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The TW atehman,
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P. GRAY MEEK, } Editor,
BELLEFONTE, PA.
I'riday Morning, Jan. 9, 1862
Ee =
Reconstruction.
We are sorry to see a disposition mani-
frsted on the part of so mary of our dems
ratic exchanges, to continue this wicked
«nl unholy crusade against Americans and
svmerican institutions, They do not speak
ut openly in favor of a ¢¢ vigorous prosecu-
tion” or an indefinite prolongation of ‘he
war, but indirectly and, we believe, unthink-
ingly on the part of many, advocate a cer-
tan line of policy that is sure to give it a
New wopetus and keep the bloody ball rcll-
ing 107 Y.ars yet to come. There is not one
unong them hut must admit that the nist
ry of the past uyenty months has proven
plainly that coercian is not the method to
reconstruct a government such as ours. Ac-
tual experience that should be remembered
as long as the waters of the Atlantic con-
inue toroll between this country and the
«1d world, shows them that the people of
the South cannot be conquered. They sheuld
snow that re-instating Gen. McClellan will
rly open up another act or begin anew the
ar. The federal troops hayin confidence
io Lim, will fight tothe last. With General
“7 dollars more would be lavished by the
cople of the North to sustain it. New
mm Dp
brightened by the presence of those wh o
re lost to them forever—not until the brok
en hearts are hea led and new light is given
to the tearful eyes—not until sorrow and
want and misery and despair are driven
from those whose ALL has been robbed of
them —not until these things are done and
the bitter memories of the past two years
are blotted out forever, ean the Union be re-
stored “as 1t was,” No, it is vain {o hope
for it— foolishness to expect it. Abolition
has triumphed. It has done its work —de-
stroyed the American Union—m urdered a
million of American citizens—beggared the
whele American people, and now secks in a
continuance of this war, to crown ifs infa-
my by dragging the whitc man down to a
level with the negro.
eet Pe ee.
The Act of Indemnity.
Among the many absurd and wicked things
perpetrated by the 37th congress, the pas-
sage of the Bill introduced at the commence.
ment of the present session by the notori-
ous Thad. Stevens, to indemnify the Presi-
gent and all persons acting under his au-
thorily, in making the illegal arrests which
have been so rife for the last two years,
stands out in bold prominence. Not only
are the provisions of the bill, and the idea
upon which it is based contrary to the
whole theory of our government, but the cx.
planations given, and the reason urged in
support of it by its author are sufficient to
“%amn any measure ever proposed in a legis-
lativenody,
Neverwgre in the history of our leg-
islation was it *viously proposed to grant to
ggyernment officials wo privilege to trample
upon the rights and liber of private eit-
izens with impunity. Jealousy of power,
and a fixed determination to bind down the
individuals necessarially holding public offi-
ces by fixed and stringent rules, making
them amenable both civially and ecrimi-
nally for every wrong committed under the
color of theiroffices, have been the prevail-
ing ideas in the création and administration
of this governmeut. his should oe “so, —
For all experience teaches us that men are
prone to arrogate to themselves excessive
hopes wonld te enkiudled in their breasts
hat force would yet accomplish the desired
ud, and thus the war couldr be prolonged
for years. As it is, a fecling is fast grow-
ing that will compel the abolitionists to suc-
combs andl compromise, giving to the South
that which rightfully Lelongs to her. The
people are seeing thingsin the (rue light —
they are Leginning to learn that Americans
were not born to be whipped, and the §00n-
er they have the candor to acknowledge this
t-uth and act accordingly, the sooaer this
Lorrible butchery will be ended. Surely the
results that have attended the efforts of the
past twenty months to force one portion of
our people to submit to the dictation of an-
other portion, have been plain enough to
show that it cannot be done. Then why con-
tinue it? Why commence the war again
with renewed vigor and energy # Why raise
¢xpectations that must eventually be blast-
cd and hopes that the future will crush out e
By replacing Gen. McClellan you but give
security for the prolongation of uu abolition
crusade which will accomplish nothing Dut
the ufter ruin of our who'e country. Gen.
McClellan nor no other man, with all the
men and money we can furnish, jis able to
restore the Union by coercion. 1t was not
made on that principle, nor can 1t be per-
petuated in that way. Those who would
not believe this at the commencement of
Lostilitics, should now, after a fair trial be
honest and admit they were in the wrong.
