The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-05-17

wives widowed, and children orphaned in
their bad cause, appeal to their leaders
for the promised support, but the Union
has no pensions for them The fortunes
invested in confederate faith see no hope
OF realization in the Union. Hatred of
the north and its anti-slavery majorities,
the original motive for secession, is ten
times stronger now than in 1861, and is
backed up by S4,000,00O,OO0 of debt,
damages, and pensions, which, as they in
sist, could, in a separate government, be
levied by an export duty upon the cotton
consuming world. The life-habits of
these people, their love of ease and dom
ination, their pride, aristocracy, wealth,
and power were all the outgrowth of an
institution which might possibly be re-
vived iI a separate republic, but which is
forever gone In the Union "Coufedera-
cy" is word that must be long cnshrine6
in their hearts by the tender memories of
their fallen kindred, but it must live, as
they well know, in the history, traditions,
and ballads of the Union, associated with
perjury, dishonorable crime, and cruel
war. If they should profess to love the
Union we could not believe them. 1t is
SO unnatural that it would be easier to
believe they were hypocrites than that
they were monsters.
But they are neither hypocrites nor
monsters. They do not love the Union,
and do not pretend to. It is untruthful
men of our own section that prevaricate for
them. The same class of men that mis-
represented the feelings of the North be-
fore the war, and thus deceived the South
and goaded them into rebellion, now mis-
represent the feelings of the South to de-
ceive the North and lure it into irretriev-
able surrender. Before the war they de-
ceived the south and betrayed the north; but
now it is reversed, they deceive the North
and betray the loyal South. The same
pdfidious breath that carried South the
untruthful story of northern hate, and
thus prompted the war, comes back now
with another story, equally nntruthful, of
southern love. They tell us that the dis
loyal South is gentle bride, impatient
for the nuptials, when they know that she
submits to them with loathing. Have
they not laid down their arms ? is the ar
gumentative inquiry. No, sir; their
arms were taken from them. Have they
not submitted ? No, sir they were de-
feated in battle. There is nothing in
their past conduct nor present attitude
that justifes the use of the word submis-
sion. Prisoners of war have been taken,
but they were released on parole; rebel
armies have been dispersed, but they have
been reorganized as State militia rebel
State governments have been overthrown,
but again revived and restored to the
old possessors and forfeitures of life and
estates have been remitted, but that is ALL
Call this clemency, privilege, triumph,
victory, what you please, but do not call
it submission, with which it has not one
shade of meaning in common. We do not
need to call witnesses to prove that these
people are hostile to the Union and it's
interests. The history of the human
race proves it. Whoever attempts to
prove the contrary must first show that
they are unlike any other people whose
passions, struggles, and defeats are record
ed in the annals of the world.
But witnesses have been called-Union
gen erals and rebel generals, Union and
rebel citizens, without distinction of party,
condition, race, or color-and all support
under oath the great historic truth, that
purpose imbibed in infancy, cherished
and stimulated by the rostrum, press, and
pulpit for lifetime upheld by large for
tunes, wrung from the toll of slaves, and
sanctifed by the blood of sons and kim
dred, has not been and cannot be surren-
dered to military orders. Such purpose
surrenders only to time. | do not pre-
sent this great truth now by way of re-
proof or condemnation of these misguided
people, but only by way of caution and
warning to ourselves. I come to the con-
clusion, therefore, that they do not desire
the perpetuation of the Union. If we
would remove all restraints and give them
freedom of choice, they would revive the
confederacy at once. They would take
advantage of war with Great Britain or
France to secure their independence, and
they would take advantage of their doub-
le representation here to promote such a
war. If no opportunity of escape should
soon offer, would they not still live in
hopes of it and in persistent hostility to
the country's obligations to the soldiers,
widows, orphans, and creditors of our war,
and friendly to the assumption of similar
obligations created by themselves in the
interest of the rebellion Even In ad-
vance of their own coming portion of
their vast claims have reached your files
When my colleague Mr.. RandalD from
the Democratic side proposed that the ma
tional faith. pledged in war, should not be
broken in peace, there was one voice from
Kentucky against it-only one by count,
but considering the quarter from which
it came, multitudinous in omen. A bill
has also been introduced by gentlemen,
anm times caIlad the Demncratic LEADER In