North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-03-25

| 'iNo VI Tic otner OF the grave, would nave
to have lighted candle in my room to keep
away specters of the murdered dead slain in
battle. | thank God tonight, and love 20
look in the faces of an audience that partci-
pate in the feeling that no Democrat has to
take the guilt of this great crime against ma
ture and humanity. You know it well that
If everybody had voted as you voted, and
talked as you talked, and minded their own
business as you minded yours, and let the
slave states alone in slavery, and let them
have the guarantees of the Constitution
who does not know that there would have
been peace and union before to-day? The
man that pretends he don't know it, falsifies
his own internal convictions. Every man
knows it, lie who stands before you and
says it is not true don't even represent his
own heart. 1t is an instructive feeling in
your breasts, and you know it. Consequent
ly when you ask this question of Republi-
cans, how anxious, nervous, and sensitive
they are, how quickly they put up their
hands and say Lets argue this question
when the war is over"-it is like Banquo's
| ghost threatening Macbeth. Their eyeballs
are scared by the awful sight. They ask
that the day of reckoning may be postponed ;
like some guilty wretch upon the verge of
hell itself they say, Forbear few days
let US not discuss these questions now."-
How loving they are with Democrats that
will give them time-with men who will
agree to say "we will speak of these things
when the war is over" All, gentlemen,
short accounts and quick settlements are
best (Great cheering) propose to settle
this account all along the line. 1t is best to
do so, because they will be asking US to trust
them again directly. | propose to keep this
record bright. lpropose to keep the rec
ord of their infamy clear before the public
mind SO far as my humble powers may 60,
so that the people may be deceived by these
mlscreants no more. (Cheers.) They were
very anxious to have no party when Congress
met in July, 1861. in extra session. There
were just a few of US there-some seven or
eight when the roll was caled-that felt
| their feet were on the deck of the Constitu-
tlon, and who did not intend to be washed
| off. They told us, you know, that we were
little nest of conspirators, that we were
| going to be overwhelmed, that people were
not going to stand by us. But have read
history in vain if that man is not always sup
ported who merely takes the rudder of pop
ular liberty for his guide and follows it.
(Applause) We could have had places.
emoluments, epaulets, rich contracts, bought
horses and got rich as old Came ron did,
Cloud hisses) stole as much as anybody else,
had we been willing to put up the inward
consciousness of uprightness and integrity
at barter and exchange, had we been willing
to bow the knee and whisper with pated
breath. We could have gone on swimming
on this current-no newspaper offices mob
bed, no personal safety imperiled-how easy
it would have been. Did you ever reflect
how much it cost to be an honest man some
times, and how easy it is to be a scoundrel
How easy it has been to jump upon a frenzy
"a popular side and come into power, into
place, into position? The men who have
done this are called loyal and self-sacrifcin G,
and the little band of men who have taken
the Constitution as their pillar Of fire by
night and their cloud by day through this
wilderness, that have been sacrificing every
thing and making nothing-we are the Ii
centious and pr rofigate men.
What cause have we had to do as We have
done except the cause of truth, the cause of
the country, the cause of the constitutional
some length to the efforts of the adm inisLra-
tion to bring the negroes to an equality with
the white race, and of the uniformity with
which they have falsified every promise of
a prosecution Of the war for the Union and
have carried out all the most extreme de-
sings of the abolitlonists, while crying out for
no party. He continued: Thus, my fellow
citizens, have traced some of the pernicous
causes which have led to the present deplora-
bic state of the country. have shown
you the broken faith of those in power, and
that even if this war could restore the Union
it has not been prosecuted for such purpose.
The blood and treasure of the country have
been obtained on false pretensees. have
shown you these things. | will show you
some other things that make the public heart
sick and weary of this war-that make them
long for halcyon days of peace. (Great ap-
plause.) The South have not been told that
they might come back like the prodigal son
to the mansion Of their fathers they have
not been told that the old mansion would re-
ceive them. If they had come back to-day
what would they find2 As Mr. Crittenden
eaid, that "your confscation law to day
lines the borders all along with gbbets and
ropes, and they would have to bend their
necks recumbent under lines of gibbets, and
suffer beneath the judgment of that law which
in Oh yapce of rho Won