The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-12-10

Our people there, unprotected as they
necessarily were at the time, were flying
before the ruthless invader, who boastingly
threatened Harrisburg and even Philadel-
phia itself. And yet, with the thunders
oe Rebel cannon almost ringing in their
ears, the Copperhad conclave sat In the
capital, and closed its sessions without
uttering one word Of encouragement tor
the Government, or one syllable Of con-
demnation against the Rebels. On the
contrary, the member Of that Convention,
with others Of ike TX, boldly coined and
circulated the lie, that there was ''not
Rebel In the State" and that the report
of the invasion was ga mere fabrication
aud ruse to get troops to carry on the
nigger war;" and the Copperhead organ
Of Ebensburg, namely, the Dem. d Sent,
big score i" Our readers will remember
some Of the shameless efforts that were
made to induce men not to respond TO the
call for troops in that trying period; aud
and they will remember, too, the long faces
worn by the Copperhsads when General
Meade and his noble army actually found
the Rebels "ia tie STATE" and gave them
thrashiag on the glorious battle field OF
Gettysburg.
After Governor Curtin sent his special
message to the legislature, declining to be
q candidate for reelection, the Copper
heads vainly supposed that he was
"shelved," and entirely out Of their way.
With their accustomed hypocrisy, they
get up piteous cry in his behalf; they
spoke in the highest terms of him and his
Official acts and said he had been victim
ized by the National Administration In
the meantime. they devoted themselves to
the abuse aad viii6cation of such other
Union men they regarded prominent
aspirants for the G Gubernatorial nomination.
But when the PEOPLE made themselves
heard through their repraeep taiives at
Pittsbur=, and in defa1 the often
and publicly e1prss 6f Governor
Curtia, again ma( ~ kir standard
bearer, then indesd h67ge seemed to
come over the dream offhc Copperheads.
They at once began to wri,he and show their
faDg., and from that time until the clos
ing of the polls, were continually swapping
and biting, and splitting their poison at
our c ]idate and his supporters. They
charged Governor Curtin with imbeciIity
in the mana cement ofour State affairs, and
called him the errand- boy of the Admin
istration at Washington. They denounced
every measure Of that Administration, and
sought 10 Gx upon him the possibility.
They complained of the Tax law-pubhsh-
ed lying statements purporting TO show
the proportion that our own and other
counties in the State would have TO pay of
the National Debt-and told the ignorant
that, in the event of Curtin's election,
they would be utterly ruined. They
denounced the Conscription act as base
usurpation compared it to the highway
mans plea, "your life or your money
and publicly proclaimed that, if Curtin
should be elected, another Draft would
Immediately be ordered. They made
great a6o about the liberty of speech and
of the Press, but they were careful. to con-
ceal the fact, that, in all well.regulated
Governments these rights are subject to
certain limitations, and that individuals
should always be held responsible for their
perversion or abuse. They clamored
about "illegal arrests and pointed to the
Traitor Vallandigham, as a victim and
Heaven save the mark-"amartyr." They
told the people, in the most solemn lam
guage imaginable, that, if Curtin should
succeed, all their great liberties and
privileges-of speech, of the Press, and
of the Ballot-would be forever gone
Some of the Copperhead orators in this
town entertained the most doleful opinions
that they would never again be permitted
- vote at any election. Others indeed,
in their harangues to the ignorant, pro-
claimed with the most touching pathos,
that they did not know what moment they
might be arrested and imprisoned in some
dark dungeon. 1t is question whether