Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-08-19
ADDRESS
uf rnE
DEMOCRATIC STATE CENTRAL
COMMITTEE.

your sorious attention. The tide ol war
has been rohed back from our bofdCrs j
and with thanks to God, and gratitude TO
the skill and yalUr which by his favor
achieved the prompt dolye.nnce of oug
invaded Commonwealth, we may now give
our solemn considerations TO the causes
thtt nave brought to its prescut condition
country once peaceful, united and sc'
cure. j Is now the scene oI geat civil
war, between states that lateiy minisiered
to each others prosperity IN a Union
founded for their common good. II vas
this Union that gave them peace AT home
and respect abroad, They coped success,
fully with Great Btitain oT the ocean, aud
the doctrine" uttered by Tres i,leat Mon
roe warned off the monarcl of Europe
from the whole American Continent--
Now, France caryes out o! it an empire,
and SHIPS built in England plunder our
commerce on every sea, \ great public
debt and q couscripuon burden the peoN
pie. The strength and wealth Of the na-
ton aro turned from productive industry,
and consumed in the destructive arts ui
war Our victories inil 10 win peace
Throughout the land, arbitrary power
Iencroaches upon civil liberty. tl#.
What has wrought the disastrous
change? No natural causes embroiled
the North and South Their Interchange
able products and commodities, and va
Irious institutions, we're sources otrecipro
cal benefit, and excluded competition aud
strife. But an artificial cause Of djssen~
ton was found in the position OF the
! African race; and the ascendency in the
] 4 l. t,la
aggressive and unconstitutional Abolition
pulley, has brought our county to the
condition OF "ths house divided against
itself The danger to the Unicn began
where statesmen had loreseen It 1t began
| in the triumph Of a sectional party, ioun-
( ded on principles of revolutionary hosul,
I ity 10 the Constitution and the laws, The
/ leaders of this party we're pledged to a
conflict with rights recognized and shell
. red by the Constitution. They called
/ this conflict "irrepressiole; and whenS
ever one party is determined to attack
what another is determined to defend, a
conflict can always be made irrepressi.
I BILE" They counted on an easy triumph
/ through the aid of nsurgent slaves, and
/ in this reliance, were careless how soon
! they provoked a collision. Democrats
and Conservatives strOve 10 avert the con
/ hct. They saw that Union was the para
mount interests Of their country. and they
stood by the great bond of Union, the
( Constitution Of the United States. They
were content TO leave debatahle questions
under it to the high tribunal framed TO
decide them; they preferred it to the
sword as an arbiter between the States ;
/ they strOye hard 10 merit the title which
their opponents gave them in scorn--the
I title of - Union>savors" We will not al
length rchearse their efforts. In the Thir
.ty,sixth Congress the Republican leaders
refused heir assert to the Criltenden
Compromise. On this point the tests
mony Of Mr. Douglas will suffice lie
said:
81 believe this to be fair basis Of amicable
adjustment If you the Republican sido are
not willing to accept this nor the proposition Of
the Senator from Kentucky (Nlr. Critenden) pray
tell Us what you are willing TO do, | address
] the inquiry to the Republicans alone, for the
reason that. ia the Committee of Thirteen, a fer
dnys aga, crery D,em5c" from me So"th, l"ciudhg
tl0re from the cotton Stoics. (Nesss. Daris and
. Toou,bD, srprcsscd their readiness to accept the
proposilion of my venerable friend from Ken
lucky, Mr.. Critcndcu, MS fnal settlement Of
/ the controversy. If rendered and sustained by the
Republican members Hence hc sole responsi
bj2ity Of oar di-ogreemenL and the only difficulty
IN tLa ,rt,y gf an aaicabie adjustmsnf, is rih the
RepuJtcaa party" Jan. 3, 1851.
/ Tie Peace Congress was another means
/ by which the border States strove to avert
/ the impending strife How the Republi.
can leaders then consrired against the
peace Of their country may be seen in o
letter from Senator Chandler of Michigan,
to the Governor of that State:
" 70 Ills ErceNcncy, Justin Blair:
Governor Bingham and myself teegraphed
YOU on Saturday, at the request Of Massachusetts
md New York, to send delegates to tho Peace
or Compromise Congress. They admit that we
wcrc right and that they we're wTsng; that no
Republican, State should have sent delegates
but they are here and cannot get away. Ohio,
Indiana and Rhode Island are caying in, and
there is danger Of Illinois and now they beg us
for Gods sake to come to their rescue and cave
the Republican party from rupture. hope you
will send siB-buckcd men or none. Tho whole
thing was gotten up against my judgment and
advice and will end in thin smoke. Still hope
as n matter of courtesy to some Of our crring
brethren that you will send the delegates
Trul, your friend,
z. CHANDLER
T.
think that fight would be awful. Without
little bloudclIing this Union will not, in my
estimation, be worth a rush.
"WAsHrSGToN, Feb. II 1861"
In PENNSYLVANIA, too, the same spirit
prevailed. !: was not seen how nccessa,
rily her position united her ia iut0res!
with the border States. She has learned
it SINCE, from contending armies tramp,
ling out her harvests and deluging her
fields with blood Governor Curtin sent
to the Peace Congress Mr., Wilmot and
Mr.. Meredith.
Mr. Wimot was chiefly known from the
connection Of bis name with the attempt
to emJrol the country by the " WilmoL
Proviso, boilicd by patriotic statesman.
ship, in which Clay aud Webster joined
with the Democratic leaders Just as Clay
and jackson had joined in The Tariff Com,
promise of 1888. Mr. Meredith had pub.
lisbed his belief that the nutlerngs Of
the rising storm. we've what he called
"stridulous cries" unworthy ofthe slight
est attention.