Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-09-17
SPEECH OF HON. WIN. BiGLER
fniNtntt nfIHHf tnr
seymour & Blah Club Of Cloarhold,
on sainrda, il,cnitg. ~cpLi2, i~'i-.

NINllfMlN w wv wv WV wv !"
Presidential election, and Il u ih,
dotv of every good citizen 20 consider
well the cacc,. upon the ia.urc OF The
country, ofihe ballot which hc is aboni
20 deposit
Tho Radical or Congressional party
are asking a continuance IN power
and IL must answer to the people fol
its stewardship. It has possessed un
restrained authority since 1861, anC
must show us what good things it has
done for the country, before we car
trust it longer. As heretofore, il is
profusc in It's promises OF good things
but practical and thoughtful men will
prefer to look into It's works, and on
the result of such examination stak.
their votes for or against 1t.
| do not, on this occasion, intend tt
stop to arraign it for the carly error:
and vicious teachings of its prominent
members in melting sectional striiC
amongst the States and the people
nor Tor its criminal neglect to avert
our late calamities, when its leading
men could have done this, without the
sacrifice of any principal or interest
peculiar to the North nor shall
notice the abuses and eccentricities
of Mr.. Lincoln's administration during
the war. So long as necessity is held
to begct lawful authority, we must
expect the Constitution to be trampled
in the dust. OF the many vicious dog
mas. of the times Of Mr. Lincoln thai
which held that whatever was neces
sary to the accomplishment Of giver
end. was therefore lawful, most imper
illed civil liberty. 1t has been the
plea of despotism for ages. 1t is The
plea of the autocrat of Russia for his
grinding oppression Of the Poles. The
plea OF Great Britain for its humilia
ton of the Irish, as it also was, large
ly, the ground upon which Austrit
usurped the rights and liberties o
Hungary. And many OF you vii
remember that emphatic denunciatior
of this political heresy and its applica
ton 10 conditions of peace and Union
in 1864. came well nigh costing yoni
humble servant the control of his
whereabouts.
But it is to the errors and wrongs o.
the Congressional party, since the
war, that ] wish to call your specia
attention / say the Congressional
party, because the avowed objects o.
the original Republican party have
been SO perverted and falsified that
many Of its best members have left il
in disgust, and it has acquired in turn,
the worst men who ever disgraced the
name of Democrat. The truth is, il
troubles the unwary of the original
organization TO identify the concern
which now claims their adhesion.
They thought they belonged TO a
boasted Union party, but now they
discover, that since the downfall OF
Davis, theirs is the only party stand
ing in the way Of a perfect Union.
They thought they belonged TO a par.
ty Of rigid economy; but they find
themselves acting with the most reck-
less set of spendthrifts ever turned
loose upon the substance of an honest
people. They imagined they belonged
to party of purity, whereas they have
discovered, even by the testimony OF
their own men, that their leaders in
official place, are the most greedy set
of pilferers that ever assailed the cof.
fers of any country. Why John p.
Hale, one Of their lights in the Senate,
went so far as to charge that the horse
and mule contractors had stolen more
money than had been required to sus-
tain Mr.. Buchanan's entire admins.
tration.
But, gentlemen, amongst the many
bad practices OF the Congressional
party, consider the shameless disre-
gard of public faith and honor and the
reckless assumptions Of power, which
have marked their proceedings from
time to time, as the most harmful and
alarming. Tothcse may be attributed
the present disordered condition OF
feeling between the State and the peo-
pie and the consequent prostration Of
the energies Of the nation. Congress,
in July, 1861, by an almost unanimous
vote, in the following emphatic Ian
guage, pledge the war not only to the
preservation Of the Union and the Con-
stituiion, but to maintain the dignity
equality and rights Of the several
States unimpaired, to wit "That this
war is not waged, upon our part, in
any spirit of oppression nor for any
purpose Of conquest or subjugation
nor purpose Of overthrowing or inter
iering with the rights or established
institutions Of the States, but to de-
fend and maintain the supremacy Of
the Constitution and to preserve the
Union with all the dignity, equality
and rights Of the several States unim-
paired that as soon as these objects
are accomplished the war ought to
cease" This pledge, thus solemnly
given to the country and the world
was accepted aud endorsed by all par
ties in the North. Its Just sentiments
drew thousands and tens of thousands
of brave and patriotic men TO the Ma
tional flag, who intended to fight for
tho Union and for nothing else The
war progrossod-the army filled up
from time to time with brave mon.
Victory followed victory until Lees
surrender to Grant terminated the
unnatural conflict Whercupon the
whole North was lit up with thanks.
givings and reioioings, because the
Union had been saycd-bocauso the
supremacy of the Constitution" had
been vindicated; and what a prompt
cause Of joy aud blessing to our com.
mon country the result would have
been, had the existence of the Union,
the supremacy Of the Constitution and
the equality Of the States been accept.
ed as the only legitimate fruits Of The
war- Il makes ones heart bleed 10
think Of what has been lost BY bac
faith. What would have been saved
IN the nature Of individual suffering
amongst both races, within the lately
reyolted States, 10 one can even im
agine But il Is clear that instead OF