The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1864-11-03
A Last Word.

Before another number of this paper,
the Presidential election will have come
and gone Reader! have you thought OF
the tremendous issues at stake In the
contest-issuss greater by far than ever
before agitated the mind of man! Have
YOU given the matter that serious, prayer
full consideration which it so eminentiy
deserves? Never again, live you thous-
and years, will you be allowed to particl-
pate in the arbitrament of question SO
great, so grand, and SO grave as the one
you must pass in judgment upon on next
Tuesday For the question is-'ShaH 'ee'
or shall ,re not hare a Government hereaf-
ter?
We are now in the midst of civil war.
Fathers sight the gun and point the
bayonet at their own offspring, and broth
ers lift up their hands against brothers,
1t is unnecessary to here discuss the prime
cause which led to this unnatural, unholy
state of affairs Enough to know that
war, in its deadliest aspect, really exists.
Who commenced the war? The South
commenced it. The first over. act OF
hostilities was committed during the ad-
ministration of President Buchanan, when
(January, 1861 the rebels fired upon the
"Star of the West" Government steamer
employed on legitimate Government bust
ness. The most bitter partisan cannot
therefore say that the present Administra-
ton ia res ponsible for the war. Abraham
Lincoln went not into the Presidential
chair until after seven Southern States
had gone out of the Union SO far as they
could vote themselves out; and until after
they had defantly sounded the tocsin of
war. 1t is quite common nowadays to
hear Copperheaa orators and newspapers
charge it upon the present Administration
that they began the war-how can the
facts in the case be made to bear out the
assertion
March Hh, 1861, Abraham Lincoln, the
legally elected President Of the United
States, was formally inaugurated. In bis
inaugural address, he assured the South
that their frights' would be as much
respected under his rule as they ever were
under the rule of bis predecessors, and
used the following language: "Apprehen-
sion seems to exist among the people of
the Southern States that, by the accession
of a Republican Administration, their
property an6 their peace and personal
security are to be endangered. There
neuer has been any reason or cause for such
an apprehension" He then adjured them,
by the memory of the heroism and suffer
;ngs of the fathers of the Republic, to not
consummate the sin and folly they sought
to commit What was the response of the
South to these pacific and patriotic words?
In April following, month thereafter,
without due cause or provocation, they
bombarded Fort Sumter, a Government
fort. Then, and not till then, did Presi-
dent Lincoln, in pursuance OF his oath
registered In high heaven TO preserve,
protect and defend the integrity of the
entire Union, take measures, as the head
of the Government, to stem the tide OF
rebellion. Oh (, the Government was slow
10 anger. 1t bore aid forebore with ies
erring brethren of the South unsfl forbear-
ance ceased to be virtue 1t received
cuffs and blows upon the right cheek as
r.. L L.
II it be not held that the Union is a
n mere temporary combination of States,
dependent upon the whims and caprice
OF those States for its very existence, and
we think no man Of sound understanding
will so hold--it will not be denied that
the Government was powerless to prevent
war. The South bad virtually seeded