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loath) Paper---Penottb to Agriculture, fittraturt, Scituct, Art, fortignAlomestic nub @Nerd )utellignice, toe.
EST.A.BLISIED IN 1813.
THE WAYNESBURG MESSENGER,
PUBLISHED BY
R.- W. JONES & JAMES S. JENNINGS
WAYNESI3URG, GREENE CO., PA
ErOPPICE•NEARLY OPPOSITE THE
PUBLIC SqVARIC...Ca
.2alasami
eMacutrnov.-112.0 0 in advance; SIAS at the ex
piraUdo of six months; $2.50 after the expiration of
the year.
Aovsmrmestemry Inverted at 81.25 per square for
three insertions, and 25 ctn. a square for each addition:
al insertion; (ten lines or less counted a square.)
et , A an l d ibe o r n al re d a e so du n ct ab k. le n
J Olftce.
ivi m enn ad o e , to at ye th a e rly . , m ad e v n e e tt n ive ge rs e. .
Jos PSINTIRO, of all kinds, executed in the best
allo payer sent for a longer
period than ONE YEAR without be
ing paid for.
apufsburg Business Qtarbs.
M:I
ATTORNZYS.
Yi"Oh L. WYLY. J. A. 3. DUCIKATIAN, . D. R. P. DUDS
VITCHANAN & HUSS,
ttomeri dG Couseellora at Laws
WAYNESBURG, PA.
Will practice in the Courts of Greene and adjoining
counties. Collections and other legal business will re
.ceive prompt attention.
°dice on the South side of Main street, in the Old
B a nk Building. Jan. 28, 1863.-3,
•. J G. RITCHIE.
-PURMAN & RITCHIE,
ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELLORS AT LAW,
Waraaeslitaarg, Pa.
fillirt)Fr Street, tine door east of
,the old Btn k Building.
V'Alt Jueiness to Greene, Washington. and Fay
'attention.
Counties, entrusted to them, will 'receive prom)
'attention. 5ept..1.1.1861-Iy.
a. -w. Downint,
ATTORNEY AND COUNSELLOR AT LAW
Ofice in I edwith's Building, opposite the Court
itiOrPIS. Waynesburg, Pa.
.R. A. NrCONNSLL ,
tC 4
dirronAVY's AND COUNSELLORS AT LAW'
MV,*3lLitburSt Pa.
TrOlfiee In the.". Wright W. se," .East Door.
Collectione..Xce.,,will receive prompt attention.
Waynesburg. April 4.1,
DAVAti XRAOFORP,
-
Attorney and Counsellor at .aw. Office un Main
Street, East and nearly oppoeitEAe Batik, •
; Waynesburg, Pa., July 30, 1863.-Iy.
CM=
SLACK &
ATTORNEYS AND CQUNSELLORS AT T,ltty
Office in the Court Muse, Way licibmig.
.111ept.1.1,1861-11+.
SOLENCEREP WA , 1 11 CLAIMS!
17. Rr X. 33111:7,1613,
4/7011X61r AT LAW, wsktfasausio,
:1 A 8 received from the War Department at Wash
ington- city . 1). C., official copies of the several
awe passed by Congress, And all the necessary Forms
And Instructions for the prewecution and collection of
'PENSIONS. BOUNTY. BACK PAY, due die
c.harded and disabled sol diers, their widows, nrplian
children, widowed motheis, fathers, sisteii and broth
'eta, which business, [upirin due uoljce] will be atteild
Ad to paotuptly, and accurately, if ehinfisted to bib care.
Office in the old Batik Buil& sm.—April 8, 1863.
a. w. a.-11ITAPDIEAL
ATTORNEY fr. COUNSELLOR AT LAW,
eLFFUJIE in Catnipbell's Row Opposite the Hamilton
lltj House, Waynesburg, patina. business of ti.Y
:binds solicited. Has receimul official copies of all the
:laws plumed by Congress, and other necessary instriic
,tians for the collection of
PENSIONS, BOUNTIES, BACK PAY,
)Me discharged and disabled soldiers, widows, Orphan
children, &c., which business if intrust
ed to hs i care.
;will le promptly attended to. y 13, '63.