Although Abolitionists have succeeded in
breaking up the form of government estab-
.ished by our ancestors, they are not able to
crush out the principle. 1t stil! exists and
vill continue tu exist as long as time itself:
Upon it then, there is room to brild again
The Southern States by their seve alacts of
secession. took back the powers hey had
delegated to the Federal Union. _‘he Nor-
thern States through their servants, Abram
Lincoln and the members of the Senate and
House of Representatives, have by repeated
violations of their pledges, broken the com.
pact, and thus indiiectly resumed the pow-
ers they severally delegated to the Federal
Union. Such is the condition of affairs to-
day. The ¢ Union” founded upen the Con-
stitution of 1787, is dissolved, not alone by
the actions of the people of the South, but
by those of both sections of the country.—
The only diffirence is, the Southern States
- have reasserted their independence, openly
and boldly, while the Northern States hang
together enly on account of the conflict that
is now raging, There is nothing to bind
ttem. The acting powers of the Govern-
ment, except the Judiciary, have ceased to
inspire confidence, command respect or de-
serve obedience. By wickedly and shame-
fully violating the Constitution they have
destroyed their claim to authority and anni-
hilated their own power. What then is to
bedone ? We answer, lot those of the
States that have not openly reasserted cheir
‘independence, do it NOW. In State sover-
eignly exists our only hope. Pennsylvania
should be free, as by right she is, to act ir-
respective of any other power. Her people
should claim her freedom and then be ready
to form a new Union on the old basis—to
reconstruct and build up again a Govern-
ment that New England has torn to pieces.
Until this takes place, a restoration of the
Union upon the principlesit was first estab”
lished on, is an impossibility.
For our part we do not believe that the
“ Uvon as it was’ can ever be yestored by |
any 1weans. Not until those who have been
hurried headiong into Hell, are disgorged—
wot until those who are singing the ‘song
of Redemption, are returned--not until your
son whose blood stained the soil of « South.
crn battlefield and whose bones are now
moulderiug beneath its sod, is given back to
you—nct until life ie breathed into that
brother whose last thought was of you and
whose last prayer was for your happiness—
not until the putrid limbs are made sound
and grown fast to the bleeding stumps of
arms and legs seen in every direction—not
until the desolate firesides and deserted
homesteads all aver this. broad land, are
powers when unrestrained by the fear of
the immediate consequences. The penalty
for thus usurping power, and infringing
upon the reserved righ:s of the masses,
should be speedy and ample. And this
penalty should always be bell in lerrorem
over the heads of those who are clevated to
positions where they may be tempted to
overstep the bounderies marked out for them
by the Constirution and laws, In every
instance of the exercise of illegal powers by
our public servants, even though the motive
may be good, the extreme penalty of the
law should be iuflicted without mercy, for a
warning to all who might happen to be thus
tempted in the future. In such a course
of policy alone have we any security for an
honest, faithful and consciencious adminis-
tration of our government. The opposite
course must incvitably lead to corruption,
weakness, extravagance, excesses and un-
told acts of despotism outrage and cruelty.
The case in hand is a fair cxample. Lin-
coln and his administration, 1o doubt had
the promise at the beginning from their
friends in: both houses of Congress that they
should be fully indemnified for any outrages
and exce.ses they might choose to commit
against the members of the Democratic par-
ty, although every such act of outrage
should be in open violation of the funda-
mental law of the land. The consequences
we have all scen and felt. The forts and
other public buildings erected wi h the peo-
ples money, for their protection, have been
heaped full with the victims of Abolition
and Republican cruelty. Scores and hun-
dreds ot innocent, peaceable and law abiding
men and women, have been dragged from,
their homes and families at all hours of the
in these military prisons for no other crime
than refusing to bow and cringe to the mis-
erable imbecile whom accident thrust inte
the presidential chair. :
It may be true thata democratic president
would be restrained by principle {rom acting
thus even should there be no punishment
provided by law. The honesty and virtue
of public’ men however, unsupported by pe-
nal sanctions are a poor safeguard for the
people. And we fear for the consequences
when ever it shall become habitual for the
majority party who are in administration,
to pass laws legalizing all the official acts
of the members of that party, whenever
they find they must lay down the power
entrusted to their hands, in consequence of
these very misdecds which they thus at-
‘tempt (0 white wash and cover up, The
chances are that the same party which
elects the President will at the same time
obtain the controlling influence in the leg-
1slative department for at least two years.
Under the practiec of this administration,
this would give to every incoming President
the power to set (he Constitution and laws
aside entirely, trample upon and destroy
every private and public right, inflict every
species of cruelty and outrage upon his po-
litical opponents, for the space of two years,
and then if this produced a revolution in
the public mind, his friends in Congress
would pass an act to indemnify him for all
this, and he be in no danger of impeach-
ment, or of being prosecuted or held respon-
sible civilly for the great sufferings which
he had inflicted upon the people over whom
he had been called upon to preside. Then
political parties instead of being founded
upon honest differences of opinion concern-
ing public measures would be the result of
bitter feelirgs, vindictive passions hatreds
and revenge. Every political contest would
be little short of actual civil war, until final-
ly, our government would sink into a con-
dition worse if possible than that of Mexico,
and some foreign monarch, somo oz} er
Louis Napoleon, would take pity upon ug,
and attempt to govern us far better than
we could govern ourselves.
