Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-09-29

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because 1t would have been gross dis
honesty to break it. The Abolitionist
took different view, and refused L
keep their faith. They as solemn
ly as we did TO observe the terms of tn,
bargain, but according to their code i
was a sin not to violate it. The fac
is true that we did not think 1t righ
to cut the throats or shoot, or stranglt
the men or women of the South ioi
believing in negro slavery but that
is not justification OF your assertion
that we yielded our conseienccs L
them.
Again; You charge us (the North
ern Democracy with having given
bad advice TO the Southern people
This consisted, you say, in assuring
them that if they seoeeded we would
take their part apainst any attempt tc
force them back again into the Union
This is q gross error, and you will see
it when / recall your attention TO the
facts. In all our exhortations to the
Southern men against secession we
were met by the expression OF their fear
that the Abolitionists intended, in any
event, to invade and slaughter them
Some reason for this apprehension was
given by the fierce threats OF your
leading men, and especially by your
almost universal admiration Of Brown
for his raid into Virginia. Certainly
Democrats (and very good men, too
did then declare that lawless expe.
dition intended for purposes of mere
pillage could not and should not be
started IN the North, without such op.
position as would effectually stop it,
But this was before secession, and ii
was intended TO prevent that move
ment, not to encourage it.
You can not, with any show of jus.
tice, deny that devotion of the Union
was not one of the strongest feelings in
the earth of the Northern Democracy
We had always deprecated a separa-
ton from the Southern States with 50
much earnestness that one Of the op.
probious epithets you bestowed on us
was that of"Union savers" This was
not mere sentiment Of admiration OF
gratitude to the Southern men who
had led us through the perils of the
Revolution, settled our institutions,
and given our country its high place
in the estimation Of the world. We
felt all this but we felt much more.
The preservation of the Union was to
us an absolute necessity. 1t was in.
dispensable to the security of our lives,
our personal liberty and our plainest
rights of property. How tue this
was at all times, and especially in 1860,
you will sec if you reflect a moment
on our situation at that time.
The Aboltionists were coming into
power. | need not say by what com.
bination of imposture and accident
they got it. All Northern States, as
well as the Federal Government, fell
into their hands. No doubt their dis.
like of Southern people was very great I;
but Northern Democrats were objects
of their special malignity. Long be.
fore that time, and ever since, this
sentiment has been expressed in words
and acts too plain TO be misunderstood.
You show how strong il IS in your
own heart when you tell Southern
men tand you do tell them 80 in this
very speech that you honor them ten
thousand times more than Democrats
OF the North. Remember, in addition
to this, that the leading Abolitionists
acknowledged no law which might
stand in the way of their interests or
their passions Against anybody else
the Constitution of the country would
have been a protection. But they disre-
garded its limitations and had no scru-
Piles about swearing to support it with
a prcmeditation TO violate il. We had
been well warned by all the men best
entitled dtoour confdence-particularly
and eloquently warned by Mr.. Clay
and Mr.. Webster-that il ever the
AbolItionists got hold upon the organ
lied physical force Of the country they
would govern without law, scoff at the
authority of the courts and throw
down oil the defence of civil liberty.
But il the South had not seceeded
we might have made successful de-
tense OF our Constitution though the
powers of the Government were in the
hands of its enemies. With the aid of
the Southern people, if they had been
true to their duty, We could have or.
ganized an opposition so formidable in
its moral and political power that you
would scarcely have dared to assault
us. No wonder that we were "Union
savers !" Tor TO us the Union meant
personal liberty, free thought, and in.
dependent press, HabeGs Corpus, trial
by jury, the impartial administration
Of justice--all those great legal insti.
tutions which our forefathers had shed
so much blood to build up.
The South deserted us at the crisis
of our fate, and left us in our weakness
TO the mercy of the most unpnncipled
tyrants that ever betrayed public
trust. Secession was not merely mad.
ness and folly it was something much
worse. We could not but feel that we
were deeply wronged. There was no
remedy for the dire calamities with
which we were threatened except in
bringing the seeded States back to
their places in the Union. Our con.
victions of legal duty, our exasperated
sense of injury and proper care for
our best interests, all impelled us to
Join the new administration in the use
of such forces as might be found noces
sary TO execute the laws in every part
Of the country.
But the Abolitionists wanted a war
for the destruction of the Union, Tor
the overthrow Of the Constitution, for
the subvorsion Of free government, and
for the subjugation of the whole coun
try to that "higher law which imposes
no restraint upon tho rapaoity and
malice Of the ruling power. To such
a war the national conscience was op.
posed. The soul Of every respectable
officer in the army and navy revolted
at it, and every virtuous man in pri-
vate life felt it to be an unspeakable
outrage Tc those who doubted before,
the disaster of Bull Run made it plain
that the war could not be successfully
carried on unless 1t was put upon
principles consistent with the usaees
of Christendom and the safety of our
institutions. Therefore, II was that
on the 22d of July, 1861, Congress,
with almost perfect unanimity, passed
a resolution through both houses, de-
claring in tho most explicit words that
the war should be conducted TO pre-.
serve the Constitution and not to revo.
lutionize it lglvo you here the words