Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-09-28
HISTORICAL CONDOLENCES.

ing that John Tyler, of Virginia, should be
the nominee for Vice President. Both can
didates we're elected, and General Harrison,
diving within one short month after his IN
anguration, left the Presidency in the hands
of most despicable traitor, who only had
the merit of devotion to the interests OF his
own family first, and slavery second. to re-
commend him. There was always mys-
terry about the sudden taking off of old
Tippecanoe, and there was not wanting
those who thought he lad been the victim
of foul play, and who refused to believe that
an old soldier and politician could be bored
to death by politicians las was assertedl IN
the short space of one month.
General Taylor was the next Wing Presi-
dent. and although he was Southern man,
he refused TO lend himself to the scheme of
taking the South out of the Union in the e.
vent of the admission of California with sla-
very prohibited in its constitution. 1t is a
matter of history that when the old hero
was approached upon the subject, he declar-
ed that if the reasonable experiment was
tried he would himself head an army to en-
force obedience to Federal laws, ''Old
Rough and Ready did not long survive
this threat and after sickness of few days,
he died, leaving as his successor Northern
man who was pledged to the support OF the
Fugitive Slave law General Taylor's death
was attributed to dysentery induced by eat
ing raw black berries a fruit that is frequent
" eaten as a remedy for the disease named.
At all events General Taylor died, and the
country got Mr.. Fillmore and the Fugitive
Slave law.
General Pierce, of New Hamshire, and
W. r. King, of Alabama, came next in Or
der after Taylor and Fillmore. Mr.. King
died of consumption one month after the IN
auguration Of his colleague, and before he
had been enabled to assume the duties Of
the Vice Presidency, leaving Poor Pierce
III the hands of his Secretary of war, Mr..
jefferson Davis. How well the renegade
New Englander served his Southern keep
ers, Kansas and Nebraska will bear testi-
mony He was too valuable President for
the South to lose, SO he escaped being bored
to death 10y Offices seekers or being killed by
ii dysentery produced by eating black berries.
James Buchanan and John L Breckin-
ridge followed III regular succession, and
Old Buck came very near being one OF
the victims of the wholesale poisoning at the
National Hotel at Washington. Mr.. Bu-
chanan was an inmate of the hotel at the
time OF the rat soup affair; but by hook
OF by crook he escaped the honors of mar
lyrdom Had he perished along with nu-
merous Northern victims. John c Breckin-
ridge would have been President of the
United States for four years, and the sort OF
II President he would have made, the hlsto
Ty of the past few years abundently demon
strates We do not charge the South wi
intending to poison Mr.. Buchanan at the
National Hotel but it is at least extraordi-
nary that of the many persons who We're eff
fected by the poison there were no Souther-
ncrs, although there were numerous natives
Of Dixie who were guests In the house at
the time.
Mr.. Lincoln was the successor of Mr.. Bu
chanan in the Presidential chair, and the
perils he escaped on his road to Washington,
before his Inauguration, are matters ct no
tOriety.
1t may be urged, in answer to these i'm
Piled charges of foul play which we have
heard made against Southern political wire
workers, and which we have repeated, that
they are not assassins, and that they are not
capable of such vile treachery. This fine
sentiment might have had weight four years
ago; but now it is light as a feather in the
scale of argument. The Southern rebels
have been guilty OF worse crimes than are
imputed to them by those who believe that
Harrison and Taylor were their victims, and
that good fortune alone saved Buchanan and
Lincoln from martyrdom. The original
treason of Davis, Floyd and Breckenridge
was a far greater crime and every devastat-
ed town, every Union victim of secession
gallows, every slaughtered garrison of de-
ieneeless prisoners, every merchantmen trap
ped and burned, and every starved tenant
OF Libby or Belle Isle, is so much heaped
upon the great original wrong. 1t may be
1airly argued that men guilty of these great
crimes may be held to be capable of the les
ser offences that are limited at.
Now for the application. 1t is matter
'oi notoriety that undisguised sympathizers
with Southern secession and rebellion, it not
agents of Southern secessionists, were prom
tinent actors in the Chicago Convention.
Ihey virtually sacrificed their peace on
any terms principles, when they consented
20 run anavOwed war candidate for the Pres
M!ieney But they took care to secure rab-
"a peace man, and most inyeterate Copper
mead as the candidate for the Vice Presiden- |
'.y with the hope that with non-commlt-
'al Platform, the war principles, and the
opposed personal popularity of the one can
'tlate, would secure the success OF the en-
afe ticket. II by any mischance this line
pan should be found to work successfully, 1t
sould at least be most remarkable colrci-
eenee II General Mcclellan should be pre-
a.aa'prey bored to death by office-seekers,
,aAe an over dose of rat-soup by accident, |
eonyeplently die of dysentery induced by
ssIng raw blackberries In that event the
t2ad to peace would be simple and easy for the
VI'h,as Mr.. Pendleton would not be the man
" hroW any untoward obstacles in the way.
wen though peace meant the destruction OF
"a os' nationality, and the possible subjugatlon
the North to Southern traitors. We
fHe the mint for what it is worth. 1t is at
ylst worth thinking about, between now and
.soVenoer, as accident might work the |
sue results as design, and General McClel- +!