The-present Bill of Indemnity was intro-
duced on the seventh day of the present
‘session of Congress, and contrary to al]
usages finall * passed the same day under
the whip anc spur of the previous question,
day and n’ght and incarcerated for Hunts
thus cuiting off all debate and denying to
all the necessay time to examine carefully
the provisions of the Bill. This action on
the part of the majority of itself isa
stigma and disgrace on the legislation of a
civilized people. The only explanation
given of the provisions of this bill during
its passage, was the assertion made by its
author the immortal hero of the “Buckshot
War,”that he had copied it verbatim from
the precedents found 1n the proceedings of
the British Parliament during the tao last
Cenuries!! What a glorious reason that
is for passing such a Bill! Those precedents
in the annals of the British Parliament to
which Stevens referred, are found during the
civil war of England, the bitter and devas-
tating wars of the Roses, those fierce con-
flicts between the rival houses of York and
Lancaster, which occurred during the spas-
mo lic death-throes of the dissolving dynas-
ty of the Plantagenets. England was then
what the present administratien would now
make America, a land drenched with frater-
nal blood and filled with ‘figreen graves,
widows and orphans.” And yet the acts of
the despots who tyranized over our ances-
tors before the dawn of English Liberty are
now to be used as precedents to indemnify
this abolition administration for tyranizing
over us. At any other time, anfl under any
other circumstances. had the author of a bill
pending before Congress attempted to sup-
port it by such reasons, it would have in-
sured the defeat of his measure, and Fave
brought such odium and disgrace upon
himself that he would have been compelled
to sneak away from the federal capitol in
the same maoner that Lincoln sneaked into
it,
1t has become very fashionable during the
last two years to refer to the principles and
practices of the old monarchical establish-
ments of Europe, as authority whenever
one wished to support or defend the acts of
the present administration. This is, doupt-
fess, pe etly consistent with the principles
of the Abolition party ; for, being but an
emanation from old Federalism, they desire
to transform our Government from a mix-
ture of simple democracy and State confed-
eration to a consolidated Government, pos-
sessing unbounded and arbitrary power. —
Consequently, instead of taking the letter
and spirit of our Constitution for their
prefer to be guided by the ancient precedent
of European powers whilst they were still
controlled by the despotic principles of the
feodal system. There is, however, no anal-
ogy between the powers of our federal
government and most of the governments in
Europe. In England the Parliament, both
in theory ang practice, is omnipotent ; and
it may be no violation of their system to en-
act bills of indemnity ; for they have no
written constitution, no fundamental law,
by which both king and parliament are re.
stricted. They have their Magna Charta,
the Bill of Rights and Petition of Rights,
it is true, but they were enacted by the
King and Parhament and can be repealed by
the same authority. So, also, with the
Treason Act, and every other provision or
guide in all matters of government, they.
Prepared expressly for the Watcaman.]
0 Man, Who Art Thou?
OR 3
REFLECTIONS ON PEACE AND WAR.
BY JUSTICE. :
(Continued from last Number.)
0! War! thou Demon ! “Thou who hast
caused rivers of blood to flow and made
widows aud orphans by thousards and tens
of thousands, thou art still upon us! The
year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hun-
dred and Sixty-Two has Just been tabled
with thie past, and the new year has been
ushered in and along with it comes that foul
Ldemon, WAR. O, Man! art thou become
so perverted from the will of thy Divine
Master, as to continue thy aid and support
to such a monster, who is working nothing
bui death, misery, distress and destruction
among us ? Under deep-seated schemes and
mysterious plottings, has thy chief Execu-
tive, the old serpent,the DEVIL, ‘planned
thy field of death, misery and destruction,
and deluded man, thou who art fashioned
after thy Creator, bast become the victim,
Since commencing this article T haye just
read an address under th- following cap-
tion : :
A WORD TO THE CLERGY.
To the Rev. Drs. Beecher, Tyng and Cheev-
er.
GENTLEMEN : I address you because you
represent the great body of American cler-
8y whom a majority of the people are be-
ginning to hold responsible for much of the
terrible spirit of revenge and slaughter
which desolates our land. One of you, in a
late Thanksgiving sermon, said : “The pa-
tion is possessed of the devil,” Tt is, alas,
too true. The spirit of war is of the devil.
If the precepts of. Christ are true, all who
encourage the revenge, cruelty and inhuman
violence of war, are * children of the dey-
e his works they do. Where,
itlemen, have these bad tempers of the
devil been more encouraged than in the pul-
pits of the United States? While the hor-
rors of the battlefield have Leen, as much
as possible, assuaged by an fenlightened
General like McC'ellan, a majority of our
pulpits Lave raved and stormed and belched
forth the smoke and flame of the ¢ bottom-
less pit.” From the lips of the clergy the
Satanic sneer Las gone hissing forth that
‘nobody was hurt.” One of your number
has declared that ** we want Generals jard
soldiers who delight to swim in blood.”—
Have you forgotten that you profess to be
ministers of a religion of peace and love ?