PHYSIC ANII
DR. A. G. (moss
WOULD very respectfully tender ids services as a
PHYSICIAN AND 811RGEON, to the, people or
Waynesburg and vicinity. lie bows by a due appre
ciation of human life and health; and strict attention to
business, to merit a share of public patronage.
Waynesburg, January 8, 1862.
DA ? A. S. MGT
ItESPECTFULLY offers his services to the citizens
of Waynesburg and vicinity. as a Physician and
upon. Office opposite the Republican office. He
hopes by a due apprecia ' of the laws of human life
And heialth, so native medication, and strict attention
lto busf l ness, B6 to merit a liberal shave of public patronage.
Ari 11. 12.
DRUGS
M. A. HARVEY
Druggist atpt Apothecary, and dealer in Paints and
Oils, the most celebrated Patent Medicines, and Pure
Liquor' for medicinal purposes.
Sept. 11,1861-Iy.
siuntaluarr•
W.M. 'A. PORTER,
Whoiesale and Retail Dealer in Foreign and Dolma- .
Dry Goods, Groceries, Notions, kc., Main street.
dept. 11, —ly.
R. CLARK,
Dealer in Dry Goods, Groceries, Hardware, Queens
!lire and notions, in the Hatnilton House, opposite
the Court House. Main street. Silo.. 11, 1861—IY.
-
MINOR & CO.,
Dealers in Foreign and Domestic Dry Goods, GIIO
penes, taueensware, Hardware and Notions, opprwite
he Green House. Win street.
.001 4 . 11. 1861-Iy.
soar AND SRO DEALERS.
J. D. COSGRAY,
Boot ma iltre mr. Maio street, newly opposite
e .... :Fanateee and Mewl . Bank." Every style of
7Cmad *hoes iminataly qn band or made to order.
leit. 111,1861-Iy.
OILCKIZIREEIS if. VALSZETiza
JOSEPH YATER,
puler in Gtoepries' end Confectioneries. Notions,
• jgredicines, Perfumeries, Liverpool Ware, Ike., Glass of
of eines, and Gilt Mounties and Looking Glass , Plates.
irretsh pnig.fivgond mii9s Apples.
AQIIN AILINNELL,
4.SNrtn COneas_irafr and Confectikftwier. and va* t y
It
eQed• M
esteraMy. W
ir. ritten's ftiiilding, Main street.
OW . 11101
DU NN & DOWNEY,
the 11111101wellbuil ratlikint• eit Owen, Pura,
i ppl oyeepos*y eg i bill.4llo..l4oi
and Paris.- Atkitoreo.
Aldro ll ,l 4oll BC Blll6 P. 4 1 .4 roomy of
•wpt. it ly.
An aged man, on reaching his seventieth
birth-day, like one surprised, paced his
house, exclaiming—"l'm an old
an old man !"
I wake at laet ; I've dreamed too long,
Where are my three -ecore-y ears -and-
My eyes are keen, any limbs are strong;
I well might vie with younger men.
The world, its passions and its strife,
Is passing from my grasp away
And:though this pulse seems full of life,
"I'm old to-day—l'm old to-day 1"
Strange, that I never felt before
That I bad almost reached my goal,
My bark is nearing death's dark shore ;
Life's waters far behind me roll ;
And yet I love their murmuring swell—
Their distant breakers' proud array—
And must I—can I. say, "Farewell ?"
"I'm old to-day—l'm old to-day."
This house is mine, and those broad lands
That slumber 'neath you fervid sky ;
Yon brooklet, leaping o'er the sands,
Bath often met my boyish eye.
I loved those mountains when a child ;
They still look young in green array ;
Ye rocky cliff's, ye summits wild,
"I'm old to-day--I'm old to day !"
'Twixt yesterday's short hours and me,
A mighty gull hath intervened,
A man with men I seemed to be—
But now 'tis meet I should be weaned
From all my kind—from kindred dear ;
From those deep skies—that landscape
gay;
From hopes and joys I've cherished here ;
"I'm old to-day—l'm old to-day I"
O man of years, while earth recedes,
Look forward, upward, not behind !
Why dolt thou lean on broken reeds?
