c fvanktin tpooitor4.
Wednesday. November 16,1865
WE have a dispatch from' a reliable
source, dated New York, on Monday,
- which says that "Gov. Curtin . has had a
"violent attack of Siclutess, but this morn
ing 'feels that the disease is yielding to
~.reittetlies." lie has been very danger
ously ill for some days, but we trust ROW
soon to be able to kinounce his recovery
and return to the 'capital.
•
TERMS-CASIT
THE REPOSITORY ASSOCIATION i 6 now
cligaged iii ereeting alarge building, which
is rendered necessary for its large business
operations mid which will be creditable
alike to the Association and to regener
ated Chambersbarg. , lu 'addition , to the
hope ordinary expenses required, in the
publication of the paper, we have very
huge exrainditures for building, and , we
are compelled to demand prompt settle
menb4rom our patrons.
Bills have been rendered to all in ar
rears-many of them small it is true; but
however unimportant the amounts may
theyto each individual, in the aggregate
they swell up to thousands of dollars.
We must now and henceforth enforce
CASH PAY3IthTS, and trust that our Ja
• trOns will at once respond to our wants.,
Our expenditures are more than doubled
in every- department, and in sonic they are
trebled since the war, and protracted
credits cannot be allowed. No reasonable
expense is spared_ to make the REPOSI
TORY the best rural Union journal in the
State, and its steadily increasing patron
age assures us that it is appreciated by
the loyal men of Southern Pennsylvania.
'ferms—CAS2l ! •
SIIALL TREASON REGAIN ITS POWER!
We are within a few weeks of the meet
ing of the 39th Congress. Memorable as
is the history of many in the past, none
!Las ever equalled in moment—whether
regarded as effecting the present or the
•fitfure—the Congress to convene on the
first Monday of December next. Various
complex questions will demand solution
at its hands; but the gravest of all will
meet it at the very threshold of the ses
sion. and units determination will depend
much for weal or Woe to a Nation just res
cued from treason by the matchless he
roism and countless sacrifices of a loyal.
people. '
Wberithg roll of the new,Congress shall
have been called by the Clerk - , the Repre
sentatives from all the States lately in re
bellion against the government will de
mand that their names be added so that
they may : participate,in the organization
of the House. Mr. McPherson, the Clerk
—who is the presiding officer of the House
until a Speaker is chbsen—will refuse to
recognize the members from the seceded
States, and on the determination of the
inevitable motion to have the rebel names
added to the roll, he will call onlyr the
members whose States have maintained
„their. fidelity to the Union, and thus sub-'
mit the queltion to the deliberate consul
ration of Congress. In this he has no al
ternative. The law defines his duty, and
he can but obey it. Were he to dritoth
erwise he would commit a most flagrant
usurpation, and. would predeterminelhe
moat important issue to be decided by the
coming Congrem. If lie should once place
their names on the roll and call them On
all questions arising in the organization,
- we should Witness the marvelous spectacle'
of a band.of rgbeis, fresh from their inglo
rious fields, and murderous prison-pens,
voting thems'elves into Congress and into
power in tire government they had ex
hausted thetuselVes in a vain effort to de
stroy.
We do not overrate - either the magnitude
or the danger of the issue. Encouraged by
the lenftcy of the administration, the
Southerq members will be clamorous for
their admission, and there will not be
wafting those who will bend before a
,united South as in olden times, and yield
to the pressure for their success. We
shall hear much of fraternity and harmony;
of brotherly love; of the ties of race and
language, and it is not improbable that
even at this early day,, with the blood of
the Five Forks still unwashed from the
soil of the Old Dominion, we shall have
threats of tarkulence, discord and it may
be disintegratiokif they are denied a voice
in our highest legislative tribunals. For
all this loyal Congressmen must be pre
pared, for thus will the conflict come, and
whether it shall be mighty or but a ripple
on the surface, depends upon the fidelity .
with which it is met. If there shall be
fear and trembling, then will the appli
ances of power and the thunder of lordly
traitors gain ground daily, and the admis
sion of rebel delegations into our National
legislature will be but a question of a few
weeks at most.
