The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-08-28

cally cheered and earnestly encour-
aged by the Democratic leaders of the
North
They were assured that the right of
secession existed under the Consti-
tuition, aud that they were in the ex-
ercise of legitimate powers when they
assumed to marshal their several
States out of the Union; and Presi-
dent Buchanan in his annual message
in December, 1860, solemnly declared
that the Government of the United
States had no power to eOerce a State
to remain in the Union. This treasona-
bic and bloody utterance was endors-
ed by every Democratic Senator and
Representative in Congress, save two;
by every Democratic orator and news
paper throughout the North, by every
Democratic member of State Legis-
lature, with few exceptions, by every
Democratic Convention held through
out the North during the Winter of
1860 and 1861, of which L have any
knowledge. as L5e.v p
The people of the South were urged
forward in the work of secession and
rebellion by the assertions of thou
sands of political leaders that the
Government should be held still and
pOwerless until it was consummated;
and that the presence of powerful
body of friends In the North would
prevent the passage of an army, or of
a single regiment to the South, to en-
gage in the wicked and unconstitu-
tional business Of coercing sovereign
State to remain in the Union. In
January, 1861. at the very time the
1arr
| formed, the Democratic State COnyen-
ton of Ohio passed resolution pledg-
ing two hundred thousand Democrats,
that not until the North had done
justice to the South would the Gov
ernment be allowed to coerce the
South. This gave notice to the rebels
that IT the Government attempted to
suppress the rebellion, two hundred
thousand men in Ohio would be
found fighting on their side. The
people OF the South, like the ancient
Egyptians. were permitted to believe
| all these atroclous lies, for the pur-
pose of their .damnation. Confident
/ in these assurances, and with fee ings
of entire security, eleven States bold
| ly attempted to throw off their ohliga7
tions to the Constitution Of the United
States-to separate themselves from
the Nation, and to establish new
Confederation, the chief corner stone
of which was Human Slavery s.lis,
With the Appreciation Of President
buchanan and the Northern De-
| mocracy, they rapidly seized with,
out opposition forts, docks yards,
arsenals, mints, custom houses,
ships of war, and public property Of
every description, until there re-
mained but one little spot, in Charles
ton Harbor. over which the flag of the
| Union continued to wave.
BUCHANAN's CABINET A 'CONCLAvE OF
| 'CONsPIRAToRS,
Mr. Buchanan's Cabinet had been
a conclaye of conspiratorss His Sec
retary of War had distributed the
arms and munitions through the
| South. His Secretary of the Navy
had scattered our little feet to the
| four corners of the world His Sec
retary of the Treasury had so mau-
| aged the Treasury as TO seave it with
out dollar; aud thus all had been
| done that could be to make the rebel
| lion easy. And when on the 4th of
March, 1861, the Government passed
| from the Democratic to the Republi-
| can party, seven States had already
seeded. and the rest were getting
ready; the Confederate Constitution
and Government had been formed at
Montgomery, and a Confederate army
of more than thirty thousand had
been organized, and all not only with
out opposition from the Government
or the Democracy, but with their
positive appreciation; and it is not too
much to say that, if the power of Mr..
Buchanan and the Democratic party
lad lasted sixty days longer, the work
of secession would have been so fully.
completed that the Union would have
| been lost forever.
But the echo of the first gun against
! Fort Sumter awakened the slumber-
ing patriotism of the people The
nation sprang to its feet as If sud-
denly aroused from deep sleep. The
ranks OF the people were closed mp.
party lines were obliterated, and the
Democratic leaders disappeared like
driftwood In a turbulent sea, SUBJ
merged for season, but to reappear
at a future time. They cautiously
remained out of sight until the fall
of 1861. when the disasters. of Bull
Ruu and Balls Bluff, and the slow
progress of the war, gave them cour-
| age to put their heads above the sur
/ face and survey the situation. They
Immediately began the work of re-
organizing the Democratic party upon
the basis of opposition to the war and
rightfulness Of the rebellion. g The
subsequent terrible defeat aud saeri-
! fees suffered by Mcclellan on the
! Peninsula INSPIRED them with high
I hope and courage. and they so far
sncceeded- In disch,argi1lg the nation