Why still with earthly fetters bind
Thine ardent soul ? God give it wings,
'Mid higher, purer joys to stray
In heaven, no happy spirit sings
"I'm old to-day7---,I'M old to-day !"
J. J. HUFFMAN
JOUR PNBLAN
GRAVE 01;CARGE AGAINST GENERAL
The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,
who is now traveling in Europe, on
July the sth addressed the .11Tational
Temperance ; ioagpein London.—
During Kemarkts upon th,e in
crease of intemperance In this coun
try be referred to the army and to
Gee}. Hooker in particular, asserting
that the battle' of Cbancellorsville
whs lost by Gen. Hooker from this
cause. A charge of this character
should not be allowed to go abroad
without investigation by the govern
ment, and we hope that some action
will be taken; if true, the dismissal
of Gen. Hooker from the service
should immediately follow. We
quote the following from Mr. Beech
er's remarks :—"The civil war has
interrupted the progress of temper
time°, and it seemed as if the things
were for the time going back. In
the army, affairs were very bad;
drunkenness was rampant, especial
ly among the officers. Those who
showed another and purer example
were not many, but among these he
could mention Major-Gen. Howard,
of the sth Division, who had studied
at West Point, and was about enter
ing the ministry when the war
broke out. If it were fit he, (Mr.
Beecher) could point to several
groat misfortunes which had befall
en the north on the field owing en
tirely to the drunkenness of officers.
The battle of Cbancellorsville was
lost from this cause; but he bad
heard it from almost direct authori
ty that the General thus implicated,
knowing his weakness, bad been
previously abstaining, but that hav
ing received a severe contusion, he
had been prescribed whiskey medi
cinally, and it was taking it for this
purpose that the old appetite had
been revived and had overcome
• him."
The New York Independent adds
the following to this statement
"Mr. Beecher stated this as a private
communication, but the case of in
temperance referred to is no secret
here. That Gen. Hooker was drunk,
and thereby lost the battle of Chan
cellorsville, has been published
wherever the English language is
read; and it is due to the inculpated
General that the explanation fur
nished by gr. Beecher should be
made widely known."
A Substitute for Leather.
Leather, to a great degree, is to be
superseded. The London Times en
dorses the claims of an invention,
owned by Mr. Szerelmy, of England
which, according to the description
9f the article, possesses every quality
of real leather, and is vastly superior
to it on ninny accounts. It will not
crack. is tougher, will wenr longer.
and will resist water as effectually as
rubber. The leather-cloth can be
of any color, and a pair of boot tops
which cost of calf-skin, 50, will
nest, of this material, only 25 OM*.
The invention is of immense yellow.--
Exchange.
select tattrg.
"I'M OLD. TO-DAY."
EIZE
- 3; tizteßnegts.
HOOKER.
WAYNESBITRG, GREENE COUNTY, PA., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1863.
THE GALE-SELLER OF BEEKMAN
STREET.
BY MRS. F. D. GAGE
The sun was just coming up and
making its first peep in the city, as a
woman came stumpint , 6 up Beekman
street . , who immediately challenged
my rAtention, and made me forget
the brightness of the day, and the
folly of men and women that sleep
away this the mote beautiful and
soul-inspiring of all the hours of the
twenty-tour.
Was it anything strange to see a
woman coming up Beekman street,
the noisy thorough-fare of thousands?
Yes. For at this sunrise hour this
woman was alone : not, another hu
man being treading those cold gray
stones in sight. Her outward seem
ing, too, was strange. On her head
she carried a board three feet long
and eighteen inches wide, which
zupported an old nail keg. She was
lame, and seemed to walk with diffi
culty; but still she carried her load
steadily. In one hand she held a
large market basket, and the other
carried or half dragged a box sixteen
inches square. Her dress was old
and patched, but it was clean.
Clump, clump, clump, she came up
street, with her board, keg. box, and
basket, until exactly opposite the
window of my "own bird" apart
ment, and there she plumped down,
and put her box upon the step of a
large business house opposite. No,
not the step, but within the space
between two columns of said build
ing, which made a little recess for
her use. Next her basket was re
leased from her weary grasp; then
up went the freed hands and the keg
came down carefully upon the step
beside the box; and last, the long
board left its porch above the black,
genteel hood, and took its place up
on the keg : and straightway there
was a table filling all the space be
tween those columns, except that
which was occupied by the box.--
Now the white cloth that covered
the contents of the basket became a
table-spread, and was laid neatly
over the board, and hid the old nail
keg from the gaze of the passer-by.
