
eYery leading measure introduced into Con
4, of