Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-08-20


divide them
When the wise men who had been for
many years the faithful advisers of his
father came to Rehoboam and endeavored
TO persuade him to respect the rights of
all his subjects and administer the govern
ment without partiality to any. his an
swer was: My father lashed you with
whips, bu- will lash you with scorpions.
and my little finger shall be thicker than
my fathers thigh" From that dav for
ward Israel was divided kingdom. shorn
OF its glory and of its power This last
Congress has done for us. as far as was
IN their power, the very same thing that
Rehoboam did for the Kingdom of Israel.
AS L have said before, one year ago
there was large Union sentiment in the
South. In view of this fact, what should
have been our policy? Should we not
have endeavored 10 convince these people
that beneath the flag of their country all
their rights of property were secure? do
not know how you are going TO recon-
struct this Union without some basis TO
place 1t upon Such basis we might have
had III this strong Union element at the
South. Who does not know that two
thirds of the seeded States were carried
into the wickcdncSs of secession absolute
ly without the consent OF the people and
against their will!
The hearts of these people were for the
old government, in which they had always
trusted, and the old constitution, which
they had always revered. Suppose our
policy had been TO foster and encourage
instead of driving of that Union sgnti-
mcnt. There would have been no army
in the field to-day But in lieu of that
policy of conciliatiOn which would have
been our salvation. we adopted the policy
of meeting them all with fire and sword.
and the fatal consequences are not vet all
told.
Now, / agree that it is right and proper
III every government that, where YOU put
down rebellion like this, YOU should pun
ish the leaders, but no government ever
adopted the policy III relation To the peo-
pie themselves that ours has. A few wears
ago the Hungarians rcbclled against Aus
tria- That l. one of the most deSpotic
goycInnIl MS on the face of the globe
The = 5Vcrmcnt succeeded in overthrow
ing ti,e rc5ollion-how They executed
Il few of the leaders, sent the remainder
into exile, and passed amnesty TO tine resi-
due who were not leaders In the rebellion.
There never WAS a government that has
not uniformly let the burden fall upon the
leaders, while the great mass of the people
were permitted To return and resume their
allegiance 10 the government. And |
viii venture TO assert tLat if. after the
battle of Fort Donel>on, the government
had adopted this policy of Cancellation.
there would have been no rebel army in
the field tn day. But instead of that be
ing the ease, they are at this moment con-
fronting Us with an army more numerous
and superior 10 our Own. and we are COM
PEELED To call for more volunteers. Now.
the volunteering now going on. In view of
the doubt already cast J,pon The subject,
stands fair; but it l. evident that our pco-
pie are not rushing 10 arms with the spirit
and in such numbers rs they did when the
former call was made, when there WAS a
hope that the war was TO be conducted
upon more humane and con -.rvafive prin-
cipleS. IR this State and In Illinois we
shall probably succeed after a while in
raising our quota OF volunteers. but in
many of the States they will be forced to
draft, The Congressional legislation of
late has been fatal TO Us in every way
| hear a good deal said now and then
about the :. statesmen of this Republican
party, but l have never been able to put
my finger upon any of their statesman
ship. | have served along with them in
Congress. and | have found 1T invariably
the case that, whenever any man called
by their name begins 10 rise TO the posi-
lion of a true statesman, they crowd him
out of the ranks Take Mr.. Cowan, of
Pennsylvania, as an example. They
hate that man worse, and denounce him
more bitterly even than they do me ; for
they say Richardson Is an old sinner any
how, and they do not expect much of him
am afraid that when the future his
torian comes TO write of our times. as he
will do, he will group these men, with re-
spect TO craftsmanship, and will say,
"Hcre is set of one idea fools, who per-
mitted the government handed down to
them by their foreiathers TO fall to the
ground rather than give up an absurd no
ton which could never be realized or car
ried out
You cannot administer government sue
cessfully with one idea, and let me tell
you that these men, when, in the pursuit
of their one idea, they come TO make the
negro do everything and have everything
dwinde down, down, down. until they