Asci then the treasures of the basket
one by one found their place upon
the clean side table—sponge-cakes,
a : ream-cakes, ginger-snaps, pound
' crullers jumbles, and I know
not what, until inviting groups neck
ed the white cloth, corners, niches,
.and centre. with a tempting variety.
The basket disappeared under the
shadow of the table, and when the
whole was completed, the lame wo
man looked it over with earnest scru
tiny, adjusted a few refractory cakes,
and then, placing her hands upon
ber hips, she surveyed the whole With
evident satisfaction for a moment,
before seating herself upon her box,
to await the coming of her custo
mers. Only oue moment's rest did
she give those busy hands. No
sooner seated was she, than her sew
ing emerged from her pocket. The
need's was threaded, and the work
spread out upon her lap.
Ah ! what a revelation was bound
up in that bit of scarlet calico ! In
its folds lay the parts of a tiny slip
which revealed to my motherly vi
sion a baby child just tottering alone,
for whom those busy fingers were
• "plying the needle and thread."
I drew my chair and writing-stand
near the window, and as my pen
scratched over the paper, ever and
anon my eyes wandered opt of that
narrow room, through open win
dows, down to this trader by the
wayside.
Stitch, stitch, stictili, went her.
needle—the band only stopping to
pick up a penny or make change for
a little yellow paper, as cake after
cake disappeared. How I wished
more people would pause before that
impromptu stall ! Why did they
pass her and trade with that red
faced creature opposite, who was
scolding or coaxing every passerby ?
There, the skirt of that baby slip
is done. and edged with a strip of
white braid around the bottom.—
She holds it up and looks at it, and
the light of love glows all over her
homely, care-marked face. Now
come the waist and sleeves; may hap
her stitches are not as well set or
her work such as would tuke premi
ums at fairs, but it VI ill do.
The great clock chimes twelve.—
A penny from her pocket buys an
apple from another woman who
walks by with her basket, and a
doughnut , and her apple makes her
wholesome lunch for the day. Not
once has she risen from, her box.—
Now a cake is handed to a boy, who,
with a tin cup which has been hid
away in her basket, bounds away
and soon returns with water from
the neighboring fountai n .
Her bead droops against the cor
ner, her face turned toward her
cakes and upward toward the clear
blue sky glowing with the mid-day
sun.
Her eyes close, and the red slip
lies quietly beneath her bands. She
is asleep— the L rst falling footstep
near her awakens her. So sbe dozes
for half an hour, and then, busy as
ever•pursaes her task. Two o'clock!
More costomers. The tired And
bitegry to sod he page* 'take
ref - trrtkeet. She lays by her work
fore littlo---exchsfiges tire cakes fop
an orange, and by and by three or
four for two large apples; presently
a candy dealer leaves a bright red
and white twist in the place of a
cream cake, and all these new ac:
quisitions are laid in a corner by
themselves.
Her stock is getting low, and the
sun is sending long slopes of shadow
eastward. Now she holds up the•lit
tle red dress by the sleeves, surveys
it with loving looks, and lays it
across her lap, and leaning forward
looks wistfully down the street.
The sun sinks lower; the high
walls of commerce and trade are
darkening the shadows there, and
still her eyes peer wistfully among
the crowd, as it some beloved object
was expected.
Ha! how her face brightens! what
radience of joy gleams on every fea
ture! lip goes the little red slip,
held in both bands; and in less time
thun I have taken to write the words,
an old woman, who evidently bears
upon her broad shoulders the weight
of threescore years and ten, drops
iiht b o the extended arms of the pa
tient, waiting worker, a beautiful
child, who clasps her neck and nest
les in her bosom, almost speaking
his delight in half-cry and half
laughter. There is no delay; the
maternal fountain is given to his use.
