Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-07-16
BY SAMUEL J. ROW
WHAT Is OUR DUTY?

This is an important question, and one
which should be we'll considered by every true
and loyal man in the country. The present is
the most trying time which we have ever ex-
perienced as a nation. An internal foe is
now our enemy, whilst in former wars we had
only foreign power to contend against. The
assassins knife has been applied to the nations
throat by her own children-by those whom
she had nurtured and reared up to exalted
positions. And why have these men raised
the fraticidal hand against their Government
The only reason we know of is because they
1.-THE minority have not been allowed to die
tate to and rule the majority. The masses of
the people have seen fit to disregard the
threats of few demagogues, who wished to
rule them for selfish ends, and to lower them
to the condition of chattels. What then is
the nature of this contest 1t is conflict of
the few against the many-of an Aristocracy
against a Republican Democracy-hence,
contest between fanatical oppression on the
one side. and freedom and intelligence on the
other. In fact, the very pillars of our free
superstructure have been assailed by few
spoiled and petted arstocrats, who have con-
ceived tina idea that they alone are fitted to
govern and control the nation. Are the
people willing that these rebels should
ceed in their designs? We know they are
not. We feel assured that the people desire
the perpetuation of the institutions under
which they live-that they have no desire to
break down this free government and erect
upon its ruins a monarchcal one.
But while we feel assure that these are the
wishes of the many, there are some who, we
believe, desire different state of things.
Are there not those who are constantly COM
planning about the extravaganza and misman-
agement of the Administration, in the hope of
making political capital thereby Are there
not those who find fault with almost every
act of the Union armies, and rejoice over the
slightest reverses which have attended their
advance into the encmy's country Are
there not those who proclaim that ssit is MUIR
der" to shoot down the rebels who are in arms
against the government, for the purpose of
prejudicing the people against the vigorous
prosecution of the war We presume, no
one will deny these propositions. Then, is
it wise to falsify the records of the country to
the injury of the Government, in the hope of
gaining a brief political supremacy 4? Is it
wise to disparage the course pursued by our
armies to the injury of the Union cause Is
it wise for free people, whose national exis-
tence is bound up in the success Of the Union
armies, to raise such objections as these
We think not, and We believe that the masses
of the patriotic people are impressed with the
same great truths.
These being facts, is 1t prudent for free
people to engage in party chickering's, whilst
most desperate contest is being waged against
their Government Do not such things tend
to encourage the rebels and make them be-
lieye that they may yet succeed in getting up
fight between the several political parties in
the loyal States 2 And, what would be the
result of such contest7 Would it not weak
en- the Government and strengthen the rebel
lion 2 Will any sane man pretend to deny
this
Then, in view of these facts which we have
presented, what is the duty of every loyal
man 1t is to uphold the constituted author
tiles in their efforts to maintain the govern
ment and suppress the rebellion-to encour-
age our armies in the field-and to counte-
nance and sustain only those whom they know
to be true to the government. To uphold
such men as those who raise the questions we
have enumerated, would be very doubtful
policy for their only object seems to be to
mislead the honest and patriotic people, in
the hope that they may thereby, in the end
benefit those with whom they sympathise more
I, 4
THE PRESIDENTS VISIT TO THE ARMY.-The
President returned on the night of the 10th