American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-12-04


were Happy days; when all men acted
like opened their hospitable
doors and hearts to the poor and the wea-
ry when men and women found honest
employ, and disdained the midnigh.
secret oath, bound concavc to injure the
bvsiness of their neighbor. These were
bright and happy days, when the hon
est pioneer went forth with his axe on
his shoulder, and his jug in his hand. to
subdue the forest and lay the foundation
of this mighty empire. Happy days
when preachers didn't seek to send men
to Heaven by an act of the Legislature,
or an order of Court but were content to
remian in the pulpit, and preach as they
were commissioned. They were not yet
blind they could read, "Not that which
goeth into the mouth defleth the man,
but that which cometh out Of the mouth"
These men were not SO well educated or
fastidiously refined as their selt>rightecus
successors of the present day, but they
helped to clear the forest and reap the
harvest, they had pure blood and healthy
brains, and their sermons were full Of
charity and love, They called with the
landlord and treated him ''neighbor like"
They rose not up to disgrace the sanctu>
ary by heaping curses upon his head and
his children's children, even unto the
fourth generation. Honest wives mendr
ed their husbands clothes at night, in
stead of rnnning the streets pandering
for the signature Of gentlemen, to some
paper outside of woman's sphere alto
gethcr. Happy days, when every hearth
stone was an altar Of liberty, and no how
ell was found so wre tched as to shelter the
conspirator against the ights of neigh,
Der. Preachers didn't dictate to Courts
of Justice, but the Judge wore buckskin
breeches, and when he wanted to hear a
sermon he was able to go. Everybody
minded their own business, and we had
happiness, contentment, and good whis>
key. In those days Of Natural Rights
but few suffered from the excessive use
of liquor, compared with the present day.
And why is this | answer, because
you try unduly to tramel the liberties Of
the people, and in so dong you drive the
noblest specimens of Young America to
excessive drink, just because in so doing
he imagines he expresses his manly in
dependence, |, with many others, have
seen " Young America away from home, ="
and among specimens from this town, the
boy subject to the most severe restric>
tons under the paternal roof was among
the first to become intoxicated, while the
boy who always had his liberty had con>
troll of his passions, and maintained hi
equilibrium. Forget not, old man, tb
you was once boy yourself, and R
not upon the heads Of your children ir-
dens which neither you nor your ftefS
were able to bear, bat allow them ttake
., LITTLE uCor their stomach sake ~ YER,
ITAs talks Of going into winter f'r'erS,
and we can assure him he neefoI car
with Grant Sheridan. or ar of that
class Of men unIess he has n Il bottle.
! We never heard of but one guar Ar
my Officer that didn't take fration' L
/ once saw Sheridan and somot MS stan !
drink upon the batte>feldna was only
,orry I couldn't drink w them but =
alas tha Red tame Ait as digni6ed :
as VERITAs, that would 'uu hoh'er 10 I
;ou witbo,t trial Tl"infornal traf, 4
fc" was tho business of NoE'niSSarioS' t
and each soldier was ut out his ration 5
of whiskov the same bread to keep his t
body healthy that heiSht be able to t
battle for his COUNT The burden of Y
the heroes Of the \ was made light by ..
the canteon. and obwn Revolutionary o.
! Fathers rebelled shSe an excise act, n
and vet the effevhte jurisprudence Of II
yERITAs looks dl with contempt upon Y,
the examples ofs'oFy' and the wisdom e.
of ages, and de'eS tha' thiS town shall re
not 60 back INF great stride sha made
last winter toy becoming great city.
When everything mans home and
travellers resas ciosed, ana mourners
went aboutB streets, and desolation h;
stood like enchanted ghost over the OF
METROPOLIS the soap mines, the proper. CT
ty holders Butler must have an ideal V
notion ofeatness that never had an =.
existanct History. What do you wish 81
to becor \ New York, Chicago, of
Pittsbp Philadelphia, a New Cas-
tie pf these places have their IL ", W
censel all the power of abnormal ell A.
oouef fau't take it away from them. eli
Whe property holders Of this town pi
foutfter the selfish, still.born notions W
of tGTAs until the tide of enterprise w. ",