The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1862-08-20
Curse of Modern Democracy.

the mobs of the south, we could pass it
by and almost forget that enormity. If
it never had conceived any other mischief
than that cf imbuing the shareholders of
the south with treason, we might deem
it still harmless for extensive corruption
while it was incapable of doing good
The real danger of this principle of mod
ern Democracy, is the corruption which
it is working where all should be pure
and patriotic. If it had not been for the
influence of the Democratic leaders, the
people of the free states would have
crushed this rebellion long since. We
had the power and the means at hand.
The people were honestly anxious that
treason should be wiped out, and the re-
bellioG put down, but their unanimi,y
was invaded, while schism, and doubt,
and difference followed in steady success
sion, until on several occasions the gov
ernment was placed more in peril by such
1 influences than it was ever menaced by
any Of the powers or forces which traitors
had been able to invoke or array against
it. One Of the latest instances Of the
working of this influence of modern
Democracy, is contained In the conduct
of the Democratic commissioners Of Mont
gomery county The people of that
county lad Dobly rallied to sustain the
cause of the Union Its quota Of volun
leers was in fair way Of being raised,
when those thus dedicatiDg themselves
to a good cause, only asked that they
should be placed on similar footing with
the volunteers from other counties, and
that the bounty insured in other localities
be also vouchsafed to the men of Mont
gomerv county. In accordance with this
feeling, the citizens of the county, with
unaninity which there was no mistaking.
asked the commissioners that sum be
Appropriated sufficient to pay the bounty
raised bv other counties in the Common
wealth. Nay, they offered to indemnify
the commissioners from all personal
responsibility, by placing an equal sum
at their disposal to that which they were
asked to appropriate to pay the bounty
THIS ,cas fat,y and enphatlcally refused
By the Democratic commissioners Of
Montgomery county. They denied all
support to those who went forth to fight
the battles of the Union-they rejected the
appeal of some of their most respectable
constituents, and intrenching themselves
behind the mere pretext that they had
no authority 20 make such an appropr!a-
ton, they have left the wives and the
children Of those who went forth to battle
to depend upon the charity of their neigh
bors, instead of giving them a right to
the mupiicence and the bountifui wealth
Of the whole county.
We would not hold the Democratic
party in an individual sense responsible
for such acts, but we do declare that the
refusal was stimulated by the influence
aud the effort of modern Democratic prin-
ciples 1t this is not the case, the CON-
missioncrs who thus refused to pay a
bounty, are very devils incarnate, inca
pable of every feeling for the suffering,
unmovable to the appeals of the patriotic,
and too mean and cowaIdIy to respond to
anv emotions save sucn as minister to
their own passions or hatter their own
prejudices.
/ Extraordinary developments have been
made in Indiana. The knights of the
Golden Circle secesh order of traitors,
have been discovered in the State of In
diana. The United States Grand Jury
have indicted a number Of men. The
number in Indiana is estimated at fifteen
thousand Their lodges or Castles" are
located in various parts of the State.
They have signals by which they can
communicate with each other in the day
or the night time, and above all, they
hare a signal or sign which may be recog-
nized at great distance from the person
giving it Tie last signal, was invented
for the use Of such members, as should,
. By means Of the draft or otherwise, be
compelled to SerUe IN tie ranks of the
army. In such case, members of the
order serving 10 opposing armies, receiv-
ing the sign are reminded of their obli-
cation not to ipjure the member giUing it,
This signal is given in every instance
upon the initiation of new meu Der, and
its strict observance is enjoined upon
every individual belonging. BY the
teachings of the organization, it is the
duty of its uemceTs engaged in the pres
ent war, although arrayed on opposite
sides, upon the signal being given, if
they fire at all, "to shoot ooer each other"
Not only are the loyal soldiers an the
army to be t'eacAerously betrayed in the
bloody hour Of battle, by the signal before
referred to, but tha Grand Jury have
abundant evidence of the meE bership
binding themselves to resist the payment
Of the Federal tar and pregeat enlist