Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-10-12
THE SITUATION.

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Now, on the eve of the third annu-
al election since the commencement Of
the war for the suppression of the
Great Rebellion, it may not be out Of
place to review the Past, and to take
a calm view of our Present Situation
as people and a nation
What has been accomplished? and
at what cost What is yet to do ?
And what are our hopes Of success ?
When the war commenced, the peo.
/ pie of the North were completely uni
ted, and presented q solid front to the
people Of the South. You shall not
destroy this fair fabric of human gov
ernment, mutually erected by your
fathers and our fathers. Return to
your allegiance, and your rights as eq-
uala and coordinate States and People
shall be scrupulously respected"
Under this banner, our armies were
filled to overfowing with brave volun-
tcers ready to lay down their lives for
the Union. Upon every call for Vol
unteers double as many men offered
their services as were wanted. This
was because the profeSSed OBJECT Of
the war was "THE RFSTORA-
TION OF THE UNION AS IT
WAS, UNDER THE CONSTITUTION
AS 1T IS" and for the ENFORCE
/ MENT OF THE LAWS"
Then the People of the South were
dicided-comparatively but few of
them prcferring complete and final
separation, To raise armies they
were forced to resort to conscription,
while our armies were filled to over
flowing exclusively with volunteers
Certainly majority Of the Seeded
States then preferred a return to the
old Union, and while assuming an at
titude of armed hostility, only done so
in the hope Of winning such recogni-
tion of their guaranteed rights, by the
Administration at Washington, as had
been denied them by the ultra Aboli-
tionists. Had such guarantee been
c6'erred or even promised by Mr.. Lin
coin any day between the fourth OF
March, 1861, and the Goth Of Scptem.
Der, 1862, (the date Of the Emancipa-
tion Proclamation certainly before
the first battle of Bull Run-thc Sc
ccssionsts of the South would have
been overpowered and put down by
the Union men of the South.
But other councils prevailed at
Washington. The dogma of negro
! equality gained the ascendancy. Lin
coin and Seward had both planted
themselves firmly upon this Infamous
platform, by declaring that "this gov
ernment could not exist half slave and
half Free" that ait must become eli.
ther all free or all slave )" that "a
house divided against itself cannot
. stand,' &c. Here was the turning
point. This was the moment when
the ultra Abolitionlsts stepped in and
took command of the Ship Of State.
The fatal Emancipation Proclama
ton was issued. The atoljcct Of thS
war,-half suspected from the begin
ning,-was now proclaimed to be
: THE DESTRUCTION OF THE IN
+ STITUTION OF SLAVERY.
Up to this time, the war had cos
as not less than 100000 of our bes
men, and not less than 81, 100000, 900
Yet no man would have thought the
price too dear, ifthe Union could hay,
!. been restored as Il lCaS, even at doubl,
this cost
The Jacobins no longer attemptn,
? to disguise their purpose, and from
Z their seats in the National Congress
? proclaimed TO the world that the "tCa
,cds for the negro, and that It show,
d not cease until eUery stare ras set tree''
! The Constitution was as shamelessly
e disregarded, and the plea ofali tyranti