Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-01-18

the scratch the next night tney Wouta leave
the concern. The next mig! came and with
it came the Great Moguls." The result of
their deliberations that evening was pub
lished to the world in the form of series
of resolutions. In those resolutions, as eve
ry one will recollect, after dealing out tfeir
maledictions upon Mr. Lincoln, they pro-
ceeded solemnly to declare that he has for
.teied all cIqi,n, to our IAeirl confidence,
9 respect and OBEDfENCEe' Was this
aiding and abetting Jeff Davis & Co? Had
an armed rebel in Virginia got hold-of the
Republican, containing these resolutions,
what would have been his impressions about
the loyalty of the people here?
Now, certain distinguished leader" " may
squirm and wriggle as they please to shift
the responsibility in this matter but we put
it upon record, and shall hold them to it,
that the eva in Cearfeld commenced at
that time Whoever was present on that
occasion and voted for the resolutions in
question, must answer to the people OF the
county for the disgrace and shame, the
bloodShed and suffering, that has already or
may yet occur. The whole course OF the
Copperhead leaders from that day until the
troops came, took its cue from that action.
Let any man get the resolutions referred to
and hunt up the secession ordinances OF
South Carolina and Mississippi, and he will
find that they correspond in tone and spirit.
They both deny obedience to the Govern
,,oot of tIa | Tnita1 @totas
After this followed the great 18th of Au-
gust meeting. 1t was the largest concourse
of people ever assembled in the county, and
from its sad results we may confidently pre-
dict that the Ike will never be seen again.
'Bigler and Wallace, of course did the
speaking The Ex-Governor gave his con
stituel IS the same speech to which they had
listened perhaps dozen times before. He
bored them with rehearsal Of his mighty
efforts to secure the Crittenden Compromise
-eXpounded the Constitution so as to con
vince them that Mr. Lincoln was the prince
of tyrants. and after appealing to their pas
| sionS and prejudices he reached the utter
ance that has been re-echoed at every Cop
perbead gathering in the, county-that was
| the watch-word of the faction up to the
time that the military made their appear
ance among us. Having demonstrated to
! las satisfaction that the War for the Union
he ''teould not contribute one nlan, nor one
| = ,jarttiRg to prosecute the 5car tor the un-
lawful purposes set forth by Mr.. Lincoln.
- tarr= y.ss5v
for which military commission could con
vict and imprison him-but we challenge
! any intelligent man to consider the crcum-
stances under which he uttered this declara-
ton and deny that he is responsible for the
bitter, disahected and disoyal sentiments
that his fellow citizens carried home with
| them that evening He was there surroun-
| ded by over two thousand of his fellow citi-
zens-the most Of whom had helped to ele-
vate him TO office-who recognized him as
| their political leader-whO had confidence in
his wisdom and expected from him such ad-
| vice as would best subserve their peace and
interests: and it was his duty to warn them
| against taking any steps, which would bring
/ them in conflict with a power they could
not resist We do not complain of any
thing he said about the policy of the gov
ernment. This he had Il right TO do. But
when be presumes to set up his individual
opinions of the CoustitutiOnality Of any act
of the Executive and makes that opinion
| the ground upon which to refuse men and
money for the support of his government,
we hesitate not to say that he oversteps the
bounds of good citizenship and verges close
y on treason. Who is to be the Judge of
the constitutionality of Mr. Lincoln 5 acts d?
The Supreme Court or Mr. Bigler? Now
had Dir. B. said to his friends at that time
| all that he did about the Administration.
| but advised them, for prudential reasons. to
go to their homes quietly and Gil up their
quotas as they had done before, it is but com
| plimentary to him to say that the weight of
his influence would have been such as to
have insured speedy filing up of the whole
quota in such manner that the rich men
would have borne the burdens of the poor.
But, as it was. he sent his friends home an
CRY and disquieted And in the strongholds
of the party throughout the county no effort
was made to avoid the draft. Not only was
this the case, but the unfortunate position
which he took, in its influence on the minds
of others, has cost poor men OF his own par
| ty. nearly all they are worth to save them
selves from the consequences of their course
We know of Democrats in the county who
have paid as high as 81, 900 tor a substitute,