And then old deaf granny is told of
the results of the day, and treated to
the last of the remnants upon the
stand. That big apple was for her;
that orange was for her. Now little
rosy-cheeks lifts up his head, bound
with golden curls, and claims that
braid of candy. how he laughs and
crows, and for every demonstration
of joy he is clasped to his mother's
breast and smothered with kisses !
Hundreds have passed this humble
group, yet rot one has seen this ex
hibition of filial and, maternal love.
The words "mother" and "granny"
reach me up to the secori'd.story, as
the cakeseller tries to make the deaf
old woman hear; and I know, by
the full, round, musical tone, that
love, true and pure, lies sweetly
sleeping in the hearts of the two.
Whose eyes see that little red
slip put upon that baby boy ? who
bees that mother's heartfelt satisfac
tion qt the fit? who sees the proud
crowing of Lhe bright-faced darling,
with his pouting mouth made all the
sweeter by daubs of candy ? Who
sees that proud old grandmother
leading her pet away, his little bare
feet pattering along the hard pave
ment, and his merry laughter keep
ing time to the pattering ?
The cakeseller's work is done for
the day. She rises up and straight
ens with difficulty her cramped and
crippled limbs. The remnant of
cakes are laid in the basket, the
white cloth folded and laid over
them, the board lifted upon her head,
the old nail keg hoisted above, the
box and basket taken in the two
hands„ and clump, clump, clump, she
passes down the street in the dim
twilight, her day's work of love and
duty done.
All this long, long day I had been
waiting for a telegram to tell me of
the fate of one most dear, and that
humble creature, crippled, yet earn
est, faithful and loving, helped me to
grow stronger for the fate that
awaited me.
And when at last that fearful dis
patch came that crushed my hopes,
and transferred my love from earth
to heaven, I know I was able to say
with more perfect resignation,
"My
Father, thy will, not mine, be done,"
because of the patient work and
cheerful smile of the cake-seller of
Beekman street.
Human Aspiration.
All lower natures find their high.
est good in serablances and seeking
of t hat which is higher and better.—
All things strives to ascend, and as
cend in their striving. And shall
man alone stoop ? Shall his pursuits
and desires, reflections of his inward
life, be like the reflected image of a
tree on the edge of a pool, that grows
downward, and seeks a mock-heaven
in the unstable element beneath it,
in neighborhood with the slim water
weeds and oozy bottom-grass, that
are yet better than itself and more
noble, in as far as substances that
appear as shadows are preferable
to shadows mistaken for substances ?
No ! it must be higher good to make
you happy. While you labor for
anything below your proper human
ity, you seek a happy life in the re
gion 9f death. —Coleridge.
REMAINS OF GIGANTIO ANIMALS.
Russian geologists are making
preparations to promote the discov
ery of congealed remains of mam
moth animals in Siberia. It is sta
ted that during the last two centu•
ries, at least 20,000 mammoths, and
probably twice or thrice that number,
were washed out of the ice and soil
in which they were imbedded, by
the action of the spring floods--
The tusks only have been preserved
for the commercial value in ivory,
An effort is now to be made for the
discovery and preservation of one of
these carcases as perfect and entire
as -p oss ibl e , as it is considered that
microscope investigation of the con
tents of the : stomach might throw
powertul light Oa 11 boat of geolo
gleal problem's,
,
1 TALKS ABOUT HEALTH.
1
BY MO LEWIS, M. P
Perhaps you fancy your shape
You do look comfortable and jolly.—
Bu t as a physiologist, 1 must find fault
with you. Obesity, emaciation, is a
sort of disease—unfavorable to health
and long life.
This warm weather makes you
pant and perspire.
I met one of your namber down
jon the beach, the other day. It was
a warm afternoon. Ho was very nu
comfortable. We stopped to chat a
moment, when he exclaimed
"I would give ten thousand dollars
to be reduced to 150 pounds. I pant
sweat; pant, wheeze, and sweat, ev
ery time 1 stir," and looking earn•
estly into my face, he said, "Doctor.
' what can you do for me; what earal
take ? My family doctor tells the he
can give me something that will
whittle me down; do you think it can
be done?
