Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-08-23
UNION STATE CONVENTION.

House of Representatives at Harrisburg.
at II o clock on Thursday, August II /
1868, and was called to order by zen. SIMON /
Cameron, Chairman of the State Centrai
Committee.
On morton of Hon. Jeremiah Nichols.
Hon John Cessna, of Bedford, was elected
temnorary Chairman of the Convention. and
unon taking the chair, delivered the follow
ing address, amid loud applause:
Gentlemen ofthe C0nrentioa: | return
YOU my sincere thanks for the honor confer
red in selecting me to preside over the pre-
liminary proceedings of your Convention. L
am fully aware of the fact that the position
is one of difficulty and requires the discharge
of arduous duties. | earnestly solicit the CO.
oppe iation OF every delegate in my efforts to
preserve order, prom ote harmony and hasten
the business of the Convention. On my own
part | pledge you that wilendeayor dis
charge the duties of the position to the ut
m ost of my ability, with impartiality and h
deity .
[ sincerely hope that the deliberations of
this body may be harmonious and all the re-
suits of our action entirely satisfactory to the
people whom we represent: | regard the
Cor vention Just being organized as one OF no
ordinary interest The position of Pennsyl-
vania in the Union as well as her past history
entities, and will command for her, poten-
tial voice in the construction of our Gov
ernment. At all hazards, and at every sac
rifce of every thing save principle, must the
action of this Convention. IN the end be u
unanimous. The whole army of loyal voters
who, in 1864 rallied around the standard of
Abraham Lincoln, and proclaimed to the
world that the Union should be preserved,
and the rebellion suppressed at every haz-
ard, must again be called into the field un-
Il ~I,,n hn hos tod hnr
| to-day.
The military power of the rebellion has
| been crushed. Our brave ard heroic off-
GERS, soldiers and sailors have well perform
ed their part Before the magnitude of
their achievements the wars of former times
| and the battles of other nations sink into
| comparative insignifcance. Our nation to,
| day occupies a prouder position before the
world, and is more feared by the aristoc-
racies of Europe, than ever before. The
glories as well as the tolls Of our surviving
heroes, both officers and soldiers, the mem
ories Of the thousands slain and starved IN
defence of our cause, the tens of thousands
of widows and orphans made such by the
war, and the millions of debt willingly IN
CURED by a loyal people to preserve the life
of the nation all demand that the fruits of
the great victory for human freedom shall
not be fritted away by the mistake of politi-
| clans.
Every man of us must be prepared to yield
upon the altar of patriotism all his personal
preferences and individual wishes for the
common good. There may be, and there no
doubt are, some questions about which we
may reasonably and safely differ. Upon all the
great vital issues of the day all truly loyal
men must and will agree. During the four
years of fearful and bloody war just closed.
the rebellion increased and strengthened and
was greatly protracted by reason of North
ern sympathy. Now, that it is over, these
men in the North have grown bolder and
more defiant by reason of the aid and COM
fort which they expect to receive In turn
from those lately in arms against the Gov.
ernment True, the rebellion Is over, the fight
: ing has ceased, but the war is not ended, the
spirit Of rebellion still lives, and is to-day
active, insolent and defiant. The great OF
iect of the rebellion was the death OF the re
public, the dlsmemberment of the nation
that object has not been abandoned. Those
who undertook it failed to accomplish THEN
purpose by the force Of arms They now
strive to reach the same end by means o
management and appeals to the prejudlce
Of the people at the ballot box.
This may appear to he a harsh judgment.
[ would that [ could believe otherwise. Blu
distracted our people, and disturbed TIN
peace of the nation, in bold attempt Il
make slavery the ruling power of the nation
S and all other interests subservlent TO that
f the spirit which slew our wounded and man
gled our dead on the field of battle after th'
battle was over-the same spirit which pre-
sided over the prisons of Andersonville, Lib
D by, Belle Island and elswhere-that whicl
r organized irresponsible bands Of guerrlllas--
slew innocent women and children in rail
road cars, poisoned fountains of water ant
> imported loathsome dseases-the same spir
: it which amin ated the hand of the ASSASSIN
as it sped the fatal ball TO The brain OF ou
late merciful, magnanimous and patriotic
a President, will not hesitate to seize TIL
> throat or stab the heart of the nation, ant
destroy, if possible, the noble old republi
5 of our fathers, utterly regardless of the rui
/ and woe which may follow.
IS Already these men In the South are organ
4 izing to send representatives of their kind t
Congress Their friends in the North ar
! rallying for the same purpose. Allow then
to succeed In their scheme and soon the ret
ell debt will be assumed. damages paid
e rebels for injuries suffered during the wa
e and pensions granted to rebel wounded AM
:, rebel widows. Under this load it is conf
: dentally expected by them that thegood oil
ship of state will soon go down and the ma
q tion perish. Should this fail, our whole ma
p tional debt would next be repudiated and th
country ruined.
Shall all this be avoided? Much of COZ
l. rect answer to this question may depend VI
y on your action to day. Every dollar of deb
municipal, State and national, contracte
e for the suppression of the rebellion, mus
l. and shall be paid at all hazards. Not on
+ cent of rebel debt, damage or pensions sha
be assumed or paid upon any pretext or fc