Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-04-15
Meeting Of the Club.
SPEECH OF J. L SEAMAN, ESQ


where some business, concerning the Club !
was transacted. Some bylaws, offered 4
for the consideration of the Club, were |
adopted; and some were rejected, which (
gave rise TO spirited debate, in which /
Messrs. Noon, M'Donald, Bum, Kittell. |
and Fenion, warmly participated, at tlte /
same time observing the strictest parlia- !
m.ntary order. A great many new mem I
bers joined the Club, and signed their
names, to Its Constitution. Sergt. John
Z. Seaman, who was previously selected
to address the Club, WAS called for, who
came forward and spoke TO the assemblage
in a clear and forcibIe manner somewhat
after the following, as near as we could
catch his sentences. aE -aT
After the usual courtesy towards the
/ presiding officers, he turned to the audi
cnce and said, that in responding to the
call made upon him at the last meeting
of the Club, he would ask beforehand,
I that, as II was his first attempt al speech
making, that they would look oyer any
/ mistakes or biunders, aad that they would
I alike excuse his shortcomings. 1t was
/ not TO be expected. that what lie was
abont to say to them would be as eioquent
| and entertaining as the speeches they had
heretofore listened to.
In making his remarks, 1t was not
necessary to 20 back to. those ancient
I periods, whereof the memory of man
runneth not TO ihe contrary = but he
would stick to the point, and conline him
self to the rein OF Abraham, the first
d>spot that ever att mpted to rule over a
free and enlightened psople by ignorance,
vulgar wit, proelamations and the force Of
arms tApplause) He referred 10 the
fact, that when the firs; call, By the Presi-
dent for volunteers 10 defend the national
!, Capitol, was made, that the Democrats
: OF Cambria. and he believed tha; IN erery
other county in the Northern States, that
Democrats were the first TO respond 10
that call. And that il WAS fact alto
: gcthrr overlooked, that the Aboiiiioaisls,
, With but very few exceptions, preferred
staying a; home, to sustain the A,iminis-
tration, by their vocal powers, while the
/ DemocIats were in thc swamps OF R.ir-
/ ginia, and elsewhere, defending the
\ Government. with muSkct and sabre.
(Cheers) He said. 50 long as this w.u
was carried on, or had even tie appear
: anee Of being waged 10. ;he supremacy ot
!. ihe Constitution, and the bringing back
2 the seeded States 20 the Union, that thC
: Administration neither wanted for men
: means OF. encouTa-emeri-:hat these wer,
never withheld. That even after the Ad
minisira;ion had shown its weakness ans
J. folly, by Issuing emancipation proclama
tions, confiscation acts, extenninatin;
}, schemes, &c, that men and means wer
a not withheld but given freely in th
v hope that the Administration would be
n come ashamed of their foolish policy, an,
n that they would prosecute the war OF
the principles and basis, upon which i
,f was inaugurated. Bat 1t seemed 10 lin
d that the secret plans Of Aboliticnisn
t were deeply rooted and security laid, Ion,
1t before secession was promulgated b,
e Southern traitors and that their inf;lmou
n doctrines were now 10 be carried out a
sc the expense of our liberties. He said tina
10 Congress too, were not whit bchin
5 Abralam Lincoln and his immediate ad
Is viscrs, in madness and iniquity for
v proof whereof, he had only TO refer {
e their recent acts-the loan and bankin
T, bill, the indemnity law, the oonscript &C
9. and other unconstitutional and outrageou
N proceedings, which had not only placed q
his disposal all the men and wealth of ih
land, but it made an absolute potentate {
- the President, or government OF the or
er man power He considered the late cor
ne script act, as one of the greatest franc
l. that was ever perpetrated on free peopE
| because it exempted the rich and enslave
:" The poor man, whose liberties alread
E, being taken away, had no further intere
er in the prosecution OF this war.
w He said that Mr.. Lincoln, after he Ia
w received the rebuke of an outraged pc
al pie, through the ballot box, at last tall
at elections in nearly all the Northern State
= instead of abandoning his former nol;c,