Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1865-04-19
ANOTHER DARK DAY.h

ANOTHER DARK DAY"
Since the announcement that war tex
listed" between these Sovereign and In
sdependunt States"--jus four years ago
the present announcement OF the assassin
'aton of President LINCOLN and Secretary
sSEwARD, is the saddles. news for Amer lean
ears.
Although very far from endorsing his
spublic pollcy-even that indicated by his
!, most recent declarations and equally
far from believing that restored Union
would ever be the result of that policy ;
syet still we began TO feel as if an oppres-
; ;sive, smothering weight was being remov-
! ed from the hearts of all true patriots as
!, if the fog that had so long obscured the
horizon was about TO break away, and our
Hong harvest Of blood was about coming
/ to close, so that calm reason, and sober
reflection. could take control OF mems
;minds, and thus prepare them Cor the great
and noble, but extremely difficult work
,of RECONSTRUCTION.
This was why we felt like rejoicing over
the recent brilliant military achievements
ia Virginia, II was not because we thot
!, the South was conquered, or that the
.Robels were about to surrender; but we
felt satisfied that the very liberal and
'magnanimous terms offered 10y General
Grant-so very different from the "bloody
code" that had heretofore characterized
all our transactions with tho Rebels was,
If not nstigated, at least approved by Mr.
Lincoln.
At all events, the Radical fanatics oi
the North seem 10 have so understood
him, for they had already opened their
vials of wrath against both the President
and Gen. Grant in true Puritanical style.
So bitterly opposed to the terms Of sur
render proposed by Gen. Grant were the
Abolition majority in both branches of
the New York legislature that they refus-
ed 10 pass the customary resolutions OF
thanks
II was from such facts and indications
as these that we had began TO hope--if
not to helieyc--that Mr. Lincoln had de-
tormined to modify his Improbable de-
mands, if not to discard the radical ele-
ment in his own party, the yielding to
whose courcils in The beginning caused
all our woes.
Now, however, that Mr. LINCOLN is no
more, even this hope is scattered to the
winds, and therefore it is that we feel that
Iof tho many Ozark days" that have visited
our land during the four years, excepting
the first one, this isthe darkest.
Mr. johnson, the Vice President, was
Immediately sworn in as President. How
he will discharge his sscred trust, time
will tell. SO rir as may be judged from
his most recently expressed opinions his
policy will be fully the .sty most fJa EaaGai .a
';nlimations of Mr.. Lincoln delivered at
the same time. But in addition to all
this, VIXEN he entered uron his duties as
Vi ice President he was so completely un-
der the influence Of liquor that his con-
duct was no better than that Of lunatic !
So perfectly disgusting and disgraceful
was his behaviour on that occasion that
many Of the leading organs of public opin-
ion in his own party formally demanded
of him that he should either reform, and
that thoroughly, or resign his Office"
Tie latter he did not do. Should he fail
to do the former, then God help us as a
people"