The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1862-07-09
the barbarity of the rebel Government

condemnation or the INFAMOUS cOnScTlp-
ton act nor whitening invective to pour
out like molten lava on the heads of the
rebels, who are burning cotton and sugar
crops, and desolating the South. Then
it speaks no cheering word of congratu-
Iation for our gallant and heroic soldiers,
who have left their farms, and shops, and
pleasant fresldes, to save the Government,
and keep step to the sublime music of the
Union under the flag of the Republic.
1t does not even hint what every lntelli
gent man knows to be the fact, that the
prime and moving cause, the fountain
head and source of this rebellion, is
determination on the part of Southern
oficeholders and corrupt aristocrats to
destroy free government and build up
monarchy or aristocracy on the ruins OF
Democratic institutions.
The man who is ignorant of this is
ignorant of the speeches, addresses, reso-
lutions and newspapers of the Cotton
States for the last twenty years. He is
ignorant of the celebrated speech of Hon.
l.. W. Spratt, one of the leading men OF
South Carolina, who declared that,
I"Szaoery cannot share q Government
a0ith the Democracy I" "Slavery having
achieved one victory to escape Democracy
at the North, must dchiece another to
escape 1t at the South !" He must be
ignorant of the declaration of Vice Pres
ident Stephens, as reported by the Sa-
vannah Republican, that "SLAvERY"-
not Democracy mark you, or the right
of man to rule hlmself-but, "slaUery IS
the chief corner stone Of our Government
The ideas of the trainers of the old Fed
erai Constitution acere fundamentally
acrong.' In these declarations of the
leaders of the rebellion, which we are
obliged to cut short for want of space
for they could be extended indefinitely
we find the true cause Of this helllsh
rebellion. 1t was enmity to free Govern
ment. 1t was a determination on the
part of an aristocratic clique not to sub
init to the people, and be controlled by
an ignorant majority" as we heard John
G. Breckenridge say, at Hopkinsvllle,
Kentucky, in the summer of 1861. AS
a further proof Of this, the Democratic
party was hopelessly split at Baltimore a
year before Lincoln came into power, and
split by the very men who issue this
address 1t is also to be remarked that
on the advent of Mr.. Lincoln to the Pres
idency, the House of Representatives,
Senate and Supreme Court were in the
hands of the Democratic party. Why,
then, did the cotton wing.fy off and set
up a new Contederacy? The Northern
Douglas Democracy would not be con-
trolled by the insolent Buchanan Democ-
racy, and SO disruption took place. But
this address of the inglorious fourteen
goes on to glorify the Buchanan-Cot
Democracy in this graudiloquent manner :
at is the only party capable of carrying
on war; it is the only party which has
ever conducted war to successful issue,
the only party which has done it without
abuse of power, without molestation to
the rights Of any class of citizens, and
with due regard to economy. All this
has been done: all this, if need be, it IS
able to do again. If success, then, in a
military point of view be required, the
Democratic party alone can command it. 4"
1t then proceeds to say that its restora-
ton (that is, of themselves and company
to power is demanded by the following
consideration
ECONOMY and honesty in the public
expenditures, now at the rate of four
millions of dollars day demand it."
i Such economy for instance as that of
Buchanan's Secretary of War, John B.
Floyd, that paragon of virtue, and such
honesty as that of Isham G. Harris.
"The rapid accumulation of an enor-
nous and permanent public debt demand
it-a public dept already one thousand
millions of dollars and equal al the pres
ent rate in three years, to England's debt
of century and a half in growth"
1t is dreadful thing to 60 in debt,
isn't it, to save the nation? The war
should be carried on for little or nothing.
In fact, it would have been better, as Bu-
chanan thought, to have no war at all.
Just let our Southern friends alone. The
"thousaGd million" story is big lie.
Reducing wages, low prices, depres-
sion of trade, decay of business, scarcity
of work, and impending ruin on every
side demand it,"
Every body knows that the "reduced
wages" ETC., are all the fault of Lincoln.
The loss of fat salaries by the Southern
friends also "demands it," but the four
teen are quite too modest to say so.
We have our own opinion as to the
rebel origin of this damnable attempt.
The Southern rebel leaders are at the
bottom Of 1T. Nothing is more certain
than this to our minds. The chiefs of