Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-09-06
LATEST DEMOCRATIC DOCTRINE.
The War to Crush the Rebellion Unjust, and
those who Engaged in it Robbers
and Assassins.

We must take the Democratic party as
we find it, and therefore propose fairly to
set forth its position as it is defined in its
platform of principles enunciated on the oath
Aug The Second resolution passed by that
Convention is couched in the following Ian
guage:
Second. That if the counsels of the Dem
ocratic party had prevailed the Union would
have been saved in all its integrity and hon.
or, without the slaughter, debt and disgrace
of a civil war. But when the formation of
sectional parties in the North and in the
South, and the advent of one of these parties
into the seats of power made war fact
which we could not counteract, we sustained
the Federal authorities in good faith, asking
nothing at their hand except decent res
pect for our legal rights and some show of
common honesty In the management of our
financial affairs, but in both these particu-
lars we were disappointed and betrayed.
James Buchanan was President when Sc
cession became a fact, and when he was ap-
pealed to for action to save the Union, he
blandly told the American people that there
was no power in the Federal authority to
coerce State that secession was one of the
reserved rights Of sovereign State, and
that the Union was mere compact which
could be discovered at will by any of the States
parties therein. This was ''the counsel of
the Democratic party at the time prevail
ing in the Cabinet and Supreme in the Sem
ate of the United States during the Con-
gress of 1860 -'6l, and yet it was not suffi-
ciently potent to save the Union. 1t icas
the doctrine of the Democratic party rl,ich
encouraged the States to secede IT WAS
THE DOCTRINE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
WHICH FIRST PROPOSED TO DENY THE Po-
TENCY AND JUSTICE OF THE CONSTITUTION
AL MAJoRITIEs; and now, in canvass for
important States officers, the Democratic
leaders take the field characterizing the war
forced on the American people for Constitu-
tional liberty. justice and order AS A DIS
GRACEFUL CONFLICT, THE SLAUGHTER AND
DEBT ToFwHTCHARET TO BEcHARGED AS CRIMES
AGAINST THOSE WHO FOUGHT TO MAINTAIN
JUST GOVERNMENT sTUGGLING TO MAIN
TAIN IT'S LIFE. The resolution which We
quote means this and nothing more. Elect
the candidates who stand on the platform of
which that resolution is a plank and every
Southern traitor can claim with justice that
a majority of the people of Pennsylvania
justify his treason. IF any man can put
more favorable construction on this resolu-
tion he is more skilled in SOP rhistry than is
the drawer thereof expert in falsehood.
Nor does the resolution pause in its false
charges concerning the action of the Govern
ment in the conduct of the war, so far as its
justice and honor are involved. 1t deliber-
ately asserts that the war was betrayal of
the Democratic party, after the Convention
which endorses such stuff has nominated
two men for office whose only merit consists
of a participation in that unjust war. What
can sensible people think of such charges
and positions Truly, the Democratic par
ty of to-day is in a sad plight. 1t denoun-
ces great struggle for..civil liberty as DIS
grace, then nominates men for Office who
participated in that disgrace, and now ex-
poets private soldiers, whom it characteri-
zes as slaughterers and butchers of the South
ern people, to support such nominations and
thus become parties to their own condemna-
ton before mankind. Is it likely that any
fair minded citizen or high spirited soldier
can be seduced into the support of such
platform Telegraph.
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