Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-10-29

bshrb PROCLAMATION,
In all the speeches which made 10 yo
in the spring and summer OF 1861, ss we
as in a printed address to the people {
the State, on or about the 30th OF MAY
1861, | declared, in substance, that IL
had believed il was the bject of the Mort
70 subjugate the South aud to emancipat
our slaves, in violation Of the Constitution
| would have gone as far as the farthest il
advocating resistance TO the utmost extent
hy attention has Just been called to
proclamation issued by the President o.
the United States on the Odd Of Septem
ber. 1862, in which he declares that "or
the first day OF January, in the year of ou
Lord one thousand eight hundred anC
sixty-three, all persons held ms slave
within any State, or any designated par
of State, the people whereof shall thor
be in rebellion against the United States
shall be thencelor and forever free
and the executive government of the Uni
ted States, including the military md ma
val authority, will recognize and maintair
tho freedom of such persons, or any o
them, in any efforts they may mako fol
their actual freedom"
need scorcely remind you tha; one o.
the evils which | most dreaded and
predicted as the results OF the efforts
which were made to dissolve the Union
was that, in the progress of the war, they
might open the way for scrvile insurreo-
ton and the overthrow Of the institution
Of slavery. MY opinions es to the const
tutionalty and impolioy OF secession re-
main unchanged but my last speech In
Congress, and on various other public oc>
cGsions, have vindicaIed and maintained,
and still maintain, the right of revolution.
On no occasion, however, did ever assert
| the doctrine that violation of the Can
stitutiou 10y one party would authorize or
justify similar or other violations by the
opposing party
The paramount causes which have con-
trollcd or influenced my conduct and
opinions were love for the Union and an
mistaken confidence that we had the best
, Constitution and Government in the
world. But ofall the acts OF despotism Of
which the civil war in which We are nov
engaged has been the prolific source, there
is not one which, in the slightest degree,
equals the atrocity and harbarism of Mr.
Lincoln's proclamation. At one Llow it
depriges oil tho citizens of the slave States.
without distinction, Of the right TO hold
slaycs--N tight guaranteed by the very
Constitution he pretonds TO uphold Its
true, he makes an iutimation that he will
recommend to Congress 10 provide just
compensation to Union masters in the
slave States but what right has he o. tho
{ I,nt ya.rF, NJ Of NIL 80 10.
rrYe them or his property without their
CONSENT And what assurance have they
that his vagua and general intimation will
DO applied to them, or that an Abolition
Congress- rocking with the blood Of the
South, and .iubilan in the possession Of
usurped power, will adopt his rccommon-
dation2
We are in the midst Of sen of difficpl-
ties. Many acts have been done in the
South to which we were bitterly opposed
a, a people, and which we, who lave ad.
TO the Union, in spite of peri!s
and dangers, could not justify or p8lliate.
But the Union men OF East Tennessee are
not now, and never have been, committed
to the doctrines OF incendiarism and muir
der to which Mr.. Lincoln's proclamation
leads. What, then, is the path of duty
in the trying circumstances which sur
round usH Is it to belle all our past pro-
fesslons and 10 sustain Mr.. Mucoln's ad> ,
m minis.ratioa, right or wrong? Is il tol
Justify man whom we had no agency in |
olevating to power, not only in abandon.
ng the Constitution of the United States,
Dut ir repudlating the Chicago platform,
his inaugural address and messages to
Congress, in which the absolute right .
o slavery iE the States where it exists was .
distinctly and unequivocally conceded ,
)r isit, in view Of his many violations of
he Constitution, and this crowniug act Of ,
to join that side which at |
PRESENT affords the only earthly hope Of
successful resistance'
| am aware. my counirymen, that YOU
will find difficulties in bringing your
minds to the same conclusion at which |
ny own has arrived. Many wanton and
Unauthorized acts Of cruelty and oppres-
hon have been perpetrated among YOU,
which, instead Of changing your opinions,
lave only been calculated to aggravato
md intensity heroic principle Of endur.
nee, Many Of the acts havo been COM
nitted in remote places, without the ap.
OF tho authorities at Richmond !
II OF those who have held the supreme
ommand in East Tennessee, and under
uch circumstances that you have felt
dangerous to complain. Gradually and
lowly these outrages have at last become
.nown, and in the very recent proclama-
ion issued by Major General Jones, you
ave the assurance that your complaints
will be heard, and the most energetic
measures adopted TO remedy the evils 10
'hieh you have been subjected.
Let not, then, q sense OF private and ,
present wrongs blind you against the
'normi'ies already perpetrated, and still ,
more seriously contemplated, by Mr.. Lin
,oln administration. II a majority os
he Republican party have been sincere
their professions Of q determination 70
aspect the right of slavery in the States
nd if the right of freedom is not uiterIy
x,inguished in the North, NAV we not
ope that o spirit Of resistance will bo
reused in that section which, combined +, /,
nth the efforts Of the South, will huri
ir. Lincoln from power, and even vet re.