Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1866-07-18
The ISSUE,

These men thoroughly understand the OBJ
iects of that measure. They know that
its principal purpose IS to put perpetual
bar on the payment OF the rebel debt
II is no, the desire Of the rebels merely
10 pay their debts Almost every slave
State, at Que time another, has considered
the practicabiilty Of regulating their
debts. The reputation would again be
attempted, with the debt incurred in re-
beilicn, were it not tnat the Southern reb-
els aud the Northern Democracy calcu-
lated to constrain the Federal Govern
nent to assume thar debt, an rhtch ecent
It ,oould be hiyhy gratifying to traitors
to knoac that hgat men wouH be thereby
compelled to pay portion Of the haJW-
ties Of treason Actuated BY such mo-
tives, the Democratic leaders now oppose
the provision of the Constitutional amend
ment which coutempates the non pay
ment of that debt These leaders aim at
saddIing the loyal States with the pay
ment OF rebel debts. If this is not their
object, why oppose the amendment! If
the Democracy do not want the repudia-
ton of deb: contracted in bad cause,
by men who had no authority to create
such responsibility, why do they oppose
loyal enactment for its disposal Ia prop
er manner? We are perfectly Wiling to
let this question go before tie people Of
the State, forcing our opponents to take
the proper position thereon. 1t the De-
mocracy enter the campaign opposing this
great measure Of denying payment Of the
rebel debt, their success could fairly i'm
ply the payment thereof. Thus every
man who votes for Clymer literally and
actually does so to saddle himself and his
children with the debts OF a conspiracy
concoctcd to deprive them all of home
and country. There can be no otEer
light shed on this subj ct The Demo
cratic leaders make their own position
plain. They are as sincerely in favor OF
paying the rebel debt as they were hon
estIy anxious for the precipitation Of the
rebellion.
There is still another point in this Dem
ocratic opposition 10 ratification OF the
Constitutional amendment. 1t proposes,
for certain length OF time, to debar trait
Ors from the exercise of the elective fran
chise, cutting off the leaders Of the con-
splracy from ever holding Offices If trust
or honor in the git, OF the people. Trea
sou is too grave an ofense to 90 entirely
uupunlshcd. The meu who became trait
ors were aetuated by malicious purpose
to destroy the Government. They per
petrated their crimes without a reason or
Justification, They waged four years Of
bloody war 10 ob!lterate freedom which
should be all Is eternal Surely there
should be a penalty affixed to such ofieu-
ses. Men Who plunged the country into
an abyss OF inde btedness, making orphans
and widows by the hundreds Of thousands
who schemcd 70 infect the North with
ioathscMe GiseaseS-Who hired incendia-
ries to burn cites which were the result
of years Of toil-the Constitutional
amendment provides that such men shall
not go unpunished; the Democratic lead
ers insist tkat traitors are not liable to
punishment. 10 this they are consistent.
as at the precipitation of rebellion those
demagogues declared that traitors could
Tot egally be coerced by armed force to
allegiance.
The plain propositions involved in this
subject are.
l. .>haA ioyat men be compelled to roy
tie de6ts contracted Jy traitors IN a scar
to destroy tie Government :?
ii. Are traitors ,corthy Of enjoying the
honors, the franchises ami the ena0laments
Of Government sehich they conspired to
d;sjoint and utterig destroy?
The Constitutional amendment meets
these questions practically ia the mega
tive.
The Democratic leaders are opposed to
the amendment
1t follows that the Democracy are in
favor Of paying the debts Of treason and
of honorng traitors
Such is the issue now dividing parties
in Pennsylvania. We accept it frankly
confident that the result of popular de!ib-
Grafton thereon will be in favor of making
treason infamous and traitors odious-
Harrisburg 1eiegroph.
81 Gov. Hamilton, OF Texas, styles
the Philadelphia movement new rebel
invasion of the North" 1t will be hurl-