American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-10-05


fined to be the interference oe the North
with the institution of slavery. Not a
word in his speech was urged against a
rebell but the ministers of the Gospel,
as is common for copperheads, gotta broad
side en- naasse.
1t would, we think, appear consum-
mately silly for a preacher who had never
looked into law book to array himself
against the entire legal profession, and
dictate to them what is law And is it
not equally silly for politician to array
himself against the entire clergy and die
tate theology to them? DIR. Edison b.
Olds has started a new church for the
special benefit of persons of that political
faith, and we hope all cur Democrats
will unite in forming an organization in
Butler county, and send to the DR.. for a
preacher that will give them the pure
Gospel. We concluded from Mr.. Bre-
din's exegesis that he was candidate for
holy orders himself; if so, we bid him
God speed. He closed, doubtless, feeling
confident that he had convinced all that
Lincoln was failure-that Mcclellan was
civil and military hero-that the rebels
could not be conquered and that our own
liberties were in danger.
Capt Zeigier next appeared on the ros-
trum. He affirmed that he had his own
opinions, and did not care whether any
one else endorsed them or not. He de-
MED what Mr. Bredin so confidently af-
frmed-that the agitation of the slavery
question was the cause of the war-and
said that the Yankees of tho East
brought it on. We were indeed glad
that the poor Abolitionists of Butler
county were not considered particeps Grim
ints in this matter by tho Captain. We
wera really preparing for our share of the
criminality, but fortunately we got off the
field unhurt. He confessed to have been
war man at the outbreak of the rebel
lion, but affirmed thing that was not
true concerning the speeches made at
that time-that the negro was not men
toned by any party when the war COM
menced, but that the slavery question
came up sipce. This he affirmed was the
reason why he abandoned the war, and
mounted his peace hobby Now we are
prepared to prove that helm common with
others, discussed the slavery question, and
declared that he knew slavery to be moral
ly wrong, and that he was determined to
give it all the hard blows he could We
believe it to be an impossibility to discuss
our national affairs without introducing
the subject of slavery. It was slavery
that divided the Democratic party at the
Charleston Convention. 1t has split the
churches and disintegrated the nation
You can no more talk about our national
troubles without bringing slavery into the
subject, than you can pain without the
cause or think about bloody battle with
out the loss of lite. You will not have
the subject discussed ten minutes on the
street without bringing into it the vexed
question. 1t is vain for the Capt, to make
such assertions. when men all over the
country know better. His speech like
the former one, run into Mcclellan, wor-
ship Lincoln failures, and our inability
to conquer the south. Maj. NJ 'Laughlin
was made one of the Vice Presidents,
and Justify chcerod. o consistency, thou
art jewel.
The soldier, they would have us believe,
is engaged in dirty business One hun
dred thousand Democrats in this State
walked up to the polls and vote to dis
franchise him; and then cheer him when
he gets home, for the purpose of getting
his vote. We pity the soldier who can
be caught by such empty pretensions.
We are happy to say that but few of our
brave soldiers can be gulled in this way.
The drift Of the speaking in short, was
a drive at the Administration declarations
of defeat and failure The whole thing
ought, by our soldiery, to be regarded as
an insult to them. A bad cause to begin
with and confession that twenty i've
million of Northern men cannot defeat
and utterly destroy the military power of
five million! Their meeting was decided
ly tame thing; although they had made
almost superhuman efforts to raize a
breeze
The decline of gold in consequence of
the numerous victories lately achieved by
our arms, have undoubtedly blasted their
prospects, and as was lately remarked to
us, they do not expect to succeed but are
laboring to keep up their organization for
future purposes.