Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-10-04

= q right, at its own discretion, to brea
the Union, and constantly threatenin
o secession, where the full rights of sla,
o cry were not acknowledged" In fac
J. and in truth secession, like slavery
1 was first planted in New England
Q There it grew and fourished an
n spread its branches far over the land
I long before it was thought OF in th
: South, and long before "thc full right
: of slavery" were called in question b,
: anybody. The anti-Democrats Of tha
r region, in former as well as in late
4 times, totally misunderstood the pur
poses for which this government wa
made.
= They regarded il as mere CONNER
! cial machine, by which they coulc
3 make much "gaynefdll pilladge," if al
: lowed to run it their own way. Whcr
I they were disappointed in this by Ger
! tain perfectly Just and constitutional
: regulations Of their trade, which th,
common defence and general welfare
made necessary, they Immediately fel
to plotting the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of the
Union. Before 1907 they organized O
conspiracy with the British autbori.
ties in Canada for the erection of New
England into a seperate Republic un.
der British protection. (See Carey &
"Olive Branch" and the Henry cores
pondence.) Not long afterwards Jo.
siah Quincy, whose fidelity to the par
ty which elected him was never doubt.
ed, formally announced in Congress
the intention of his State to leave the
Union. apeaceably il she could. forci.
bly If she must" Their hatred of the
Union deepened. and their determine
ton to break it up grew fierccr, AS the
resolution of tho democrats TO main.
tain the Independence OF the country
became stronger. When the war Of
1912 began, they were virtually out of
tho Union, and remained out during
the whole of that desperate struggle.
not only refusing all assistance to car,
ry it on, but helping the enemy in
every possible way. IL was while
England had her tightcst grasp on the
throat of the nation, that the Hart
ford Convention was called to dismem.
ber it; and this, Mr.. Jefferson saws.
they would have accomplished but ior
the battle of New Orleans and the
Peace OF Ghent. John Quincy Adams
in 1889, and Abraham Lincoln in ls47.
made elaborate arguments in favor of
the leqal riqht of State to 20 out. The
later Abolitionists did not attemr TO
conceal their rancorous hostility to tho
Union. "Nounion with Shareholders
was one of their watch.words and
down to the opening of the war. its
destruction was the avowed object of
their Vaccinations.
There is one conclusive proof of your
enmity 10 the Union, and that is your
unwavering opposition TO the consti.
tuition which held the States together.
You know as well as / do how absurd
II is to suppose that any man or party
can support the Union, and at thesame
time trample on the constitution; and
you certainly are not ignorant that
Won and your predecessors. from the
earliest times. have been anti.constitu-
tional in all your proclivities. Con
temptuous disregard of constitutional
obligations is not now the mere germ
of a doctrine; it is a part of your set
tied creed. Before the war, and since,
YOU have trodden under foot every pro.
vision contained in the great charter
of our liberties. | do not speak at
random. / challenge YOU to designate
a single constitutional right Of the
States, or of individuals. which YOU
have not at some time, or in some way.
deliberately violated.
This contempt for the constitution,
this practical denial that an oath to
support il is sacred, implies disregard
OF all laws, human and divine. and
when adopted, il left nothing to guide
you except the propensities. evil or
good, of your natural hearts. Many
Of you land notably you yourself) con.
tracted no Individual guilt, because
you were too proud for petty larceny,
too benevolent tor large-handed rob
berry, and too iull of kindness to break
wantonly into the tabernacle OF human
life. But generally, the moral princi-
pies of the ultra -Abolitionists Cif they
ever had any, became so wholly per
verted, that they saw nothing wrong
in the worst offences that could be
committed against their political op- |
ponents In their eyes, theft and muir
der not only lost their fclonious char
acter, but became meritorious, il the
victims lived south of Mason and Dix
on's line. When John Brown stole
horses in the peace of God and the
State of Missouri, he was taking law
iul booty; when he sneaked into a
quiet Virginia village on Sunday
night and assassinated deienccless cit
izens, he was a hero and when he
died ielons death on the scaiiold, TO
which he was Justly condemned, he
became martyr.
You persist IN Misunderstanding the
anti.bellum attitude Of the Northern
Democracy. We stood steadiastly by
the Union against all attempts OF tho
New England party to break it up by
secession. We sustained the constitu.
ton against the fcrocious assaults of
the Abolitionists VIC labored earnest
y TO save Republican institutions from
the destruction with which they were
threatened by YOU and as long as the
people acted with us, we
accepted their aid in the
good work.
Your avcrment that the Democratic