The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-04-16
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was quite Us Bitter and relentless as nov
between Democrats and Republicans. The
| gulf which separated party leaders in
those days was quite as broad and deep
as that which now separates the Demcc-
| facy from the Republicans. But the
moment an enemy rose in our midst,
and the destruction of the Government,
The voice of partizan strife was hushed in
/ patriotic silence.
sOnc of the brightest chapters in the
history of our Country will record the
fact that during this eventfu. period, the
great leaders of the opposition, sinking
| the partisan in the patriot, rushed to the
support of the Government, and became
| its ablest and brayest defenders against
all assailants, until the conspiracy was
e-ushed aud abandoned, when they resumed
Their former position as party leaders upon
politi cal Issues" - as< tssa
/ BY this noble letter of Stephen A.
Douglas. written under circumstances
precisely similar to those under which
Clay and Webster acted in reference to
The sfirst rebellion inaugurated by the
Southern traitors, he has added his own
name to the list OF fhe many disting guished
nlen, who in times past and present, have
sunk the partisan in the patriot, and was
there ever 4 time hen there was more
imperative necessity for showing that sort
of patriotism than now in reference to the
present~rebellion ?.a sss8a sal
! have said that one set of principles
upon which the peace party are now
organizing against the government strike
at the foundation of the National Govern
ment. Their position is that the para
mount sovereignty of the people is EN-
bodied in the State governments, and they
are, throwing themselves upon the soyer-
eighty of the States, fer the purpose Of
stripping the National Government of
the power absolutely necessary to be used
in crushing such widespread rebellion
as it is now graphing with. aaLfe
This the very doctrine of the rebcls,-
according to.it they justify all the gsece.
ding States in Withdrawing from the
Union. They say they have right to
withdraw. That the Government is only
a confederation of ,States, and there being
no common arbiter between them, each
one has right to judge for itself, and
whenever it throws itself upon it's SOW
ereign power, it has right to peaceably
withdraw from ithe Union. they destroy
ing the Nationality Of the Government aud
making the Constitution the merest rope
of sand. General Washington had to
grapple with this fundamental error In
his day. The South, and particularly
Virginia, was deeply embued with it IN
lI15, during the latter part of General
Washington Administration. It was
the troubles interposed by these heresies
which gave rise to some of tho warnings
found In his farewell address issued to the
American people in 1896. In portion
of that address he said :: at is nc cessary
that you should accnston, yourselves to
regard the. Uaion as the palladium of
your happiness and your security that
you sheuid watch over it Xi.h a jealous
eye; that you should impose silence on any
one who shall ever drc counsel you TO
renounce it ; that you should give vent
to all your indignation on the FIRST effort
that shall oc attempted to detaoh from
the whole any par. of the confederation"
a meeting was held recently in Phila
delphia, in Walnut street, near sixth, to
organize a Democratic Club. Thomas l.
Wharton presided over it, and Ia his
opening speech invoked the. spirit Of
Washington. A. that meeting the speak
ing was all in favor of these heretical
States rights doctrines which caused
Washington to send his warning voice
upon these errors down, 20 poster;ty, and
Yet We have a Democratic speaker, the
organ, too, of Democratic meeting,
drinking down these destructive doctrines,
calling for-the spirit of Washington to
preside over their deliberations Oh,
what desecration of the name OF Washing
ton aogsa la.as n63r
Il wish I had a longer time to dwell
upon this theme, but it is near the time
of closing the mail, and I must close. i
have written what L have written in a
great hurry, and of course it is very
put together. But in the
absence of public speakers, it may serve
to give some interestto your proceedings.
May God speed you in your good work.
s1 zae Yours, Very Respectfully
s. -aa5e sssa nRn j. GEO. MiEES.
G&r nWhy don't you limit Yourself 7" |