Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-10-08
rae RAFTsNlAn's JOURNAL,


| the lst part of the Congressional Globe for
the Thirty Sixth Congress, you will find when,
| at late period Mr.. Cameron, from Pennsyl
vanis, moved to reconsider the vote, that the
vote ,ras reconsidered; and when at last the
Crittenden propositions were submitted on
the second day OF March, these Sonfhern STATES
hdring nearly all seeded, they ,cere then lost by
but rote. II these Seeding Senators had re-
manned, they trouid hare passed By large rote.
/ believe more, Mr.. President, that these gen.
tlemen were acting in pursuance of settled
and fixed plan to break up and destroy this
government"
ANDREW JOHNSTON of Tennessee, than whom,
though Breckenridge Democrat, Struer pa
! triot and a braver man is not to be found,
whose testimony cannot be gainsayed,-in his
speech on the expulsion of Bright, delivered
on the 31st January 1862, says:
ssSix Southern men refused to vote, whec
the Amendment would have been rejected by
four OF majority If they had voted. Who
then has brought these evils on the country?
Was il Mr.. CLARK? He was acting out his
own policy; but with the help We had from
the other side OF the Chamber (the RepubH-
CAM if all those on this side (the Democrdtic)
had been true to the Constitution, the Amend
ment of the Senator from New Hampshire
would have been voted down. Who did it?
Southern traitors. They wanted no compromise.
They accomplished their object by ,Oithotding their
rotes and hence the countrp has been inrotued in
rhe present difficulty"
Yet in the face of the record lin the face of
all this testimony Mr.. Bigler says Mr.. Halls
remark sis not true,'' and ne makes a labor-
Gus effort at special pleading to throw the onus
of the present cond iton of affairs, ssfor parti,
zan purpo ses,'' entirely the Republican
party. His time during his s.retiracy,'' might
be better occupied, with more credit to him
self and more advantage TO the country. We
pass to his second proposition.
The effort to show that ssthe South uas for
the Crittendeu Compromise and did desire it,
and that ''the Republicans are responsible for
the horrible consequences of its failure,'s is
equally abortive with the denial of the truth
of Mr.. Halls declaration as to the cause OF its
defeat. The attempt of Mr.. Bigler, and those
of like kidney, to visit the responsibility of
the fearful struggle in which are now en-
gagged, upon the heads of any but the guilty
rebels who are still in arms against the Gov
ernment, is an insult to the patriotism, loyalty
and intelligence of the entire North. They,
and they alone, are responsible, and every ef
fort to relieve them of that responsibility, or
paHidtc tuclf Suiit, Snoulu meet Win the un-
qualified disapprobaton OF loyal people
To say that the leading Southern men who
brought about this rebe elion-the men who
withheld their votes from the Crittenden prop
osition, and others entertaining the same SEN
timents were for the compromise and did
desire it, seems to be too absurd to require
serious consideration. If they were in favor
of it, why did they not vote for it Mr.. Bigler
should know, what every school boy of sixteen
summers can tell him, that the active and ac-
tual conspirators for the destruction of the
Government, have been earnestly endeavor-
ing to accomplish their ends, ever since the
disgraceful overthrow OF Modification in South
Carolina by the prompt and energetic action
of the Federal Government in 1882. From
that day, until the elimination of their
schemes in the attack on Fort Sumpter, these
chagrned and disappointed leaders ssnursed
their wrath 10 keep it warm,'' and seized up
on every pretext TO ALLEVIATE the affections of
the Southern people by sectional appeals. For
thirty years, avowed in the Convention
which passed the Ordinance of Secession in
South Carolina, conspiracy has existed there
to dissolve the Union. Governor PIERPoNr |
"a Democrat and Southern man) in his mes |
sage on July I'd uses the following language
s'The fact is no longer disguised that there
has been in the South for many years a secret
organization, laboring with steady perseve-
renee to overthrow the Federal Government |
and destroy constitutional Liberty in this coun |
tIy. The cry of danger to the institution of
Slavery, has been mere pretext to rouse and |
excite the people,
: That such conspiracy existed to break up
the Union, regardless of any concessions or
compromises, is evident, from the speeches at |
the preceding Session of Congress by promi |
nent men, who declared time and again that |
in case of the election of president by cer-
tain political party they were in favor of their |
states seeding from the Union;-from the |
conduct of these same men at the nominating |
Conventions of the Democratic party at Balti-
moro and Charleston, in April and June 1860, |
showing determined purpose to ensure the |
defeat OF the party to which they professed to
belong from their conduct during the presi- !
Dental canvass in haranguing the people, not |
with view of showing that their candidate
could or ought to be elected, but to persuade
them in the event of the success of one of his |
competitors, to rebel against the Government /
and Afiect its overthrow ;-and lastly and
plainly, from their own positive declarations
that they desired no Compromise, and would |
not have it, If permitted to make the terms |
themselves. On the I'd of March 1861. Mr.. |
Wigfall, Senator form Texas, declared on the |
moor OF the Senate, no doubt in the hearing of
Mr.. bigler, that If fwe ,rere to sshand them 6Iank