Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1864-10-19
A D ID X Z S 5
OF THE
Democratic State Central Conn
lhlIsfee.
To THE CITIZENS OF PENNSYLVANIA {:

A prescribed duty, as well as long es-
/ tablishcd usage, impels US 10 address you
| in regard to the questions involved in the
/ several elections now hand In dis
/ charging this duty, we shall speak plainly
and candidly what we know to be truth
! In this, the tairest, richest, and (untiI
| lately the most favored land Of all the
earth here, where the last footprints of
| civilization had been planted in this land
/ alone of all the Christian nations of the
world-the fell spirit of war is now raging.
! Our proud and unexampled career Of
J prosperity as a nation has been thus rude
I ly checked; our industry, that is not de-
voted to the purposes of destructive war,
has become paralyzed our financial con-
Germs have been thrown into utter cOnftI-
sion and debasement ; we have hence
| tOrth-prUbably tOrever-tO staggeT under
load of debt greater, and under taxation
more Onerous, than that Of any other ma
| tion on the globe confidence IL the sta
bility Of our Institutions is everywhere
sadly diminished-in fine, gloomy fore
| bodings rs TO the future, alarm, embarass-
/ ment, and distress have taken the place Of
| the happy peace, confidence, security,
! good order, and contcntment we 20 lately
! enjoyed.
| Nor can hope find a resting place in
! contemplating the MEN who now control
/ our Government and administer its laws :;
! and it turns sickened and sadly away from
| the audacity, arrogance and tyranny ii
| finds in high places, even in the very cita-
! del of the nation. Sciolists in govern
ment; atheists in religion; men who are
| free lovers in one sphere, and free thieves
| III another renegadcs in politics, and
scoiltrs At every well settled principle of
! public right and private virtue, now sway
| the destinies of this Republic. and are
! crushing out the very life of American
| freedom.
For three ng, fearful years have the
best blood and siernest efforts Of our pco-
pie been freely given in a civil war which
has no parallel in the history of the world
| When tins war commenced, The Demo-
cratic party in the North, as such, was
! PROSTATE under recent defeat, which re
! suited from It's own unfortunate divisions
! But what d grand and Inspiring spectacle
was presented on hearing The first thunder
/ Of rybcllious arms! Political and parti-
! san feelings, even in that hour of party
! humiliation, were all laid upon the altar
OF the country, and the sun of Heaven
never shone upon a people more united,
resolutc, and determined than those of the
I Northern States at the period we refer 10.
Whatever might have been the views
Of the Northern Democracy in regard TO
the causes which ultimately engendered
| this unhappy strife f; however much in
their inmost souls they deplored the mad
! and reckless career of Abolitionism how
ever deep was their detestation of the
course Of those party leaders, who had
been for years sweeping up the low, lurk-
! ing elements of bigOtry and tanaticism,
and directing their vilest efforts against
the rights, interests, and institutions of the
Southern people-still, the attempt of a
portion Of that people in consequence, to
break down the authority of the Constitu-
ton over the whole country, and destroy
I the Federal compact, was a criminal act
| which could not be tolerated or justified
| The amplest remedies for the wrongs COM
planned Of were not only within hope, but
! at hand Two millions of voters had
| just recorded their ballots in a general
| popular election against Abraham Lincoln
and ONE million who supported him and
his policy. There was besides, Demo
cratic majority in one, if net in both
branches of Congress, which would render
him powerless to inflict any permanent
evil on the country.
The right of secession, claimed by the
South as the remedy for their grievances,
is a political heresy, condemned by Madi-
son with his latest breath, and by many
| others of our ablest statesmen in all sec
| tions OF the Union. Call the Constitution
a compact, if you villas does Jefferson
in the kentucky resolutions of '9S-but
it is compact of sovereign States, made
with each other as such, having no right
| of secession nominated or constituted in
the bond" The UDion thus formed was
in its nature, if not in terms, perpetual
| Secession, then, in view of the compact,
is simply Reuolutl0n and the breaking up
of the Union our fathers bequeathed us,
was, under all circumstances we have de-
| tailed, and the thousand other considera-
tions and consequences which must crowd
every intelligent and patriotic mind, not