The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-10-31

! eion nations ucr of It's own citizens the
! pnblic security was entirely destroyed !;
! there was not the bare pittauce ola pen
ny in the treasury; and the nation had
| been plunged into debt Of near hun
dred millions OF dollars Nor is this all.
! A portion of his cabinet had banded to-
gethcr for the purpose of destroying the
! government, and in furtheranee OF their
reasonable and hellish designs, they had
scattered our navy far and wide, and sto-
/ len our arms and munitions of war, and
given them TO their rebel brethren, to be
used against us, thus imperilling the ma
tional security-the very object they were
Intended to subserve. One section of the
country was arrayed in fierce hostility
against another; our forts and arsenals,
built with the common treasure, were fast
being surrendered to our enemies our
military officers were every day resigning
their commissions and our army was
utterly demoralized and to crown all,
our very Capital was threatened with in
vasion
Such was the national condition when
Abraham Lincoln was called to the chair.
The old man of Wheatland had lent him
self to wicked conspiracy, and the IA
ton was the victim. He had suffered
such unannointed scoundrels as Davis,
Floyd, aud Breckenridge to pull the wool
over his eyes most effectually, and until,
finally, the old gentleman found himself
bound hand and foot. And after they
had used him TO their hearts content
used him as the humble instrument for
accomplishing their own base ends-used
him until they could use him no longer
they meanly deserted him, whilst they
openly proclaimed their treason against
the very government they had all sworn
to support Thus when Mr.. Lincoln as
sumed executive authority, on the 4th
day Of March last, the public treasury was
bankrupt, and rebellion and anarchy were
ruling the hour We had reached cri-
sis such as had never before been witnes-
sed in our governmental affairs. Through
the sound Judgment, cool independence
and manly preference Of the people, Mr..
Lincoln had been elected to the Presiden-
cy; but how could any responsibility at
| tach to him for the manifold outrages and
| excuses, which the enemies of the gov
errment had committed before his inaug-
uration There is an absurdity almost
in she question itself. Let the response
bility rest where it belongs, and let con
demnation be visited not upon the inno-
cent but the guilty. We claim that the
present sad condition of affairs is the le-
| gitimate result of the administrations Of
| Pierce and Buchanan. We behold in it
! the bitter fruits OF Loco-Foco policy
which ignores honesty, ability and worth,
and looks only to self-aggrandizement.
| Mr. Lincoln has had to 'run the ma
chine as he found it, He can and will
| do no more than administer the govern
ment in accordance with the letter and
spirit Of the Constitution. At his inaug-
/ uration, he took a solemn oath to support
that instrument, and he is equally pledg-
| ed to enforce the laws against all often
ders, and bound to treat traitors to the
| Union with the severity they deserve
| In his inaugural address he was careful
to indicate his intentions so that there
might be 10 misunderstanding. He de-
clared that it was no parpose of his to
make war upon the South. And he kept
his word: the South began tic AGAR His
administration has shown that it can be
| forbearing, even under the most provo
king and irritating circumstances; and it
has shown, too, that it can act with ener-
gy and determination when the occasion
requires it to do so. 1t has taken the
only course to secure the Nation al safety
consistently with the National honor 1t
will protect loyal citizens everywhere, and
do $40 more injury to property ehan will
be necessary to rcbulle treason, and re-
place the flag OF our country upon the
forts and other places from which it has
been taken and desecrated The Admin
istration knows, too that there are friends
Of the Union and the Constitution, in the
South as we'll as in the North, and al
though oyer-awed hy military power and