Have you forgotten that you profess to be
followers of One who was ¢ the Prince of
Peace ?” who came into this world to teach
the nations “to beat their swords into
ploughshares and their spears into pruning
hooks, so that nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war
any more.’ The great lesson of his life
was, in the larguage of hrs lips, ¢« Put up
the sword.”’ How can you, gentlemen, with
out a blush, profess to be the disciples of
that ¢ Prince of Peace #” You teachers of
a Gospel which was scat to spread ‘ peace
on earth and good will among men.” One
measure usually considered as forming part
of the ¢ British Constitution,” Therefore,
ir is a great fallacy to argue from what has
been done in England that our feleral gov-
eanment may do the same,
There is one idea underlying this measure
very flattering to the Democratic party. It
is an acknowledgment that when it comes
into power the laws will be respected and en-
Jorced. Gensrally, these acts of indemnity
have been powerless to shield from the just
indignation and punishment of the people,
those whose outrageous acts such measures
were designed to cover, And when we again
get into power, if we disregarded the laws
to the same extent that Lincoln has, Ste-
vens's Bill of Indemnity wonld be a poor
shicld for those seeking security under it.—
‘So all experience teaches. By relying upon
an act of Congress for their protection, al-
though its provisions are insulting to the
people and 1n violation of public sentiment,
the Aministration party show their confi
dence that all enactments of the Legislative
branch ot the Government, if they are laws
will be duly observed when the democracy
returns to power. Thus we compe! our en-
emies to do us justice.
*
[7 The Boston correspondent of the New
York Tribune in speaking of the loss of
Massachusetts soldiers, says:
We yield them up, almost without a tear
—for THIS WAR IS MASSACHUSETTS’
WAR —Massachusetts and South Carolina
made if, and we demand the duty and the
glory of our full share in the sacrifices.
So say we. This war is Massachusetts’
War, and Massachusetts should have been
left to fight it out, She would have got
** whailed’’ completely and very few would
have been sorry-—it would have been neth-
ing more than she deserves. We are sorry
that Massachusetts did not furnish all the
soldiers for the “grand Union (?) army.”—
We arc sorry that she has not been made
offer up @/l the sacrifices in her nigger war,
but we live in hope that justice will yet be
meted out to her.
[77 Seven hundred of the Anderson tioop
are said to have refused to go into Battle.
they were sent in chains to Nashville. No
wonder the boys refused to fight when noth-
ing was to gained but death. or the freedom
of a few niggers. phe report of their being
almost annihilated we suppose is incorrect.
Both houses of the Legislatuge organized
Tuesday morning last. The Senate elected
Geo. V. Lawrence, Speaker, and Geo: W.
Hamersly, Clerk ; the House, John Cessna,
Speaker, and Jacob Zeigler, Clerk. In the
former, all the officers are of the Abolition
stripe ; in.the House, 111 Democrats.
are +A
{77 Stewarts late raid into Maryland, was
highly successful, he took back quite a nam-
ber of prisouers, and any amount of prop-
erty.
————— eA Amt.
[7 Old Abe has signed the bill admitting
“West Virginia” as a State. Go shead old
bones the people no longer recoguize you as
their President.
i
of you, ina Thanksgiving sermon, said: -
‘ Thank God for the Rebellion and the War.”
You, whose preaching embowels humanity
and fills the altars of religion with blood,
followers of the Divine One who said, ¢ re-
sist not evil,” are you not rather followers
of the Prince of Darkness? Do you not
enter your pulpits every Sunday morning as
Marius entered Rome, buinmg with revenge-
ful memories of the marches of Minturna ?
Instead of opening the gate of Heaven to
make men of * one bgart and one mind,”
one would think your mission was to open
the temple of Janus. Instcad of pointing
out to mortals *“ the paths of peace,” you
are striving to drive them down ¢¢ the broad
road of destruction.” Instead of preach-
ing and praying to make our country what
Christ meant all nations should be, «a king.
dom of peace,” you seem to make it a prov-
ince of hell. Your prayers ‘go out, like
poisoned arrows, only to wound and kill.—
Like the heathen law-giver, you have never
seen God only mn the midst of flames and
swords. You are living back those thous.
ands of yearsin the brute ages of the world,
not followers of the Lamb, but the savage
and bloody disciples of Thor and Odin. The
meek voice that once breath-d peace among
the hills of Gallilee, you have never heard.
