Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-07-29
CLEARF1ELD. PA..JULY 20, 1858.
vALLANp1eHAM AND HIS NOMINATION.

Mr.C. L. Vallandigham writing from brnish
dominions, where he can rail at his country
aud its government to his hearts content, mas
accepted the nomination OF his sympathiZihg
friends for Governor OF the great State OF
Ohio He has done this, doubtless, more to
keep up his unenviable reputation, than with
any expectation Of being elected The ad
dress in acceptance, which is dated at N laga-
ra Falls, is thoroughly characteristic of the
man and the class he represents. Stereotyped
falsehoods are repeated with an utter disre-
gard of the frequency with which they have
exploded, and new ones invented with reck-
lessness that can only be the fruit of pas
sion, a monomania, bordering on insanity.
He declares that after the running of the
blockade of Southern ports, he now ''frst finds
bimsel a freeman on British SOIL" and adds
The shallow continuance of weak despots at
Washington, and their advisers, has been de-
feated. Nay, it has been turned against them;
and I, who for two years was maiigned as IN
secret league with the confederates, having re
fused when in their midst, under circumstan-
ces the most favorable, either TO identity my
self with their cause or even so much as 10
remain preierring rather exile IN foreign
land, return now with allegiance to my own
State and Government unbroken in word,
thought, or deed, and with every declaration
and pledge to you before [ was stolen away
made good in spirit and to the very letter.
Surely Mr.. Vallandigham is not silly enough
to suppose that he can deceive any one By
pretending that he had no other motive for
escaping from the South to Canada than an
aversion to association with the rebels. In
the next paragraph this arch-agitator till haTps
upon bis personal troubles, consequent upon
his sympathy with rebellion, and yet afirms.
iucensistently, that he asks no personal SYM
pathy that ne seeks to be the advocate of
principle, and atrociously repeats the stale
faisehood that constitutional liberty and pri-
vate rights have been outraged by the admin
istrators of the Government. Nevertheless,
be cannot help again drawing attention to
himself as victim to his devotion to the doc
trine of State rights, winding up his self lau-
dation with another bold falsehood about ''u
surping tyrants who, having broken up the
Union, (such language in any mouth but Val
iandigham's would be regarded as referring
to the rebels,) would now strike down the
Constitution, subyert the Government, and
establish formal and proclaimed despotism
in its stead.''
Mr.. Vallandighan, next gives Mr.. Pugh a ful-
some Endorsement, and pronounces the plat
form of his friends ''a noble platform, elegant
in style, noble in sentiment Then he
threatens that tohen his friends have the power,
they will do just the same things that ne now
abuses the Administration for doing. Here
is his language
your hands now, men of Ohio, is the fEal
issue of the experiment. The party of the
Administration have accepted il. By pledg-
ing support to the President, they have justi-
fed his outrages upon liberty and the Consti-
tuition and whoever gives his vote to the
candidates of that party, commits himself to
every act of violence and wrong On the part
OF the Admin istration which he upholds and
thus, by the ldr of retaliation ichch the lac Of
might, would forfeit his own right TO liberty =,
personal and political, whensoever other men
and another party shall hold the power. Much
more do the candidates themselves. Suffer
them not, entreat you, to eyade the issue;
and by the judgment of the people We will
abide.
But perhaps the most absurd part of this ad
dress is the following
For if this civil war is to terminate only by
the subjugation or submission of the Southern
force and arms, the infant of to day will
not live to see the end of it. No, in another
way only can it be brought to close. T'raU-
sfting Thousand miles or more through nearly
one half of the CON federafe STATES, and sojourn-
ing for a time at iUideiy different poiats, met
sot one naa, romdn. or child tch0 ,oas not resol-
red TO perish rather than yield 70 The pressure Of
arm, epen in the most desperate extremity.
And whatever may and mnst be the vary ing
fortunes OF war, in a II which re cogniZe the
hand of Providence pointing visibiy to the nj
innate issne OF this great trial of the States
and people of America, they are better prepa-
red now every way to make good their inexor-
able purpose than at any period since the be-
ginning of the struggle. These may indeed
be unwelcome truths, but they are addressed
only to candid and honest men.
Had Mr., Vallsndigham really not heard of
the hurried and disorderly retreat of Lees ar
my before that OF General Meade Or of the
surrender of Vicksburg with it's thirty-two
thousand prisoners 2 Or of Port Hudson with
its eight or ten thousand Surely he must
have been ignorant of these and correspon-
ding facts or he would never have talked such
nonsense about stevery man, woman, and
child being resolved to perish rather than yield
to the pressure of arms.'' Gettysburg, aud
Vieksburg, and Port Hudson, and twenty
other places, give the lie to this nonsense a
bout every body at the South being more
ready TO perish than to yield--to be extermina
ted rather than to be aubjngated Mr.. VAL
iandigham only shows the pueriiity of his
mind by idulgiDg in such exploded fanfaron-
ade. Equally at fault is this banisned sgita.
tor when be talks about the rebels being now
better prepared in every way to make good
their rebellious purpose and bombastic vaun-