Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-06-13

ing that oath i? They already denounce 1t as
an odious and unconstitutional test. The
Secretary of the Treasury and the Postmas-
ter General, backed up by message from
the President, ask It's repeal so far as regards
their Departments, thus making rebels as
eligible as Union soldiers to appointments
here, and under such lead [ expect to see it
swept away, and so do most of the gentle
men who are now urging us to lay aside a
real safeguard and trust to this cobweb of
morning
But suppose we could in this way contrive
to dictate to these people who they should
and who they should not elect, what kind
of representation would that be? We say
to them, 'syou are free to select your repre-
sentatives, but mind that you select such as
suit US, not yourselves" You call that rep
resentation? / call it obedience. We pro-
pose to extract the envenomed fang of the
serpent before he is uncaged and you to
bind him with test oaths afterward. Sup
pose, again, you could manage to exclude
in this way those who had been engaged in
the rebellion, do you not know that rebel
constituency could find fit representation
outside that list, and all the more danger
Gus on that account? If they had none at
home they could colonize from the North.
Again. magnanimity is invokedas shield
of desertion. A great nation, it is said, can
afford to be magnanimous. Of course it
can but let us see how this is. For four
years these people made war upon us with
out cause or even plausible excuse Before
they began it, we begged them in great hu-
mility to withhold from the country this
terrible desolation. In tears we warned
them of the punishment that must follow.
Our entreaties and warnings were received
in the rebel capital so their telegraph in
formed us, with peals of laughter. They
fired upon us while we were yet upon our
knees begging for peace and union. The
contest once begun, was conducted on our
part with great forbearance and within the
strictest military law. We even returned
for awhile their fugitive slaves. On their
part it was conducted not only with the con-
demned system of cruel guerrilla and pratt
cal warfare, but with fire, poison, yellow
fever, and assassination. The estates of
Union men within their power were confs-
Gated, and have never yet been restored,
and Union men were hung for treason to
their pretended government.
You tell US they have suffered So have
we. Peace has come atlast; business pros
perity will return; the insignia of mourn
ing will be laid aside; but in the heart of
every family there is an unspoken sorrow
that will sadden life even the grave. Now,
the authors of all this suffering [ accept
admonition. but | submit that we are so
already The law condemned them to death,
and we have pardoned them. Their estates
were forfeited and we have restored them.
Not traitor has been been hung; not one
convicted not one tried not dozen ar
rested; but many have been honored as
rulers in States they only failed to ruin
The high-sounding eloquence of the gentle
man from New York, Mr.. Raymond, call
ing upon us to admire the courage and de-
votion' with which these bad men prosecu-
ted a cruel war against our kindred, our
homes, and our country for four years, has
scarcely subsided when our tears are invok-
ed over their self-inficted sufferings. Thus
at this end of the avenue we are alternately
called upon to admire and pity them, while
at the other the green seal is kept hot with
its work of clemency-clemency often unso-
licited, sometimes contemned. We have
even ordered historic Inscriptions to be eras-
ed from captured. cannon at West Point,
that the boys educated at the expense of
Government their fathers could not quite
destroy might not be irritated. What more
can we do? What more can gentlemen ask
in the name of magnanimity? "Give to
this one seventh of your population more
than one third of your political power?''
Is that what you ask, and call 1T only mag
nanimity to the false men of the country
Call it rather treachery to the faithful, or if
that sounds too harsh, call it submission,
surrender, what you like, but for the sake
OF truth let no one call betrayal of country
and friends magnanimity to enemies.
Again, sir, the effort to cut off the excess
of this unpatriotic and sectional representa-
ton in ascribed to party motives. Is it not
the opposition exposed to the same charge?
Is it not the Democratic party as anxious to
secure friends as we are to avoid enemies ?
For the last FIVE years they have been beaten
everywhere. Every election has proved to
them that they were growing small by large
degrees. ''Would to God that night or reb
els would come" has been their daily prayer.
Does their haste to embrace the misguided
brethren come solely from pure love and af-
fection? Is it not possible that their pas
sion is somewhat like that Of
aThe immortal Captain Wottle,
Who was all for love and little for the bother
Is it not possible that they look little to
party, too !? That they long not only for
the alliance but the leadership was general
ly able and always consistent, however un-
wise. 1t was not under that lead that they
proclaimed both secession and coercion un-
constitutional that the war for the Union
was constitutional, but there was no consti-
tutional mode Of conducting it that an ar
INV should be raised, but volunteering was
impracticable and drafting unconstitutional;
that it was right to raise money but wrong
to tax or borrow; that they were opposed
to emancipation, but not in favor of slavery.
It was not under that lead that Andrew
johnson was denounced as Lincoln's satrap
when he consented to be provisional COVER
nor of State from which the old Governor
and Legislature had run away, and cheered
as a patriot when he drove out the Cover