Not in Gallilee, but in Golgotha were your
altars built. The great Erasmus said, « All
the conditions of war are absolately forbid
den by the Gospel.” You, gentlemen, know
that the precepts of Christ forbid them. —
You know that the early christians, those
who lived immediately after Christ, who
were instructed by his Apostles, believed
that a Christian could not fight. Maximil-
lian, a Roman convert to Christianity, on
being brought before the tribunal, to be en-
rolled as a soldigr, doelared to the Procon:
sul, *“ I am a Christian and cannot fight." —
When told that he must bear arms or sufter
death, he replied, « I cannot fight if 1 die,”
and bravely suffered death rather than vio-
late the principles of his religion, A Rom-
an Centurion, by the name of Marcellus, on
being converted to Christianity, resigned his
commission, declaring, *¢ It is not lawful for
a Christian to bear arms for any considera-
tion,” He, too, suffered death for refusing
to fight. So Cassia, a Roman Notary, was
put to.death for the same cause. «I am,”
said he, “a Christian, and therefore cannot
fight.” Great numbers of the early con?
verts to the religion of Christ suffered death’
for the same reason. Clement, of Alexan-
dria, defined the Christians followers of
peace.” Lactantins, an carly Christian of
note, said, ““1t ean never be lawful for a
righteous man to go to war.” Tertullian
informs us that when christianity had spread
over the Roman Empire, not a Christian
could be found in the Roman armies. From
the writings of Justin Martyr amt Ireneus,
we have positive proof that the Christians
of their day believed that they were forbid-
den by the Gospel to bear arms. It was
one of the objections which the enemies of
Christ brought against His Gospel, that his
followers wonld not fight, Celus, who liv-
ed at the end of the second century, abused
the Christians for * refusing to bear arms,
even in cases of necessity.” Origin, in his
defence of Chyistianity, admitted the fact
and justificd the Christians on the ground
that war was unlawful. I refer to those
matters, gentlemen, to remind you of the
principles and practices of Christ and his
early followers, How would St. John or St,
Paul have figured at a war meeting. Im.
agine Jesus stirrirg up the hellish fires of
civil war! No. no man can imagine such a
thing. A man’s own heat would come up
and smite him in the face were he to attempt
it. Then imagine a preachér of the Gospel
of Christ thanking God for rebellion and
war ! No, he need not imagine it; let him
open his eyes and behold the abhorreng
sight! Let him open his ears and hear the
revenge, the profanity, the cruelty, the sav.
age devilishness of war, belching like flame
out of a thousand pulpits. Tnese misters
of blood are summoned into the divine pres:
ence of the “ Prince of Peace.” Hark!—
Hear the dreadful sentence, © Depart, ye
accursed, for I know ye not.” Who should
hear the awful words, if not those who pro
fane the divine altars they profess to serve?
Look at the Cross—the emblem of peace
and hope, pressed evermore ;to the lips of
ages! See how you have thrown it down
in blood !
Ah, gentlemen, I hear you complain that
infidelity is spreading. Can you wonder ?
Be entreated to save your profession and re-
ligion from the fate which overiook them in
“France in the Revolution, and from which
they have not recovered to this'day. Be re-
minded that Christianity is a gospel of
peaco—was sent, not to show men how to
fight, but how to pray, and so forgive their
enemies.” If war must come, 1t is the of-
fice of the minister of Christ to assuage its
horrors, to preach humanity and pray for
peace. _ Lt is because Iam a friend to hu-
manity, to religion and to my country, that
I have ventured, to call your attention to this
subject. Perhaps you will not heed. But
the words I have written will not be lost—
they will be remembered by thousands who
hear you preach, and will enable them to
sit in righteous judgment upon you when
you wander out of the gospel paths of
peace into the by and forbidden ways of vi-
olence and wrong.
Your obedient servant,
¢. CHAUNCEY BURR,
Reader, what think ‘you of a preacher
thanking God for rebellion and war 2 How
does this agree with the injunctions of the
Divine One? “¢ And the fruit of righteous-
ness is sown in peace of them that make
peace. —Jas. 111-8th. A preacher profess.
ing to teach the people the Word of God,
and thanking God for rebellion and war! —
What ! impute to God that which does not
emanate from him! God is Love. Nor can
there be any evidence brought forth from
Ec
But go, count your gold, and while’ you
are 80 doing remember this: (hat you are'|
bat s‘eepng your bands in the blood of your |
brother and the tears of the widow, mingled |
w ith the pitiful cry of the destitute orphan. |
Remember that though Truth may be crush- |
ed for a season, she will rise again tn’ de.
mand her rights.
¢ * From whence come, wars and’ fightings
among you ? come they not hence, feven of
your lusts that war in your members 277 —
Jas. v-1st. Reflect for a moment upon the
awful consequences of these wicked acts of
which you are guilty. The blood of broth-
er wingled with the blood of brother, recor-
ded upon the Lamb's Book of Life, as an
eternal and everlasting evidence against you.
