Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-09-10


mated in war; Strengthened by wicked Ad
ministration, and sustained by tmid and
| treacherous public men in the free States, they
| were permitted to organize an armed resist
ance, and to make fearful advances, before
the Government could strike a blow in its
own defence.
The election of Mr.. Lincoln to the Presi-
dency, so fortunate for the country, and so
fruitful of saving consequences to the whole
! people, baff1ied the Immediate purposes of the
! conspirators.
The adversaries of Mr.. Lincoln's Admins
tration are in nearly every case the adversa-
ries OF the Government. They attack the one
to weaken the other. We recognize in / he
Executive the embodiment of that authority
which can alone destroy the rebellion and
rescue the Republic. If the Executive arm
is paraIyzed, there can he neither unity among
the people, victory for our armies. nor hope
for the preservation of the Government.
| While the enenIes of the war propose ad-
herring to the form of mere party organ iza-
tion, the loyal men have yielded their prefer
ences and systems, content to defer to the
days of peace the revival of disputes which
only be repeated now to the injury of the
common cause.
Let the people decide whether that interest
is deserving of confidence which, in the midst
of war, refuses to abandon the prejudces of
party strife, and in the midst OF national peril
devotes itself to the work Of dividing the
people.
The opponents of the war are more anxious
to prove their hatred to party than to the
public enemy. They insist that the .sdemon
Abolition is the most dangerous foe of the
public peace. We can see but ore great Grim.
inal-but one great enemy of the Republic
and he is now in arms against our countrymen
and brothers. To defeat him at once and for
ever is our first and most imperative duty.
The adyersaries of the war insist that they
contend for the Union as it was, and the Con-
stitution as it is. We. too, are for the Union
'@ aaaHrnefs win ~ tHe soleo 20
the places they so long occupied and so barely
deserted. And while we renew our fealty to
the Constitution it is We also insist upon
the addition of that duty which the opponents
of the war steadily ignore, viz: "The en-
are for the coniiscation of all rebel property,
the emancipation of all slaves who aid to de-
fend the flag of the Union, the punishment
of the reckless par.isans in the adhering States
who aid and comfort the rebel enemy, demOr
aize the people. and parayze the arm OF the
Executive.
If, in a word, we have sympathy to bestow
it is not for the murderers of our country's
liberties, but tor the defenders of those liber-
ties. The gallant soldier teaches US by his
example to persevere in devotion to our coun-
try. He offers his life to the Republic with
nncomplainiDg spirit, Teposes full confidence
in his superiors, sustains the Government Of
the United States, and sees but one antago-
mist before him-the rebel who strikes at his
own heart and at the Union of these States.
We should be unworthy of the advantages of
itate at the ballot box an example so freely
set before us by our fellow citizens on the
battle field.
In the fulfilment OF these grave duties, we
inv oke to the standard of our country men of
every class and opinion. We scorn the base
ness that invokes party hate or popular pref
udlce. When we behold the adopted and he
native citizen, the Democrat ard the Repub-
lican fighting side by side in the army, we are
inspired by the lesson to do likewise in the
quiet walks of civil lite.
Loyal men of Pennsy lvania, it is for you to
determine between the friends of the Govern
ment and the war, and the opponents Of both.
1t is for you to declare for the sympathizers
with freedom or the sympathzers with sla-
very and the rebellion. 1t is for you to de-
eide whether you will strengthen Abraham
Lincoln or Jefferson Davis. 1t is for you to
say whether the traitors shall be crushed or
whether our free institutions shall be crushed.
There is and there can be, middle path
way. There are, indeed, but two parties
patriots or traitors-tbose who are for the u
nion and those who are against it. And all
men who are not openly for the Republic must
be counted among its enemies.
1t is a fact that you cannot too carefully
ponder, that the leaders of the opposition to
the Government in this State are the same,
with discreditable exceptions, who encoura-
ged the policy which encouraged the traitors
TO commence the rebellion. Their whole ef-
fort since the war began has been to divide
the people of the loyal States. They an
nounced, early in 1861, that Pennsylvania
should join the South in the event OF sepa-
ration, and this is their srcret hope to-day.
They would have held the hands of the Gov
ernment that the rebels might strike at its
heart, and would have succeeded but for the
prompt courage of President Lincoln. They