Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-04-17
CLEARFlELD, PA,
THE DUTY OF DEMOCRATS.


sure very many Of our readers will find II
difficult to realize-it is well to inquire
what, in such an emergency, is the duty
of Democrats? The answer is best
furnished by a reference to the past history
of the Democratic party, and to the thor
oughly national and patriotic principles
npon which it is founded and, although
opinions us to what course Democrat
,hould now pursue may vary as much as
they ever have upon any other question
presented to the American people, yet We
apprehend that those who fully compre-
hend, and properly appreciate, the pur-
poses of its organization, can have no dill
fculty in deciding what course to pursue.
Every Democrat can console himself
with the reflection that neither he nor his
party is in any respect responsible for our
present troubles. Beginning with 1910,
the Democratic party, foreseeing the Ger
lain dissolution of the Union in the event
of the practical application of the North
ern Anti,SlaveIy sentiment in the Admins
istration of the General Government, was
careful to embrace in all its p'dJormI, the
plain and clear doctrines Of the Constltu-
ton, aud which were as cordially accept
able in the far South as in the North. Its
competitor old Whig party did the
same thing. Between these two parties,
therefore, the country, so far as the ques-
ton of Slavery, or questions of sectional
preiudices we're concerned, was entirely
safe. But, ten years later, the Whig par.
.y, finding itself controlled, in a great
measure, by the Abolition spirits of both
, Old and New England, ceased to be Ma
t:onal party, and its speedy dissolution
followed-and out Of its ruins grew the
present sectional Republican party, which
is completely under the control Of the
AbolitiOpists.
Our present troubles are the legitimate
fruits of the success Of a party elevated to
the control of the Government upon the
distinctive doctrine of hostility to the in
stitution of Slavery, and for which, we rea
! peat, the Democracy is in no ~ay resNon-
Bible- having doEe all in their power to
prevent the success of that party, by warn
ing the people of the consequences that
would certainly follow, and which we are
now realizing.
But while We are thus clearly blameless,
we still have duties to perform, as citizens,
and it is well for us carefully to consider
what those duties are, and how they shall
be performed What the Future hes in
store for us, a. a nation, time can only
unfold. 1t is the mighty Present with
which we are now dealing. We should
reflect that we are in imminent danger of
losing our nationality and not only this,
= but that we are in equal danger of losing
this nationality only after long years OF
intestine war, hloodshed aud anarchy
And what reflection! What patriot
heart does not shudder at the dreadful
ithoughtI Six months ago, the first among
the nations of the earth now, on the
very brink of utter and hopeless ruin =
Shall this be? Can nothing be done to
avert this dreadful fate? Is there no pos
sible way of escape? Alas, we can as yet
see no hope, and can only rely upon the
inscrutable providences Of the Great King
of Nations for deliverence.
In the meantime, it is our duty to sus-
tain "the powers that be-" and although
we emphatically condemn and denouncC
the policy of tie President, yet we are not
insensible to the fact that the Govern
ment at Washington is entitled TO our al
legisnce. Constitutionally elected. Mr.
Lincoln is the Chief Magistrate CT the ma
tion, and as such must g sustained by ev
cry good citizen. But lie is a Consttu
tional President-not a Dictator-and hi
duties are es early defined, and as nice
ly restricted, as those of any of his subor
dinates. Beyond these restrictions h
cannot move without authority from Con
gress. Hence he cannot declare war, no
call out the militia, except in case of in
vasion. Should he madly attempt tn
subjugation Of the seeded States, rnd b
force Of arms undertake to compel them Il
return to their allegiance to the Union
it would be folly to expect to be sustained
for the plain reason that the common
sense of every unprejudiced mind woulc
soc that the end desired-the restor
alton of the Union-cannot possibly b,
attained in this way. Hence we see tn,
wisdom of our forefathers in so CAREFUL,
defining the duties Of our Chief Maiistrate
The voice of every Democrat in the fre
States, and we believe in all tho State
still in the Union, is in favor of q res
toration o! our once great and powerful
'Confederacy at the earliest possible mo
ment, and upon such basis of equalit
and justice that it may endure forever
The contamination of this happy result