The false acensations by which you confin-
ed the trath in dungeons, that it might not
be a witness against you on earth, wili not
now answer. Nay, your power has fallen
—the truth is no longer manacled and you
are wade to see the mangled brothers whose
blood you have caused to flow like rivers of
water. You are made to see the tears of
the widows and hear the cries of the. or-
phans.
Ah, deluded man! Did not the sill,
small voice tell you, during all this mad ca-
reer, that you were but doing the work of
the Devil 2 But you heeded it not.-and now
to whom will you return thanks for this re-
bellion and war ? Certainly not to God !—
Nay you dare not. Verily, you cannot.—-
But what say you now? Ah, “Political
Corruption,” that great harlot and seducer
of man! Thou hast brought this thing up-
on us.
(To be continued.)
The Proclamtion.
Radicalism is in the ascendant. A weak
President, conscious of his own utter inzapa-
city to conduct the Government, has yiclded
to the pressure of fanatical senators, demag-
egucs, priests and laymen, and issued Proc-
lamation No. 2 of Freedom—as those
who support the measure are pleased to call
it.
So far, then, as the usurped power under
which this proclamation was issned can ac-
cowphish the frecdom of the three or four
millions of negroes held, under the local
laws of the rebellious States, as slaves, they
are henceforth forever free.
There is not, under this proclamation,
save in the excepted States and parts of
States a single slave this day on the soil of
the Union.
The Executive Government —including the
military and naval authornies thereof —is
pledged to “maintain the freedom of these
persons."
If their masters refase to acknowledge
the validity of the proclamation, and un-
dertake to coerce these persons,’’ and retain
them to slavery against th. ir will, the proc-
lamation authorizes them, asa measure of
‘necessary self-defence,” to ‘use *‘violence
That is, they may rise in insurrection aga:
inst the autherity of those who undertake to
exercise the rights of mastership over them
by force, and achieve their ffeedom through
the sacred page to show that the present
war, which for almost (wo years has been
devastating our once peaceful and Lappy
country, is in any way sanctioned by the
Deity. Nay, make no such false imputa-
tions. The God of Love cannot be the au-
thor of war, and he who can stand in the
pulpit with such mocking in his mouth, as
to insult the embodiment of Love by such
vile Scandal, is cortainly an ahjeet. of pity.
making himself ten-fold more a child of the
Demon than Herod, who slew innocent chil.
dren, hoping thereby to destroy the * Prince
of Peace. Nay return no such thanks, you
deluded mortal. If yon glory in rebellion
aad wat. which it would appear from you?
own declarations you do, for you say that
we want Generals and soldiers who delight
to swim in blood, then retura your blood-
stained thanks to the true Farmer of your
accursed works, the old Sereext, He it is
who is leading you on in your mad career of
wicked and inhuman butchery, with his
hosts of aids. The ol1 Serpexr is your com-
mander and his voice you obey, and through
one of his great aids, ¢ Political Corrup-
tion,”” has this war been brought upon us,
Not with the will of the Deity, bu: the aw-
ful consequences of the teachings of just
such preachers as they who thank God for
this rebellion and war, professing to preach
the Gospel, but instead thereof have been
preaching ¢ Political Corraption,” and thus
has the Pulpit and the House of God been
made a den of thieves—that which wasded-
icated to the worship of the true and living
God, turned into a bedlam,
How long arc we as a people, going to
look upon these things with seeming indiff-
erence 2 Yes, reader, how long? The mil-
itary acts of Napoleon kept Europe in agi-
tation for twenty years. For over eighteen
months have we been in as awful a conflict
as any ever recorded upon the pages of his-
tory. Battle after battle has been fought,
butchery upon batchery has taken place,
misery upon misery, mangled heaps of broth-
ers strew the plain, and where at this mo-
ment, is the evidence that the sword will re-
store peace and harmony ? Ah, there is
none. Must we continue in these wanton
acts of barbarity for as many months more?
and if so, for what purpose 2 Pray, tell us,
ye who are occupyirg high places, what is
to be gained by a continuance of this inhu-
man butchery ? Sneak not away from the
answer. Itisone of woe—it is one that
will make the perpetrators and founders of
this uncalled for war cry out, as did a cer-
tain rich man, for a drop of water to cool
their parched tongues. Continue this war
of brother against brother for as many
months more, and what have you gained’?
Though you may have filled your puckets
with filthy lucre, thousands upon thousands
of widows and orphans will be added to the
thousands and tens of thousands you have
already made. The gold you have heaped
into your coffers, remember, has been bap-
tized in the blood of your brother, stamped
by the tears of the widow and superscribed
by the cry of the orphan. And through false
accusations have you caused fathers to be
dragged from their helpless families and
thrust into dnngeons without a word ‘of ex-
planation or cause shown of crime, and for
months kept confined in dark holes from the
society of their homes, and this under the
plea of disloyalty. Ab, truly has the mys-
tery of Iniquity been doing her work, but
these brutal acts will be referred to again.
prosecution of which they will not be res-
trained or interfered with by the ‘Executive
Government-of the United Sia és. including
the military and naval force thereof.
the bloody process of es war, in the
FREE Eres,
War News.
