North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-05-24
THE PROOFS.
EDITOR N. B. DEMocRAr:

| a COMMUNICATION dppG@Eeu iu TeSeus
issue of your paper on the subject of Recon-
| ssruction, in the course of which the writer
employed the following Language. We:
"WheA the leading secessonists Of the
"South were preparing to take their fatal
"leap they knew that the leading organ Of
"the party then in power, the New York
"Trbune, was then advocating with earnest
"zeal and dangerous sophistry the right oI
secession. They knew that the then newly
selected President had himself, years before
upon the floor of Congress, given emphatic
expression to n substantially similar docs
| "trine. They knew that Senators Hale
"Scward and Chase, leading and controlling
"splrits in the same party, had presented
"and seconded petition to Congress praying
"for dissolution of the Union"
A nameless and somewhat rambling writer
in the last Republican-who kindly comes
to the relief of the editor Of that amable jour
nal because she does not exchange with YOU
-pronounees the statements above quoted
'lie.," alleging that there Is "not one word
Of truth in the whole of them," and defes
their author to prove them.
1t affords me pleasure to comply with the
writer's polite request by favoring him with
such proofs as happen 10 have ct hand
which trust will prove highly satisfactory
| to him.
In reference to the Tiibune's advocacy oi
secession, beg to quote from the Ne1O York
Tribune of Nov. 9. 1860. "If the cotton
states shall become satofed that they can
do better out of the Union than in it. we
insist on letting them go in peace" The
right to secede may be a revolutionary one,
but ii erists, nerertheless."
From same paper We quote again-"We
must ever resist the right of any state to
remain iu the Union and nulliiy the laws
thersof-To ,CithdraaO from the Union is
quite another matter. Whenever consider.
able section of our Union shall deliberately
resolve to 60 out, we shall resist oil coercive
measures to keep it in. We hope never to
live in repu blic whereof one section 10 PIN
ned 10 another by bsyonets."
We quote again from the Nelo York Trib-
une of Nov. rs, 1860. "If the cotton states
unitediy and earnestly wish to Withdraw
peacefully from the Union, we think they
should be allowed te do so. dry attempt to
compel them by force to remain ,rouLd be
contrary 10 the principles enunciated in the
Immortal Declaration Of Independence
contrary to the fundamental ideas Oh which
human liberty is b.sed."
1t will be observed that my polite antsg6
mist takes very strong exception to the mes
sage Of ex President Buchanan in which the
latter adverted to the fact that the Constitu-
ton is silent on the subject of secession 3
neither giving the right, nor by express
terms granting the power to prevent; bu,
the Tribune broadly asserts the right OF Sc
cession, and just as broa dly denies The pooer
TO preDent secession. Again. From the
New York Tribune Of Dec. II, 1860, (while
South Carolina was in the act Of seceding) I
quote as follows. "If the Declaration OF
Independence justified the secession from the
British empire of three millions o: colonists
in l776, we do not see why j, would not jus
tify the secession Of five millions of Southe rn-
ers from the Union in 1861"
Again. From New York Tribune of Feb.
23d, 1861.
Whenever it shall be clear that the great
body Of the Southern people have become
conclvsively aiienated from the Union and
anxious to escape from it, 1ce wiA do our
best to for1rard their riears"
AT this latter date seven of the southern
states had already seeded. 1t is not neccs-
sary, therefore, for my present purpose, to
follow the Tribune through it's succeeding
issues. These samples, covering period of
time when their effect was necessarily more
miSchievous that they could have proved at
any other period Of the nations history, will
suffice to show very clearly the truth of my
assertion in reference to the Tribune's advo-
cacy of secession. How very easy it is for
my polite accuser to discover the mote in
Buchanau's eye; but how difficult to see the
beam in the Tribune's, or perhaps, his own.
This, however, would seem to be character
istc Of the party of great moral ideas -
and quite naturally SO, because their own
saintship being assumed, all who differ with
them must necessarily be devils, or worse.
Again. We quote from Mr.. Lincoln's
speech in Congress on tho 18th Ct January
1848.
"Any people, anywhere, being inclined and
having the power, HAVE RIGHT TO RISE UP
AND SHAKE OFF THE ExIsTING GOVERNMENT,
AND FORM NEW ONE THAT SUITS THEM
BErTHR."
Mr.. Lincoln continued-"This 10 a most
valuable, most sacred right. right which
We hope and believe is to liberate the world.
Nor In fhia riUhf ronfSDmd IN ramaa IN -h;.b