Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-09-23

served my country IN person and substitute
from the commencement of the war with
England to its close, feel that | have
right to plead with my countrymen of every
shade Of political opinion, and to beseech
them by every consideration that can move
our manhood to consider carefully the dan
gers that theaten US as nation
1t has been to me, for years, source of pro-
found regret to find so many ofthose, whom
have esteemed and honored as friends,
taking part with and forming all kind of ex-
cuses tor men who have done all that was
possible to destroy our Union of States;
and now | regret to find those very friends
calling themselves Democrats; and, at the
same time, uniting with those who were lead
ers in the Rebellion, and striving to aid
them to build up what they are pleased to
call White Mans Government, by
which they mean to hold 1900, 900 of hu-
man beings under ban or disqualification
that will prove as destructive to their hap
piness as the slavery from which they
have been delivered [ have been at loss
to sec how a mind SO elevated aS yours
could for moment consider it possible for
democratic government to enact course of
class legislation that would make one law
for the white man and another for the black
man.
John Stuart Mill has said with great pro-
priety, There is no true democracy where
large classes of community are denied
equality of political rights
He further declares that Every Govern
ment which permanently diritles the people
into q governing part, and goreraed part,
is an arstocrGiic Gorernmeat Jy ,chotecer
name 1t n,ayJe called | find that the very
men who profess so much concern for the
preservation of the Constitution, are now
most earnestly laboring to make proselytes
for white man S government, which can
only be had By legislating for class, thereby
adopting principle that is at war With the
very letter and spirit of the Constitution
which they profess so much to revere.
Such course is as Inconsistent as the pro-
fession and practice of President johnson.
He declared at one time that treason
against the Government is the highest crime
that can be committed, ard those engaged
in it should suffer all its penalties
Treason" he said, must be made odious,
and traitors must be punished and I'M
povershed.
He went so far as to say, 'sThey must not
only be punished, but their social power
must be destroyed; if not, they maintain an
ascende rcy, and may again become nu-
merous enough for treason to become re-
spectacle He said, "A ter making trea-
son odious, every Union man should be re-
muRerated out of the pockets of those who
have inflicted the great suffering on our
country"
He then said, Il hold it solemn obliga-
ton, in every one of these States, where the
Rebel armies have been beaten back or ex-
PEELED. care not how small the number of
Union men may be, if enough to man the
Ship of State, | hold it to be high duty
to protect and secure TO them republican
form of government until they gain strength.
They must not be smothered by inches.
In reference TO Convention to restore
the States, he asked: ''Who shall restore
them? Shall the men who gave all their
influence and means to destroy the Govern,
ment? Are they to participate in the gr at
work of recognizing the Government who
brought this misery on the States? If this
be so, then it is aid in truth that all the
precious blood of our brave soldiers and off
GERS will have been lost, and all our battle
fields will have been made memorable in
vain
He then asked: "Why all this carnage?"
and said lit was that treason might be put
down and traitors punished. He said:
TRAITORS should take a back seat in the
work of restoration. He said ''the traitor
has ceased to be citizen, and in forming
rebellion has become public enemy, and
has lost his right to vote with loyal men,.
ssHe said that the great plantations of the
traitors must be seized and divided into
small farms and sold to honest industrious
men, also, ''the day for protecting the
lands and negroes of these authors of re-
bellion is past.
To cap the climax of inconsiste ncy with
all that he has since done and tried to accom-
plish, he said that he had been deeply pain
ed by some things that had come under his
observation" He said, I'VE get men in
command who, under the influence of fat
tery ,fawning and oaressing, grant protection
to rich traitors, while the poor Union man
stands out in the cold He went on and
said that TRAITORS can get lucrative employ
ment while loyal men are pushed aside. ~
He said, in relation to reconstructing the
Sodthern States, that I'VE must not be in
too much of hurry Ii is better to let
them reconstruct themselves, than to force
them into il" But as soon as he became
President, we find him hurrying Reconstruc
ton on a plan or policy of his own, and re-
sisting, with all the power he possessed, the
mild measures prepared by Congress, and
intended to enable the Rebel States to re-
construct themselves with the least possible
difficulty or delay
1t is difficult for one to imagine how any
honest, intelligent man can join with Presi-