North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-10-07
Rev. l.. Peck OF the Cause ofthe war.


Methodist church, underto X to show that
the abi,litonists Of The North were NOT re-
Isponsible for the wa.-that they were fra mo-
way connected with its cause; and to sus-
tain this position, quoted the following ex-
tract from a speech of A. Ii. STEPHENS of
! Georgia-the same extract !hat has appear
ed f,r some time past at the head or the Va.
oming Repubeicon-viz: Can either OF
. yom 10 day name one governmental Get of
: aOrong deliberately and purposeiy done by
the Government at Washingion of ,chich
the Soufh has a right to complain
= chnitenge an ansper" .-- -sa #sa-
This speech was delivered in 1860 prinr
to the Inauguration of any federal Republican
administration, and with the view Of defeat
ing the +ffr,s of the secession party nf that
| State 4" take it OFT of the Union. He was
speaking Of governmental acts" not at all
! IF the acts of the abnlitonists of the North.
who up 10 that time had never been in con
| troll of the government. In asking what
| right the north had assaied," he had refer
ence solely tn the gOrernment, and its acts
in reference To their rights-thus showing,
that, as vet, there was NJ Qualification f.r Sc
| cesslnn and in the same speech, indicating
his belief thar IN the Union ard under the
Constitution was the surcst hope "f vindl
cation of their rights in reference To their do
mestic institutions.
1.-THE Rev'd gentleman had thought prop
er to read the whole speech, his hearers
would have learned how far Mr.. Stephens
holds h,m and such as he irresponsible for
the trouble, which they hav. brought upon
the country. AT the very time that Mr..
Stelhens was laboring thus against secession,
Horace Greeley was advocating the right to
s,cede. See ~ Y. Tribune, in Fall and
W,nter Of l8G0-61. Mr.. Peck must indeed
be hard pushed for proofs in support of his
shaky position. The abollclunists not re
sponsible 2 Let US see.
Negro Slavery only exists la the Southprn
section Of the Union. 1t is therefore sec
Gonal institution The abuhtion, nr r, pub
Iican party is based upon the Idta of hostiI-
ity to this Institution. Ii is theref' re a sec
tional party. Slavery is not, and never was
national institution. To drag his subject,
therefore, into the national politics was as
great a wrong t. the South as would have
been attempt on ,;s part to force into he
national politics an issue involving the right
fulness of an institution belonging only to
the North. The creation of sectional party
in the North, based upon the idea of hrstiH
ity to an institution of the South, naturally
and inevitably resulted in the forming of a
sectional party at the South, based upon the
support of that institution. There, then,
was just the state of things of which Wash
ington and jackson warned the American
people to beware, and hich they earnestly
aimonished them to avoid. There was the
North arrayed against the South-the South
against the n nth.
At the North, was cultivated feeling uf
hatred Of the South AT the South. feeling
of hatred towards the North. FIRST came o
division of the churches This feeling of rnn-
tual hatred was nursed in Congress, in the
pulpit, on the stump, everywhere. After the
separation of the churches it increased rapid
ly. Democrats following the lead Of Wash
ingtnn and jackson, sought to keep this
baneiul subject out of the nstional politics.
Webster, Clay, and many other Wings labnr
ed to the same end But through the pul
pit and the press the agitation was continued
wear after year, until this feeling of deep and
bitter animnsity eliminated in disuninn, as
the Fashers Of the Republic predicted 1t
was the sectional quality of these pa ties,
North and South, that made them dlnger.
ous, and finally fatal to the UnN the rails
ing an issue involving the right of one sec
tion to control its own institutions, and thus
arranging each section in sR attitude Of hos
rility to the other. This outline will be rec
ognized by every candid nan as a true hi<to-
ry of the rise progress, and result Of this most
miserable and DISASTROUS sectional agitation
And yet Mr. Peck and his party are " in n"
way rpspnnsIbleT for such result--Oh no -
They were only carrying ont the higher
laun doctrine But the Rev'i gentle 81 will
ne yer find excuse "rjns'ifcation Of h's party
in ANYTHING ever said bv A II Stephens. -
That party, crrtainly, at that time, was not
the government.
We conclude this article with the follow
ing:
Appeal TO the Voters of Wyoming County.
Surely no candid man can dnnbt as to The
cause that finally carried The South ont Of
The Onion. Wendell Phillips has often boast
ed rha, he labured for many year: to bring
the North out of it. Dining all that time
with him, and he with them. The So called