Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-06-19


the meantime let the spirit Of humanity
2nd OF the high civilization of the age,
strip this war Of the horrors that general
/ ly attend such civil strife.
| Onr States desire, and have indicated n
purpose to take no part in this war, and
we believe that in this course we will ulti-
mately best serve the interests ofout COM
mon ccdntry. IL IL impossible that wo
should be indifferent spectators we con-
sder tnat our Interests would be irretriev-
ably ruined by taking part in the conflict
o tue side whore the strongest sympa.
thies Of our people are and that our sense
OF honor and duty requires bat we should
not allow ourselves 10 be drawn or driven
into n war in which other States, without
consulting us, have deliberately chosen to
involve themselves. Our safety and our
! dignity as among the most powerful OF the
slave States demand 0! us That we take
this position
| If the time shall come when our friend
! iy mediation may arrest the further pro.
gress of the strife, Our most earnest and
strenuous efforts shall not be wanting to
bring about peace, and it Is by such efforts
that we hope to serve the interests of our
country.
And now, in conclusion, We mako our
solemn appeal to the people Of the United
States. This is your government-i,s
preservation Is your preservation ills
overthrow is your ruin, and you are the
, ,righttul arbiters Of its fate
We hope You will take the subject of
TINS address into your own confederation.
Act with the energy and decision Of a free
| people. In you and you alone wo have
confidence. You have the intelligence
and the power TO rule this fearful crisis
Make known your will in some emphatio
form that shall give authority with your
| representatives, everywhere.
May we not earnestly hope that you the
people, the whole people, without regard
10 parties or sections, will be able TO COM
mand a settlement Of the national difficult.
ties, aud will see the propriety and ueces-
Slty oil having cessation Of present hos.
tlltIes, so that the measures Of paCifica-
tion which your wisdom NAV devise, can
he calmly considered by your con.
stitutlonal authorities
We venture to suggest for your cousid-
Grafton and action, two specific propo-
stions as most likely TO lead to paciGca,
! ton:
LIST, That Congress shall at once prouoso
such constitutional amendments as will
secure to shareholders their legal rights,
ana aliay their apprehensions in regard
to possible encroachments in the future
Ind II this shnnlI, fail 10 i,"; e,
the results SO desirable to 10 and so esson,
tial to the best hopes of our country, then
let voluntary convention be called CONF
posed Of delegates from the people Of ali
the States, in which measures of peacea-
BILE diustment may be devised and adop-.
tedand the nation wrestcd from the cont
inued horrors and calamitieS o. civil war.
TO our fellow citizens Of the South we
desire to soy Though we have been
greatly injured by your precipitato action,
we would not now reproach YOU as 10 the
cause Of that injury, but we entreat YOU
20 ra.exOmine the question of necessity
for such action, and If you find that il has
been taken without due consideration. us
we verify believe, and that the evils YOU
appreheuded from continuance in the
/ Union were neither so great nor SO una
|voidablo ms you supposed, or that Cons
gress is willing to grant adequate sccuri.
I ties, then we pray you 70 return promptly
! to yoUr connection with us, that wo may
be, in the future, as we have been in tia
past, one great, powerful aud prosperous
nation.
! indications have already been afforded
! that Divine power is ready to interposo
and prevent brethren from slaughterng
each other. While the bombardment of
Fort.Sumter continued no lives were lost.
When Provid.ntial interposition was no
longer needed to prevent the efusion of
blood in civil strife, several lives were lost
in the performance ofa mere ceremony.
/ We would invoke the presence AND aid of
that Power to prevent our fellow citizens.
on both sides, from slaughter and We
would commit the interests of our dis
tractch country to His hands who eau
bring forth peace and order out of strife
and confusion, when mans wisdom utterq
ly fails.
J. J. CRITTENDEN, President
l Al L. q II,rII pie