The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-03-20
of eloquence. This very naturally placed
me in split stick, and rather Knocked
the war feeling out of me. Of course,

could not run counter TO DeInOCTdtIC ieSi-
ing and sentiment, and as my official term
was near It's close, [ contrived as best /
could hoW not to do anything one way or
the other, and finally, on the 18th OF March,
1861, | handed the Government over to
'my successor"-at which time, to say
the least of it, the Union was III very
dilapidated condition.
| returned to Wheatland, resolved to
spend the remainder of my days here,
aud as | met with rather a cool reception
on my arrival, and learned the feeling of
the people to be against my policy L
thought it prudent to change my tactics
at the earliest possible moment. L en-
deavored, at an early day to become Pres
ident of Union meeting, but for some
| reason or other my proposition was decii-
ned. took occasion, however, so soon
as the War had commenced, to say pub
licly that OLD ABE's Administration
should by all means be sustained, though
[ well knew at the time 1t was pursuing a
coercive policy towards the South, which,
in the Message referred to, | had ut
terly repudiated. For this change, | am
informed, | was somewhat blamed by GER
tain of my old friends in your county, but
you will now see the propriety of it, and
be prepared to explain it accordingly. |
was, indeed, very much consoled by the
fact that, when I changed, your paper
changed also. 1t had violently opposed
coercion, and so bitter were some of your
articles that | often wondered that some
of your Republican neighbors did ottake
occasion to ride you on a rail-that being
sport in which they are sometimes prone
to indulge. BY drawing in your horns at
the time you did, and pretending to sus
tain the Government, you exhibited de-
gree of shrewdness which did you credit.
But in my humble opinion, Charles, you
have not yet gone far enough. Doubt
less, the great body Of the Northern peO-
pie are in favor of putting the South
through, and hence they LOOK with suspi-
cion on anybody or any paper showing a
disposition to cripple the Administration
in its prosecution of the II ar. | have no.
tfced several side-wipes in the Democrat
,s Sentinel, which would be to many per-
sons conclusive evidence that you sympa-
thize with the Rebellion. If this be SO,
you ought, as matter of policy, to repel
such an idea by teigning the contrary, and
that in the strongest way possible
Above all, you ought to pitch into BRECK-
INRIDGE. While you have said great
many things in his favor, / have never
seen single word in your paper against
him. Neither you nor | have anything
more to expect from JOHN SO you may
as we'll walk into him rough-shod. By so
doing you might possibly dispel the pres
ent belief shat you are still his friend.
BY all means, Charles, do all you can to
keep down the impression that your paper
which always took the deepest interest,
and l would much regret to see your es-
tablishment subjected to the ''cleaning
out process" which some others have been
compelled TO undergo
But fear I am wearying you with this
protracted dissertation on national ques-
tions therefore, [ will close it, and finish
up by few touches on topics more local
in their character, but quite as interes-
ting.
| watched, with great interest, the cam
paign in your county last fail, and was
delighted to hear of the glorious victory
the Democracy achieved. They did a
good thing by refusing to coalesce with
the Black Republicans. 1t is all right,
of course, for Democrats to be In favor of
the Union but that don't say that they
ought to be in favor of onion Ticket
more especially in a county where they
can get along without it. 1t may be al
lowable, indeed, in counties like Hunting
don or Blair, but then only on the princi-
pie that "half loaf is better than no
bread at all" I noticed you elected our
old Congressional friend, PERsHING, 10
the Legislature, by handsome majority.
Considering that your county was repre-
sented in that body several years by Black