Year: 1862




try at this crisis. 1t is manly outspokn
document, and will meet with an earnest
and ready response from thousands ofloyal
and true men in all sections Of the nation.
! 1t was written in response to an iuouiry
from personal friend, in relation to Mr..
Bigler's position in relation to the coming
contest foc U. 5. Senator in this State and
also in reply to the question, what can be
done to aid our bleeding aud distracted
country at this momontuous period in its
history 7 The EX-SENATOR former and
present position, as well as his known at
tachment to the union of these States, give
to his views great force and potency at
this time. We most earnestly commend
them to the attention Of all those who wish
to stop useless etfusion of blood, and re-
store the Union as it was framed by our
patriotic fathers:


CLEARFiELD, PA.
November |, 1869.
MY DEAR SIR In reply to your favor
of the Both ultimo, l have to say that you
have been rightly informed. / do not in
tend to be candidate for United States
Senator at the coming election, and have
so expressed myself to friends on all prop
er occasions. | have number of reasons.
public and private, for this course, one Of
which is that the Eastern and Northern
sections of the State, make special claim to
the Senator, at this tune, on the ground
| that we have one in the West recently
elected, and cannot reasonably claim both
| for so long term.


The other question you ask, "what can
! be done to save the country, SIS not so
readily answered The usual response is,
God knows. Few of our best thinkers
seem to have any clear views on the ques--
ton; and it is not even certain that the
Administration at Was hiDgtou has well
defined policy to that end. l have soms
thoughts on the subject which do not
hesitate to give you They may seem
to you crude, and on some points even
novel and startling; but they are the result
of some reflection.


The sword is the only agency at work,
Bul the sword cannot DO all. 1t is an
agent Of destruction. 1t can tear down
but cannot build up. 1t may chastise and
silence the rebels in the field but it can
not make union of States it cannot
restore confidence and lraterdity amongst
a people cstranged and alienated from
eace other. If the war was against the
leaders in the South only, as many at the
beginning suppnscd, then the sword might
put them down aod the masses coul return
to their allegiance. But the conflict turns
out TO be with the whole mass Of the peo,
pie within the revolted States, old and
young, male and female numbering many
millions. With such power sooner or
later, we shall have to treat and negotiate,
The sword alone will never restore this
people to the Union.


You well know that when the present
calamtics menaced the nation, | was
for peaceful means to avert the blow
Then cur present suffering and sacrifices
could have been avoided, and as | believe
the unity of the States preserved for gen
erations, without the sacrifice ofprnciple,
honor or conscience on either side passion
prejudice and fanaticism only would have
been required to give way; and still
think, nay, | am sure that other means
beside war are necessary to save our coun-
try-our whole country-irom present af
Fiction and impending ruin.


know how easy it is to talk about wal
ard carnage, about stratagetlc positions
and brilliant victories, about the promp
snbiugation of the South by the North
even how pleasant it may be to some tf
float in the common current OF excltemen
and passion and especially how unp!eas
ant, if mot unsafe to stem this tide Bu
the time is coming, il it be not now, whel
the public man who would render his
country a substantial service must do this
He must look at the whole work before
and strike for the right regardless OF clam
or or consequences to himself personally.


We have had war for eighteen months
the like of which the world has seldom
witnessed before. To sustain which ma
tional debt of startling magnitude whlc
must hang over posterity long into the III
ture, has already been created and NOR
than quarter of million OF invaIuao!
lives sacrificed, on the Union side alone, !
addition to the many thousands that hav
been crippled or diseased for life, and ye
but little, if any substantial progress ma
been made in the good work of re estao
Lshing the Union or even of malnta'nln
she Federal authority within the revolte
States. Has not then, the experiment
war, as a means of extricating the countr
from its present deplorable condition, bee
already tested-tested at least to sucn "
extent as to prove its utter futility una'de
by other means.


1t was a happy thought of Pres del


Lincoln, expressed in his inaugural th'


;f We went TO war we could not fight alway


"and when, after much loss on both sid
!. and no gain on either, you cease hghhn


the identical old question as to terms s.,
ry intercourse are again upon you ~
lie prophetic and highly significant sen,l"e
of shows that even Mr.. Lincoln, before u