Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-02-11
And again, In 1913 :


but after the war was declared,
by the authority of the Government, 1
acqmessed in what could not prevent,
and which 1t was impossible for me to
arrest and then felt it to be nv dutv
to limit my efforts to give such direction
to the war as would, as far IS possible,
prevent the evils and dangers with which
1t threatened the country and its institu-
tions
Sir; | adopt al! this as my own position
and my defence though, perhaps. in q
civil war, I might fairly 90 further in op-
position. l could moi, with my convic-
tons, vote men and money for this war,
and L would not as Representative vote
against them meant that, without op-
position, the President might take ali the
men and all the money he should demand.
and then 10 hold him 70 strict account
ability before the people for the results
Not believing the soldiers responsible for
the war, Or liz purposes, or its consequent
ces, l have never withheld nv vote where
their sePerate interests We're concerned
But | have denounced from the beginning
the usurpations ana the jnfractiors. onu
and al, Of law and Constitution, hy the
President and those under aim: their re
PSa;cd ana persistent arbitrary arrests,
the suspension II Hn5,uS corpus, tie viola
ton OF freedom OF ,le mails. OF the private
house, OF the press, ..nd OF speech, and all
other multiplied wrongs and outr3,ges
upon public liberty and private right.
which mas made slIis cou-try Uue az the
worst despotiS:ns or earth for lhc past
twenty months and ! viii con.lumc TO
rebuke and den1rucc them 10 tie end:
and the people. thank God, have 1t last
heard and needed. and rcbuked thein. too
To the record AMI to time ! appeal again
.or my Justification,
And now, sir. / r-curto tie state Of
the Union to-!ay. WHAT Is il: Sir,
twenty months have elapsed, but Inc re-
be!iion is not crushed cut It's military
power has not been broken the inzuv-
gents have not Dispersed The Union Is
not restored nor the Constitution main
tanned nor the laws enforced Tsy.ufr.
sixty. ninety, ti.ro.. .lrcsl. SIX ur.f,rrI
( ds.Es have passed: = THOUSAND millions
Jeen expended and three hunIrcA thou
sand lives lost or bodies nl.nalsti and
TO-DAY the Confederate flag is stii. near
the Potomac AID the Ohio. aud lha Con
Tolerate government much stronger than
at first. Not : State has been restored,
| not any part OF any State has voluntarily
returned TO the Union. And has any-
thing been wanting that Congress. or the
States, or the people in thcir most gencr-
ous enthusiasm. their most impassioncd
patriotism, could bcs;ow Was il po"-
er? And dill not the party of the cxccU-
tive control the entire Federal Govern
ment. every State government, cycry
/ county, every city, town, and village IN
+ the North and West? Was ii patronage
/ All belonged TO it. Was it influence
/ What more? Did not the school, the
! college, the church, the press, the secret
orders. the municipality, the corporation,
/ railroads, telegraphs, express companies.
! the voluntary association, all, ail yield It
/ to the utmost! Was it unanimity /?
/ Never was an Administration so suppor-
ted in England or America. About five
/ men and half n score of newspapers made
up the opposition. Was it enthusiasm
The enthusiasm was fanatical. There
has not been anything like it since the
Crusades Was it confidence Sir, the
faith of the people exceeded that of the
patriarch. They gave up the Constitu-
ton, law, right, and liberty, all at your
demand for arbitrary power that the re-
bellion might, rs YOU promised, be crush
ed out in three months and the Unior
restored Was credit needed? 1Ou
took control of a country, young vigorous
and inexhaustible in wealth and resources
and of Government almost free from
public debt, and whose good faith ha'
never been tarnishcd. Your great ia
tional loan bubble failed miserab!y, as
deserved TO fail; but the bankers ant
merchants of Philadelphia, New \ 1orN
and Boston lent You more than their en-
tire banking capital. And when tha
failed too. you forced credit by declarin
your paper promises TO pay, legal tende
for all debts Was money wanted
= You had all the revenues of the Unite
o States, diminished indeed, but still
= gold. The whole wealth of the country
q to the last dollar, lay at your feet. Pr
vate individuals, municipal corporations
: the State governments, all in their trenz
# gave you money or means with recklet
prodigality. The great eastern citi'
= lent YOU SIS, 100000 Congress vote
> first. the sum of S25, 900, 900, and ne:
n So. 600. 600 more in loans: and the
> first, $50, 900. 900. then. $4,000, ,no'
te next $50, 1000. 600, and, in July ia'
$3.50, 600, 900 in Treasury notes and q