Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-09-30
A D D RE- S s
OF TIE
Democratic State Central Committee
OF THE


"a few words to those of you who have re-
turned to your homes from the military
service of our country. On political sub
IJects, we address YOU all rs citizens i, is
as citizens you will attend the polls. Your
State, by her laws, solemnly enioins upon
you not TO approach the polls as soldiers
On some Of tho questions Of the day Won
have lad special means Of observution.-
on have been at the South. You have
seen its negro population Many of YOU
have came back convinced how vain and
lmplactoabie are the schemes for its in
slant emanCpali.u aud advancement. in
( prosecuting which the Abolition party
disturbed the harmony Of the Union, and
at last involved the white race of our
country in the work of mutual destruc-
tion 10y civil war.
You have learned, too, from your priso-
nerS, and from the people you have been
/ among, that it. is this same scheme for
eleratIng the negro which now protracts
/ the war. After your fist victories, the
mass oil the Southern people could have
Oeon brought back into the Union under
the Constitution the secession leaders
would have been left without any army :
/ bat the Abolition party dictated policy
/ that set aside the Constitution, and pre-
sented in It's place emancipation, negro
equality and general confscauon. Amer
lean white men do not submit easily TO
terms like these, and they have aHorded
to the secession leaders the very means
/ they needed TO stimulate their followers
to desperate and protrac;ed resjstance.-
Thus the war has been kept up with all
lis terrible expenditure Of life and blood
aud treasure. The Abolitiouists have been
the best recruiting officers for Lee and
Davis, for without the help Of the Aboli-
ton pr0cIamatIOns lhoy never could have
drawn from the small white population of
the States they occupy the vast armies
which, IN nearly every battle have excee-
dcd IN numbers, but not in valor the sol
diers oft Union. Practically, the Abo-
lition party at the North has proved the
most useful ally to the secession leaders,
for the Abolition party has silenccd and
kept under the Union men of the South,
OF whom Mr.. Lincoln said in his first
message, 1T may be we'll questioned
wbetLer luero IS 10. day majority Of the
legally qualified voters of any STATE, eE-
ccpt perhaps South Carolina, in favor Of
disuniOn there is much reason 10 believe
that the Union men are the majority IN
many if not in every other one of the So
called seeded S'a,es." Here was the
weakness Of the rebellion, till Abolition
came to its aid and united the Southern
people.
The democracy have advocated con
stitutiona policy, maintaining at theNorth
and offering TO the South, the original
Constitution agreed TO by our forefa'hers.
Thus we saw a means OF giving the Union
men Of the South the upper hand of the
secessionists This is prevented by tbe
policy of the Ab9litionists al the North ::
and when they lose political power here,
then their twin brothers, the secessionsts
Of the South, viii fall from power there.
Both look to military despotism as the
means to keep their hold on power. As
soldiers, you have had full experience of
military rule. You know its uses, its
hariships and It's evils. Necessary in ar
mics. j. is not, as you well know q form
ofGUvernment fI for free people. The
strict submission, the Unquestioning obe-
dience 10 every superior required by mill
tary digCiplnc-thcse you agreed 10 give
in military duties during the term of your
enlistment. But doyou raGt to live un-
der the same rule otL5mcl Do YOU see
with satisfaction provost-marshals" lord
ing 1t over The Constitution and the laws,
in all our peaceful towns and villages p
Are they better and wiser than our Judges
aud magistrates? You know some of
them well Some are gallant oEcers, but
many are ignorant partisan politicians,
needing as much as any men to be held in
check 10y Che law from rcrpctratinCwrong
and falling into errors. By the Conscrip-
ton act all men from the age of twenty to
l0rty-Gve are made liable to military duty.
and from all men who may be claimed as
within this class, as we'll as from all sol
diers the protection Of civil Justice is now
taken away by proclamation and no citi-
zen is to be allowed to tovindicate his right 30
liberty if deprived Of it 10y any military
authority. Whilst you were fighting for
the Constitution you and all of as, it
seems, have lost our constitutional rights
and safeguards Of liberty which are cur
birthrCht as American ciiize ms.
Stump orators, some OF them political
generals forbid you to reflect on these
things. They tell you now to think only
Of war. There is a time and place for all
things. In the field you have thought
and acted rs soldiers. Your noble deeds
prove how well you did your military do
ty. You will do il again when you return
To- the field. But if you are to be here on
election day, how is the time for you to
thiuk, as free-born citizens, ofthe political
condition Of your country We ask yoa
to vote with US TO maintain, for yourselves
and your children, the free constitutional
Government that your fathers left to you.
Think Of these things now before it is too
late. The next proclamation may assail
the ballot-boX Let us use it wisely while
it is yet left TO US.
But you are urgea-perhaps yoI will be
ordered not to vote for the candidates Of
the Democracy. Why not? We cannot re-
ply with fact or argument to the vile
slang made up of vulgar abuse and polltl-
cal nick-names, such as Copperneads,'
" traitors" secessionisis," and the Ike.
You learned to despise thse long ago,when
they were poured out upon the gallant
sons OF Pennsylyania-npon Mcclellan,
Mccall, Patterson and n9ny 1thcrs, who