"Oh, yes," I replied, 'nothing is
easier; but it is quite unnecessary to
take any medicine. Suppose, sir,
you have a very fast horse, much in
condition of yourself, and some doc
tor were to propose to reduce his
weight with medicine what would
you say ?"
' I should tell him that I c)uld re
duce his weight by reducing the a
mount of his food."
"Just so ; and you would be quite
right. Allow me to commend the
same practice to yourself. Reduce
the quantity of your food one quarter
and 1. venture to say that in a month
you will weigh from 5 to 10 pounds
less than now. At the end of the
first month, reduce the amount of
your food another quarter. Within
three or six months you will find
yourself lighter by 20 to 50 pounds.
Your digestion will be much healthier,
your respiration freer, and your ac
tivity and endurance greatly increas
ed"
"But," said be, "I don't eat half as
much as some thin men whom I
know."
"This is not improbable, and I
presume their excessive eating keeps
them thin, as with your tendency,
excessive eating produce% fat. It
they were to reduce the quantity of
of their food, they would like your
self tend toward the normal standard
—they would gain in weight,.while
you would lose."
He promised to try it, and started
on.
In a horse-car the other day. I met
six corpulent, uncomfortable men, all
quite sure to die prematurely, Every
one of them might, in six or twelve
months, be reduced to the normal
standard, and enjoy a degree of
health and activity to which he is
now a stranger. Is any physiologi
cal statement more self evident than
that every fat person eats more than
he needs ?
"But," exclaims some fat young
woman, who would "give the world ;
to be in good shape, "I cannot go hun
gry and faint ever.' "
. This remark shows yen have never
tried what 1 have suggested. It is
only the groat eater who is troubled
with hunger and "goneness." If
you would reduce the quantity of
your food, even one-half at once, alter
three clays you will not suffer from
faintness or hunger. The man who
eats temperately of unstimulating
fond, rarely knows the sensation of
hunger.
In the light of these undeniable
statements, how silly the practice,
common among girls, of swallowing
acids, and other killing thing's ; and
among mon, steeping in tobacco, to
reduce the flesh.
I have personally known scores of
young women whose health has been
ruined by drinking vinegar,'or eating
chalk and other iodigestibles things,
all to take away their fat.
And I have known a still greater
number to ruin themselves with cor
sets. in the hope of keeping themselve
comely and and in shape.
1 have met hundreds offot men
who were besmeared and saturated
with tobacco juice—objects of disgust
to all beholders, a terror to decent
housekeepers, peregrinating stench
pots. and all to keep their flesh
down.
My poor, dear, fat simpletons allow
me to prescribe for you.
Rise early ; exercise much, partic;
ularly in the open air; bathe frequent
ly, rubbing the skin very hard ; hut
most important of all, eat plain, coarse
food, and
.reduce the quantity until
you find yourself growing thinner
two or three pounds per week. Your
sluggishness, short !prefab, and other
discomforts will POOO leave you, and
you will become, bright, clear-headed
and happy.—lndependent
Increase of Foreign Emigration
Owing to the excitement produced
by the Southern rebellion, public at
tention has not been much occupied
with the phases of foreign emigration
to these shores. Nevertheless the
tide has been and still is steadily
rolling on , with vast benefit to our
population. The number of emi
grants arrived, and who after arrival
have left New • York; during the pe
riod between March let and August
Ist is 85,046, against 48,410 for the
same period in 1862. The emigration
this year, ther.. for the period named,
is just double what it was last year.
There is nothing to restrain a tide
ike this to the Western World.
ADDRESS
OF THE
Democratic State Central Committee.
To the People of Pennsylvania:
Au important e'ection is at hand,
and the issues involved in it may
now claim your attention. The tide
of war has been rolled back from
our borders; and with thanks to
God, and gratitude to the skill and
valor which, by his favor, achieved
the prompt deliverance of our invad
ed Commonwealth, we may now give
our solemn consideration to the
causes that have brought to its pres
ent condition a country once peace
ful, united and secure. It is now
the scene of a great civil war, be
tween States that. lately ministered
to each other's prosperity in a Union
founded for their common good. It
was this Union that gave them peace
at home and respect abroad. They
coped successfully with Great Britain
on the ocean, and the "doctrine" ut
tered by President Monroe warned
off the monarchs of Europe from the
whole American continent Now,
France carves out of it an empire,
and ships built in England plunder
our commerce on every sea. A great
public debt and a conscription bur
den the people. The strength and
wealth of the nation are turned from
productive industry and consumed
in the destructive arts of war. Our
victories fail to win peace. Through
out the land, arbitrary power en
croaches upon civil liberty.
