Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-08-17
THE ooPPBRHEAD PoW-W0W.

1 y flaming posters stuck up all over the
county the faithful began TO arrive in Clear
/ field borough little before noon on Satur-
/ day the 18th day Of August, A. ID. 1864,
| for the pr,rpose of-weil, nobody could tell
/ why-unless it was '.to takemeasures TO re-
sist the draft But, be that as II may, as
We said before, towards noon the delegations
commenced 70 aT7ic and 10 march and coun-
/ termarch-to unhitch and hurrah for Jefl-
and then hitch up and perambulate our
streets again under the direction Of several
narshals, who finally succeeded in bringing
the cavalcade to the stand erected for the oc-
casion at the back part OF the Court House.
On arriving at the place We have designa-
ted, an organization was soon effected through
the efficient services of r. j. Wallace. Esq,
who, we believe, made few remarks, but
as to what he said we have no inforna-
ton. Mr.. VI. was followed by Walter Bar
rett, Esq, but in this instance, too, we have
no report of the sayings
Next came Ex-Governor Bigler. He
! opened by remarking that Abraham Lincoln
had surpassed the grants Of the Coustitu-
ton, and TO prove this position he would ar
ray Abraham Lincoln against Abraham Lin
coin if there was such an individual as A
| brahaIn Lincoln. He then read Mr. Lin
coins inaugural address and his note to
whom it may concern. and stated that as
Abraham Lincoln had usurped the powers
! granted him by the Constitution, are had no
more right TO obey him than any other per-
son who had usurped that instrument; and
hence he would neither give another dollar
nor another man for the further prosecution
of the war. He then endeavored to impress
upon the minds of his hearers the idea that
the rebellion could neverbe stopped by fight
| ing, and intimated that the North was the
aggressor, and hence IL was Our duty to offer
| the South terms Of peace, and stop the war.
/ He also depicted the horrors Of the great
! destruction of life and operty-reyerted
| to the walls and tears and sufferings Of the
widows and orphans, and the unprecedented
calamities incident to this bloody war-and
all this as the result cf failure to pass the
Crittenden Compromise. Such, We are in
formed was the general tenor of Mr.. Big
Ter s remarks.
The next speaker was Senator Wallace.
He read several sections from the Constitu-
ton OF Pennsylvania, among others That
the right of the citizens to bear arms, in de-
fence Of themselves and the State, shall not
be questioned. p" We believe he did not de-
fine what was meant in this section, but left
his hearers to construe it as they pleased.
He also had something to say about the
State Right doctrine, and the usurpations
of President Lincoln-and poured out a vol
ume of abuse upon the National authori-
ties generally-no doubt, much TO his own
satisfaction and the qualification of the less
informed portion of his auditory
The winding up was done by Boyer,
who had to ''retreat" to the Court room on
account of a shower of rain. From the
noise that issued forth from the windows
we are disposed TO believe that the Doctor
even surpassed himself, on this occasion
as his abrupt, and often vulgar anecdotes
generally bring in the laugh.
Such were the doings of this monster
mass meeting. That many of those who
came to town were disappointed, we have
little doubt, as several were heard to say,
That they didn't know a id bit more
now, than they did before they came here. "
What the result will be, time alone will show.
But of one thing we are confident, that
great portion of those in attendance came
| here under the impression that measures
would be concocted to resist the draft In
deed, many said so openly. 1t is really as
tonishing that so many honest and we'll
meaning men should suffer themselves to be
| thus misled by small clique of designing
politicians. But few more such meetings,
we opine, will have a salutary effect, and
convince many of the trick that is being
played off at their expense
The Oswego On. Y. )PaHao1tum learns
that a conspiracy has been formed to invade
| that city by party of Secessionists or rebel
sympathizers from Canada. The party has
been organized at Kingston and the most
astounding part of the report, as it reaches
ur, IS that the raiders are to be headed by
an English Dobleman who holds commis-
| sion in the British service The plan is to