The news from the army during the pa
week, has been rather gloomy. Reports
sickness in camps, want and suflering of the
soldiers, reach us daily. Burnsidesis be-
lieved tobe falling back, with the intention
of going into Winter quarters, at Winches-
ter, that is provided, “Stonewall” Jackson
permits him to stay there. Private letters
to friends of this place, state that his army
is fearfully demoralized and that it would
take but little to make it disband entire-
ly.
The Monitor foundered at sea and went
down wilh her crew, and officers on the31st
of December, all on board was lost. ;
The news from the West is considerably
mixed up. Gen. Rosencranz has been try-
ing Gen. Bragg’s strength. The reports are
so conflicting, that we can make but little
out of them, other than that our troops have
been slanghtered by the thousand, and tho
advanta ge gained on “‘our side” been hut
little The Anderson Troop's, is saidjto
have suffered severely, several of its mem-
bers was from this place, but we believe
none of them were hurt.
It is believed that Abrahams proclamation
did not give freedom to aZl the Negroes of
the South, there some left who are ‘*suffer-
ng in the bonds chams and slavery,’ couldnt
our ministers send up a few more prayers
for their aeliverance
A “ Happy New Year” For The Hon.
John Covode.
— .
The Hon. John Covode, arm in arm with
a political brother, wag walking in the neigh-
borhood of the Exchange, this morning when
the pair met the Hon. Samucl J. Randall,
member of Congress clectea from the First
District. . Mr. Covode and his friend halted
and the other rriend, after addressing Mr.
R, remarked “You gentlemen ought to be ac-
quainted with each other —one a member of
Congress about to go out, and the other a
member of Congress about to go in---Mr-
Co 0 e” make you acquainted with Mr. Ran
daii.’? Mr, Covode, afier bowing and seraping
in his graceful style, extended us hand, bat
Mr.R andall refused to take it, remarking
that he “never shook hands with 3 black
guard and a Zur,’ whereupon Mr. Covode’s
friend caught the illustrious hero of the smi-
ling commitee around the waist and har-
led around the next corner ‘Honest John?’
has not been heard of since,
We trust he enjoyed a “Happy New Year
His Navy Yard speech produced pleasant
fruit ! All such vile traducers of Democrats
ought to be thus treate!, and they ought to
be thankful if they receive nothing worse.--
Phila Bvemang Journal. :
Lr Us UNDERSTAND EACH Orngr. —The
Philadelphia Press today, whizh is presum-
ed to speak for th’ administration, says, in
reference to New York and New York pol-
iticians.
“The course of the Administration in nr-
resting traitors will be governed by thes cir.
cumstances that controlled 1t in other times,
If the danger should again demand the sum-
mary arrests of traitors in New York, they
will be arrested.” 3
If by “Traitors” the Press means Demo-
crats, or Old Line Whigs, or conservaters in
New York,—they will uot be thus arrested
or if arrested, they will BE rLipsrRATED. by
the whole posse comitatus of the Democra-
cy of the State, if necessary, 300,000 men
In short, the proclamation 'is—neither
more nor less—an invitation to the enslaved
population to rise against theiy masters, if
they cannot otherwise escape, ‘and win their
way to freedom by fire and sword :
It is a plain proposition from) the Kxecu-
tive Government to the negroes in the re-
bellious States indicat d, to commence a
servile war, in aid of which the moral sup-
port of the Government is offered.
As an inducement 10 sever by any means
the bonds that hold them in servitude, the
Government opens its arms to them and jn-
vites them to come— ‘peaceably if they
can, forcibly if they must.” I tells them
that, once free they shall not lack employ-
mnt ; they will be received, on an equality
with white men, *‘into the armed service of
the United States, to garrison forts, positions
stations and other places, and toman ves-
sels of all sorts in the said service.
w ‘Upon this act” —unconstitutional and in
human as it is, leading inevitably to discord
in the loyal States and fiendish atrocities in
the South—the President, expressing, a sin-
cere belief in its justice and consti utionality
invokes the ¢ considerate Judgment of wman-
Td and the gracious favor of Almighty
iod.?,
Could fanaticism go farther ?
Since the accession of the Abolition dynas-
ty to power, the name of the Almighty has
often been blasphemously used, the Majes
ty of Jehovah impionsly insulted, and the
sense of community shocked by such mad-
wen as Beecher, Cheever, Phillips, Lovejoy
and others- -but this appeal of President
Lincoln, *‘invoking” the approval of man-
kind and the sanction of Heaven to an act
violative gt once of law and humanity, isa
new and higher development of the satanic
frenzy and atrocious impulses by which the
fanaticism of Abolitionism is governed and
guided.