What has wrought the disastrous
change? No natural causes embroil
ed the North and the South. Their
interchangeable products and com
modities, and various institutio.ns,
were sources of reciprocal benefit,
and excluded competition and strife.
But an artificial cause of dissension
was found in the position of the Af
rican race ; and the ascendency in
the national council sof men pledged
to an aggressive and unconstitution
al Abolition policy, has brought our
country to the condition of "the
house divided against itself." The
danger to the Union began where
statesmen had foreseen it; it began
in the triumph of a sectional party,
founded on principles of revolution
ary hostility to the Constitution and
the laws. The leaiers of this party
were pledged to a conflict with rights
recognized and sheltered by the Con
stitution. They called this conflict
"irrepressible ;" and whenever one
party is determined to attack what
another is determined to defend, a
conflict can always be made "irre
pressible." They counted on an easy
triumph through the aid of insur
gent slaves, and, in this reliance,
were careless how soon they pro
voked, a collision. Democrats and
Conservatives strove to avert the
conflict. They saw that Union was
the paramount interest of their coun
try, and they stood by the great
bond of Union, the Constitution of
the United States. They were con
tent to leave debatable questions Ru
der it to the high tribunal framed to
decide them ; they preferred it to
the sword as an arbiter between the
States; they strove hard to merit
the title which their opponents gave
them in scorn—the title of "Union
savers." We will not at length re
hearse their efforts In the Thirty
sixth Congress the Republican lead
ers refused their assent to the Crit
tenden Corrproinise. On this point
the testimony of Mr. Douglas will
suffice. lie said :
I believe this to tie a fair basis of ami
cable adjustment. If you of the Republi
can side are not willing to accept this, nor
the proposition of the Senator from Ken
tucky (Mr. Crittenden,) pray tell us what
• you are willing to do? 1 address the in
quiry to the Republicans alone, for the
reason that, in the Committee of Thirteen, a
few days ago, every member from the South.
including those from the cotton States (Messrs.
Davis and Toombs,) expressed their leadi
nese to accept the proposition of my ven
erable friend from Kentucky, Mr. Critten
den, as a final settlement of the contro
versy, if tendered and sustained by the
Republican members. Hence the sole re
sponsibility of our disagreement, and the
only difficulty in the way of an amicable
adjustment. is with the Republican party."
—Jan. 3, 1861.
The Peace Congress was another
means by which the border States
strove to avert the impending strife
How the Republican leaders then
conspired against the peace of their
country may he seen in a letter
from Senator Chandler, of Michigan,
to the Governor of that State:
"To Ilia Excellency, Justin Blair :
Governor Bwgharn and myself tele
graphed you on Saturday, at the request
of Massachusetts and New York, to send
delegates to the Peace or Cotnpromise
Congress. They admit that we were right
and that they were wrong; that no Re•
publican State should have sent delegates;
but they are here and cannot get away.—
Ohio, Indiana and Rhode Island are cav
ing in, and there is danger of Illinois; and
now they beg us for God's sake to come to
their rescue, and save the Republican .par
ty trom rupture. I hope you will send
stif-backed men or none. The whole thing
was gotten up against my judgment and
advice. and will end in thin smoke. Still
I hope ae a abettor of courtesy to sows of
NEW SERIES.--VOL. 5, NO. 12.
our erring brethren tfiat you will send the
delegates. Truly your friend,
Z. CIIANDLER."
"P. S.—Soule of the manufacturing
States think that a fight would be awful.
Without a little blood-letting this Union
will not, in toy estimation, be wortt a
rush."
Washington, Feb. 11, 1861.
In Pennsylvania, too, the same
spirit prevailed. It was not sees
how necessarily her position nutted
her in interest with the border States.
