The mountain Democrat., 1863-02-14
THE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT.
From the Mary8vie Express.
Confessions of n RePublIran.

others, who may have been m the same
condition as myself, have concluded 10
write this article. which may truly DC
called a confession. -.
have been member Of the Republi-
can party for several years. am
Northern man by adoption, and am I'M
bued to some extent, with NOrtnern
views and sentiments. | left the Demo-
cratic party because | thought that the
Government was in the hands OF reck-
less and corrupt party organization, and
because | was under the impression that
we were ruled by Southern oligarchy,
who would spread their institutions all
over the territory of the United States,
which | believed would be an injury to
the laboring classes Of the North, and be-
cause thought thata change IN the ad-
kniNSsI AtS>-,> ~, ypnc >iuS crnnnc>t(%N'Nnn mo-
celerate the march Of human improve
ment. For these reasons, | went over to
the Republican party. When the elcc-
tiou III 1860 GAme OW AOb Onr party was
successful, | believed that il would De
beneficial to the people. ! felt that il
was the triumph of Justice and right.
After the result was known and muIter-
iugs were heatA tvvu,IIi- S~eth about DIS
solution. | was not in the least alarmed,
us did not believe such t'iinS was pos
sible. For believed that they had no
reason for it. | never wished them any
harm, or wished to infringe their conSti-
tutional rights, AMI ! supposed that the
rest Of the North had the satnc opinion.
When matters hr-gu to assume serious
form, and they d2mlnded compromise,
! was opposed to giviu-: thc'n ore, for !
believed they were already protected by
the Constitution. ! was opposed to their
secession, vet was not in favor of coer-
cion, as | believed that when State had
to be kept in the Iuiou by force, that II
would be of very liftc value 70 the rest
of the Stats. aud pref rrcd that they
should have : j,,tate Government than
to inauguratr a civil war. Bn' finally, in
the mids: of our difficulties, Fort SInp-
ter was fired ou by the rob,i, and the
struggle cuinucDcc'!. The news Sprcaf
throughout tn rnHM'ry aul rouscd the
people. 4 call was at once made for
troops to deieni the Capital. Bat one
sentiment plcyaicI ia" mia! J. ot The pCo.
Pile and tha, Ws, t. lt.~ USE ID" lion.
Public mcctias> N..t b..J al OVER the
country. lu..n :; a.- we alic M!
every one wa Ia 'lt.r", uiuolilu. the
Administration. Al Vh, ",re not, wcrr
conSidrtr! traitor, AT were - called.
Nothing was thol.'t oi the difficulty of
the task We Ia. u l;.,.n. "r the c1n-
stituuoua I'y %; ii, .i,r "r were ah'It
to use. Tvcfy uu' r.-,.!.I.l tat "c
were right nn4 ,.t Ter. Ws~ r"'hios t."
do bat IL ei4,>a tee { = r,',,t~ ~no ~rrc
in arms. an! II a>.i.l tie lujnn ulrn
who we're ori-vcj - h4 ttr majority.
but wclc c,.,>.I rrd T. be oy'rrpWc'ci
by brute :orct. igsrt W.rt 4 les men
in thi> S,ltr whn opposed the var On
con>ttutip'Ai -u 4.a~. l.r i wc;r an
swerei by ''.'' ..t'.e.. -,'r, I'D w,rc
told thu; g.. IT, '..,- h1...o jrt"a.
tipu 't .......- ..... '-'t rr
SnHth, t'..;..--. ... ,-..-.: .,.j..., o., H.. ..t-
d,iH- ,,,.b IS: -. N...,. Iu..,y,t..-r
sen!iue.;, sa-! ... ~.a...", i'.j
no wish " ;. .... -... .... a.i - |
thought tn l,,' .. e., !. ,4'3'o', he.
hevrd, hu' an ,tr' .i..' / .e.t.oat s,t
that WIS nj-tsNea / ra- - t,v"r OF;
uphoIdin. ~, C,.,'..t.a- a. '..,a uu.
.derStOol -
About IT, IN ...-- mint. al s.;
Louis hrtN,~r i.t..I t..i, 81. 10 H.j. a
Frost and I"- c..u... .,.. t,ea r'i~.
oncrs, aud g." r.;u,J ;r.o;> fire! upou
the citz"p>, r.... ..~l j. nli.rc IL
bare iacei tyrs..e, .... ,.o..'.t t'n IA
thors shrui itt. 10 80 gV.t~hI, bat
they wry. TIT. We., : d. lirucy was
deprived OF hi> rv,u,.-ui AID LYONS put
IN his piacc. a.. .'pa't ni ii~ wc)I known
Abolition sva,3.n..'-. | t...Hsitt il Al out
rNge upon an ol 'ir'.ra! 80 ia served
The countfy . lor- ;..., t:.l one whirh
ShOuii receive ,..- ,.,. s-r-. aye. Il every
man. " Wtrr "~tt~f- t'',@ "a> not EN-.
ploycd in active s,It..t, roul soc no
reason cor l.. a"l W'.'I / att rwart.
came to ii..',t t't;. !, 'rys ~ account o.
Democratic opu'ru>, ! VS. >orry to he
lieve our Govtrnm'r' .u.itY of such an
act. Whgn Mo aui >l... wrr" Dc
,hVered NJ c1-:s TIT -rr3r hci;rvir .
that our GoyciruI ~ da.; it ted "a COW
ardly manner, t4r, ii tAoy ha! intended
to deliver them to OIL EG-hnd, they
Shouii have innc 50 AT ur,ry and not have
waited ill thy w';'G M,u j. ifCap.
tain Wilkes t..n 1lt = lbs, Iu.h&>Sadot> :
without orders, be- >unu.i haye been
court ma'tia.td, t,i il b. dil have or
dcrs, they should n4y, h,,Y Kept even at
the risk of a var with Ep.nrrl. As it
is, | ain afraid that the Gpv. runtnt acted
wrong. When Lincoln SUSPENDED the
habeas corpus act, regarded it as 4
gross violation of hi> dlty to his coustit-
ncntS. When le'n,r were Imprisoned
without case, | br-qn 10 doubt whether
| could conscicntlou>lT support the Re
publican party. Whyn saw newspa-
pcrs suppressed; when SAW Butler sns-
tained, aud, finally, when | saw the
Emancipation Proclamation, | resolved
to go to the De mocraIic party, which had
uniformly respected the rights of the
citizen. After mature dclbcration, have
come to the conclusion that this war is
neither just or necessary, and that it is
productive of a great deal of harm.
believe that the oa,y CuiOH men are those
who are in favor ol peace at any sacrifice
AS no sacrifice is too great 10 Weld to prin.
ciple, | consider it my duty to oppose
all the tyrannical u>urpationS of the Abo-
lition party and to ail any party which
shall have for its object, the opposition OF
the Republican party. am, sir, la
boring man, and one not us-l 10 writing,
yet have expressed my vi. wS as we'll as
| am able, and | hope it may be produc-
tive of some good in opening the eyes OF
the Republicans. CosrNNls.
-------S = -
The President presented Senator sum
ner with the identical pen he signed the
Abolition proclamation with, to be laid
up as memento, to be gazed at admir-.
ingly by future generations. 1t isawon.
der snmnhndv Anrs MT nn,,l,r L.. l.: i