Who but a madman would ask mankind
to approve what the natural instincts of hu-
manity shrink from in horror--who but an
impious scoffer, or hopelessly insane wretch
would insult the Almighty by invoking His
sanction of an act over which only devils
spiritual or incarnate can rejoice ?
We look upon this proclamation as ‘the
beginning of the end” of that infamous
policy which has so nearly ruined the coun-
try.-— Patriot & Union
——————e
Tne EFFect oF THE PROCIAMATION. ~The
emancipation policy of the patent philan-
throprsts at the head of the Government has
we perceive, produced one terrible effect, for
which, wether they anticipated it or not,
in arms.—and New Jersey to sand Ly
us, —with more than half of Connestticat,
now. It is well to understand each other
if these things be cesigned. —N. ¥.
press. .
te tea 2
Black and White.
In the U. 8. Scoate, a short ‘me since,
Mr. Saulsbury of Delaware introduced a re.-
solution asking information from
tary of War as to the arrest and
went without legal process, trial or charges
of Dr. John Lane, and Cot. Meredith. white
men, and the citizens of the loya State of
Delaware. On the motion of an abolition
Senator, the resolution wag promptly laid
apon the table, andthe information sought
to be obtained, was denied.
Immediately after this, Mr, Sumoer pre-
sented a resolation calling for information
from the Secretary of War, as to the capture
of certain black men by the rebel force, and
their report ed sale into slavery by their cap-
fors, and as to ihe steps that have been tak-
en ‘ to redress this outrage upen human
rights,” I'his resolution was adopthd as
promptly as that of Senator Saulsbury had
been laid on the table !
Here we see an'illustration of the fuct that
the negro and his rights and wrongs are
garded as of vastly more importance
the white man and his rights and wrongs.
The brigade of negro-worshippers in the
Seneate, so jealous of the liberty and rights
of the black man, can sce no ‘outrage apon
human rights” to “redress,” when white
citizens are seized without warrant of law.
and Jeft to rot in a government bastile at
the will of some official dotard or some dis-
appointed and envenomed politician.
: re in
ihe Secre-
imprison-
re-
than
Honest Iago.
The Senate having requested the Secreta-
ry of the Treasury o furnish that body
with the amounts of money paid on account
of legal and other services "in investigating
land titles in California, since the year 18-
57, the Secretary gives the reply of $200,
373, exclusive of the ordinary expenses of
the Courts in California, Of this sum 8151,
909 were paid to sundry lawyers. for their
they must be held accountable. The rebels
to counteract{any disadvantage to them which
the prociamation might work, have adopted
the plan of shooting all contrabands captur-
ed from our army: They are determined
that they shal! not live to poison the minds
of the still loyal slaves and instigate bloody
insurrections. The freedom which Lincoln
oflers to the negro is the freedom of death ;
and when the poor deluded creatures cele-
brated the 1st of January they unwittingly
celebrated the inauguration of their own ex-
termination. It [is upon this bloody policy
the President invokes the ¢‘favor of the Al-
mighty ;,, for this Telegraph raises the star-
ry banner, and canting priests and fanatical
laymen lift their pious eyes to Leaven, and
burden the air with loud” hosannabs It is
well for these prophets of Baal that we have
no Elijahs now to call down fire upon their
improus heads !— Patriot & Union.
OPPs.
I57The D2moc-atic Citizen published at
Lebanon, Warren County, which was des-
troyed son months ago, by an Abolition
mob, has been revived by its able and fear-
less Editor, A. R. Vax Crear, and is now
prin‘ed on new and beautiful type. We
hope the gallant democracy of Warren will
repay Mr. Van Clef for his “severe loss by-
extending to him increased and remuncra
ting support,
services and expenses, and thirty thousand,
seven hundred and fifteen dollars to Hon. E,
I be became Secretasy of War,
The petty sum of $25, 000 was paid to him
simply as a relaining fee. Such third rate
lawyer as Webster and Clay never dream-
ed of compensation, ‘but they were old
fogies,
-—
LINCOLN'S 10GI0.~~The President wy
that ‘without slavery the rebellion could
never have existed-without slavery i? could
not continue :! yet he proposes to continue
slavery until the year 1900 According to
his own logic, then, the rebellion must last
until 1900. -
U. 8. Senator 8. G. Arnold, ofRhode Ts.
land, having been classed by tie radical
journals as a Republican, has writen a lot-
ter repudating all sympathy with tit party
and stating that he was elected in o)position
to it.
———— eens
Niggers for religion, pasteboard or mon-
ey ; the Chicago Platform for a gride, and
Abe Lincoln for President, in thi blessed
year of 1862! Who won’t remember it.
a oid
It is now suppose that the greajlack at
Washington among the Lnucolnitesis brains
The lack of henesty is somewha! serious
too,
~
-
y