Year: 1862

ment


While the enemies # the war proposed ad-
herring to the form of n mere party organixa.
ton, the loyal men have yielded their prefer
ences and systems, content to defer to the
days of peace the revival of disputes which
can only be repeated now to the injury of the
common cause


Let the people decide whether that interest
IS deserving Of confidence which, in the midst
ot war, refuses to abandon the preiudices of
party strife, and in the midst of national
peril deyOtes itself to the work of dividing
the people.


The opponents of the war are more anxious
to prove their hatred to o party than to the
public enemy. They insist that the demon
Abolition" is the most dangerous foe of the
public peace. We can see but one great
criminal-but one great enemy of the Re
public--and he is now in arms against oar
countrymen and brothers. To defeat him at
once and forever is our first and most imper
ative duty.


The adversaries Of the war insist that they
contend for the Union AS il was, and tho
Constitution as it is. We, too, are for the
Union as it was but not for the return of
the armed associates of the sympathizers
with treason TO the places they so long occu-
pied and so basely deserted. And while we
renew our fealty to the Constitution as il is,
we also insist upon the addition Of that duty
which the opponents of the war so steadily
Ignore. viz: The enforcement of the laws"
whether these laws are for the con6s ,ation of
all rebel property, the emancipation of all
slaves who aid to defend the flag of the Union,
or the punishment of the reckless partisans
in the adh ering States who aid and com
fort the rebel enemy, demoralize the people
and paralyze the arm of the Executive.


If, in word, we have sympathy to bestow.
it is not for the murderers of our country's
liberties. but for the defenders of those liber-
ties. The gallant soldier teaches us by his
example to persevsre in devotion to our coun-
try. lie offers his life to the Republic with
accomplishing spirit, reposes full confidence
IN his superlors, sustainS the Government Of
the United States, and sees but one antago-
mist before hiul-the rebel who strikes at his
own heart and at the Union of these States.
We should be unworthy of the advantages of
peace and of home il we did not strive to
initiate at the ballot box an example so freely
set before us by our fellow citizens on the
battle field.


In the fulflment of these grave duties, we
invoke to the standard of our country men OF
every class and opinion. We seorn the base.
ness that invokes party hate or popular pre-
judice. When we behold the adopted and
native citizen, the democrat and the republi
can fighting side by side in the army, we are
| inspired by the lesson to do likewise in the
| quiet walks of civil life.


Loyal men of Pennsylvania, it is for YOU to
| determine between the friends of the Govern


ment and the war, and the opponents of 10th.
! 1t is for you to declare for the sympathizers
with freedom or the sympathizers with slavery
and the rebellion. 1t is for you to decide
| whether you will strengthen Abraham Lin
| coin or Jefferson Davis. 1t is for you to say
! whether the traitors shall be crushed or
whether our free institutions shall be crushed
| There is, there can be. no middle pathway.
| There are indeed, but two parties-patriots or
traitors-thpse who are for the Union and those
who are against it. And all men who are
not openly for the Republic must be counted
among It's enemies.


1t is n fact that yeu cannot too carefully
| ponder, that the leaders of the opposition to
| the Government in this State are the same,
with discreditable exceptions, who encoura-
ged the policy which encouraged the traitors
to commence the rebellion. Their whole sf
fort since the war began has been tn divide
the people of the loyal States They announ.
ced, early in 1861, that Pennsylvania should
| join the South in the event of separation,
and this is their secret hope to day. They
would have held the hands of the Government
| that the rebels might strike at it's heart, and
would have succeeded but for the prompt en-
| couragement of President Lincoln. They
followed the fortunes of Gen. Breckenridge
! up 20 the period of his desertiop into the
ranks of the rebels. They repeat his argu.
| ments in this their cOuntry's darkest hour.
Their plea for the Constitution was his plea
| before he drew his sword against it. They
clamor. as he clamored, against the Abolition.
lists. They deplore emancipation. even while
that the most effective emancipstionists are
the shareholders themselves They bewail
cen6scaton acts, while Jefferson Davis Sc.
| questrates the property of all loyal men in
| tho South. And as if to complete the paral.
! lei, and to show how sincerely they love the
traitors, even as they pretend to dcspise the
| treason, they see our brave men perishing on
the battle field and in hospital, from the dis.
ease of the swamps and the bullets of the foe,
and discourage enlistments in order that they
may be relieved; and, while prating of negro
exodus into the free States, to terrify our
laboring whites, denounce the employment OF
| the escaped colored men of the South to light
en- the burdens and lessen the labors of the
/ white defenders of the flag


We address you, loyal brothers and friends


in the earnest hope that you will not desert
| your country in this momentous crisis. We


feel that we have the right of this great argu


ment. We are supported by the hope that al


good men are with us. Everywhere, in the


free States, the same organization for which


we speak is supported by citizens without


reference to former party distinctions. The


republicans have come forward to give this


orgaization their sanction. The most distin
| guished and orthodox democrats have Joined


the ranks of the great army of loyal men


and from every battle field our brave soldiers


send us words of approval and of thanks. In


Pennsylvania, the great Peoples Party have


enrolled themselves in this mighty movement


Shall it fail? Will you ermit few discon


tented leaders. the relics of dehased ani