She has learned it since, from con
tending armies trampling out her
harvests and deluging her fields
with blood. Gov. Curtin sent to the
Peace Congress Mr. Wilmot and Air.
Meredith.
Mr. Wilmot was chiefly known
from the connection of his name with
the attempt to embroil the country
by the "Wilmot Proviso," baffled by
patriotic statesmarship, in which
Clay and Webster joined with the
Democratic leaders; just as Clay
and Jackson had joined in the Tariff
Compromise of 1833. Mr. Meredith
had published his belief that the mut
terings of the rising storm were
what be called "stridulous cries," un
worthy of the slightest attention..
By Mr. Lincoln's election, in No
vember, 1860, the power to save or
destroy the Union was in the hands
of his party; and no adjustment
was possible with men who rejected
the judgment of the Supreme Court.
who scorned conciliation and com
promise, and who looked to a "little
blood-letting" to cement the Arrerit
can Union. '1 ill this time, the Union
men of the South had controlled,
with little difficulty, the small but
restless class among them who de
sired a separate nationality. The
substantial interests of the South, es
pecially the slaveholding interest,
were drawn reluctantly into seces
sion. Gen. F. P. Blair, of Missouri,
an eminent Republican, said very
truly, iu the last Congress :
"Every man acquainted with the titre knows
that it is fallacious to call this "a slartholders"
rebellion. • • • • • A closer
scrutiny demonstrates the contrary to be
true; such a scrutiny demonstrates that the
rebellion originated chiefly with the non-slave
holders resident in the strongholds of the insti
tution, not springing, however, from any line
of slavery, but from an antagonism of race and
hostility to the idea of equality with the blacks
involved in simple emancipation."
It was the triumph of tifo Aboli
tionists over the Democrats and Con
servatives of the Nor*, that secured
a like triumph to the Secessionists
over the Union men of the South.—
The John Brown raid was taken as
a practical exposition of the the doc
trine of "irrepressible conflict."—
The exultation over its momentary
success, the lamentation over its
failure, had been swelled by the Abo
litionists, so as to seem a general ex
pression of Northern feeling. Riots
and rescues had nullified the consti
tutional provision fir the return of
fugitives. the false pretence that
slavery would monoplize the terri
tories, when we bad no territories
in which it could exist, had been
used as a means of constant
'agita
tion against slavery in the Southern
States. A. plan of attack upon it
had been published in " Helper's
hook," formally endorsed and re
commended by the leaders of the
party that was about to ,assume the
Administration of the Federal Gov
ernment—leaders who openly incal
culated contempt for the Constitu
tion, contempt for the Supreme
Court, and professed to follow a
"higher law." Thus the flame of
revolution at the South was kindled
and fed with fuel furnished by the
Abolitionists. It might seem super
fluous to advert now to what Ai past
and irrevocable, were it not that it
is against the same men and the
same influences, still dominant in
the councils of the Administration,
that an appeal is now to be made to
the intell*ence of the people. The ,
Abolitionists deprecate these allu
sions to the past. To cover up their
own tracks, they invite us to spend
all our indignation upon "Southern
traitors ;" but truth compels us to
add, that, in the race of treason, the
Northern traitors to the Constitu
tion had the start. Th.ej tell us
that slavery was the cause of the
war; therefore, the Union is to be
restored by waging a war upon sla
very. This is not true; or only true
in the sense that any institution,
civil or religious, may be a cause of
war, if' war is made upon it. Nor is
it a just conclusion that if you take
from your neighbor his "man-servant
or his maid, or anything that is his,"
you will thus establish harmony be
tween you. No danger .to the Union
arose from slavery whilst the people
of each State dealt calmly and intel
ligently with the question within
within their own State
limits i-
Where little importance attached to
it, it soon yielded to moral and
economical oonsiderations., leaving
the negro in a position of social and
political subordination no v - hers
more clearly marked than in the
Constitution and laws of Pennsyl
vania. The strife began when peo
ple in States where it was an imina•
tonal question undertook to prescribe
the course-of duty upon it to States
in which it was s question - of great
importance sad difficulty. This in.
terferenee became more doorways
when attempts were made . to usatite
power of the General Grommet
4'