- —Should tbey be admitted 3 We are
jiot insensible to the fact that they are to
form a part, and no unimportant part, of
our regenerated Nation, and we concede
that the time Must come. and we hope at
an early day, when they shall justly re
gain their proper position in all depart
ments of the government. Because they
have rebelled is not, in itself, a reason for
their exclusion. If it were, they should
be forever excluded. Nor can they he
placed on probation until they think, fed
and act on all quL4ions }is do the people
of the North. They will ever cherish
their heroes,. mourn their bereavements
of their friends, and will not soon learn to
love the hated eons of the North whose
sterner qualities they proved so fearfully
. for themselves on many battle-fields. To
ask that they should forget their convic
tions and their affections, before restoring
them to power, would be to doom them
to lives of dependence. But we must not
be unmindful that Nye have just emerged
from a terrible war—a war that has left
~its hundreds of thousands of untimely
graves; that has staggered the Nation
with billions of debt—a war causeless,
wanton, wicked and most cruel ; forced
upon en un willing people without recourse
to the constitutional tedress for teal or
imaginary giievatices, and a war which
has tangible, logical results now patent to
the civilized world. If these results were
alike acceptable to all, then would imme
diate fraternity in our National legislature
be the first duty of the vindicated govern
ment. But the deadly, desolating civil
war of America does not differ from other
great wars in having victors and van
quished ; and it but;repeats the history
of the arbitrament of the sword in all
times past, in making up its results at the
cost of the discomfitted. The North has
.lost nothing in the great issues of the war;
the South has lost everything it staked on
the conflict. The North Las deep wounds
to heal in broken circles, and its fall share
of war's inexorable exactions, but it has
won , the great principles for which it gave
its noblest blood. The. South has no less
sorrows to sohtee and has lost the issues
it staked in deadly struggle. It is de
feated, subjugated and bows sullenly to,
hopeless disaster. It yielded nothing
while the sword could be drawn in wrath;
while man could meet man in bloody
strife. A common Government, a com
mon Nationality and a common Inherit
ance, weighed as nothing in giving us
peace. It was a surrender to the direst I
necessity, and theY now come with life,
property,-honor, citizenship, everything
forfeited by treason—with nothing more
to lose and everything to gain, whether
little or much, in the work of restoration,
Oand yet w from their leaders the,
their representatives have unquestitihed.
right to seats in Congress to determine
the penalty for their own offences, and .
to direct the destiny of the government
they failed to overthrow.
The results of this war are far from de
fined and settled in the policy of the, go
vernment. Slavery has been abolished
by the war we are told. How i If the -
-States are in the Fnion, and ever were,
then was Emancipation a monstrous usur
patioe, unless accomplished by constitu
tional amendment, and if they are sover
eign States in the Uniom so that they are
entitled to representation without ques
tion, then are their provisional Governors
usurpers, and the ?residential instructions
that they must alxilish slavery, repudiate
debt, &c., the work of a dictator and con
fronting the very geniusof our institutions.
We accept the destruction of slavery-as
one of the logical, inevitable results of the
war; but how arid upon what terms is it
abolished ? Georgia demands compeusa-
tion for slaves; so does Louisiana, and so
would all if they sacrificed discretion to
truth. It will be for Congress to deter
mine whether slavery shall fall as alegit
imate fruit of treason's war, or whether it
shall be compensated and the Nation give
still millions more to compromise with its
crowning crime. -Who should determine
this grave question ? The North whose
valor fairly won the result ? or the South
who made the war tbr slavery and lost it ?
The South comes professing no surren
der of principle. It justified the war on
the plea of State rights, and yields not its
1 favorite fallacy in demanding admission.
Shall this question remain, as heretofore,
a stumbling block for honest men, and a
stepping stone for future traitors to inau
gurate fresh discord and probably future
war I It' riot, who should, dud who must,
adjust the question for the safety of the
Nation ! Should the friends or the foes
of the government devise the measures
necessary to avert war and preserve the
Nation's life by peaceful menus? It is
confessedly wisdom to leave no important
questions open to latitude of construction
for present or future traitors, and who
should judge the remedy'. Those who in
their - richest blood and with boundless
treasure maintained the right? or those
who deluged a continent in gore to over
throw
its authority 1 Our debt is crushiug ;
it weighs heavily upon the loyal millions
who cheerfully incurred it-for government
and law ; but it is an accepted law of war
that its authors may be made to bear its
fullest burden. Such was the policy of
this government in the revolution as ap
plied to traitors, and in the last war with
England ; such was the policy of treason's
go vernni ent,which relentlessly confiscated
tire property of every loyal man North and
South that it could reaeh, and such was
the deliberate enactment of our own Con
greis4. In the South every claim due the
North, and the property of every loyal
man was confiscated. Real estate may
now be restored, but who is to restore the
millions of dollars plundered from loyal
citizens in the South which perished in its
use ? Shall restitution to such be made
from the property of those who inaugur
ated the war I Shall it be done from our
common treasure, or shall it not be done
at all ? . These inquiries are yet to be'an
swered by the, highest legislative power,
and who shall , decide them ? Shall the
men who made the war and the debt; and
who Were instrumental in the spoliation
of loyal citizens in the South, become
judges in Congress in the adjudication of
these momentous questions f Our Con
gress has solemnly enacted, as a punish
ment lor treason, that no traitor shall sit
in our National legislature—that none but
such as can affirm that they have not aid
, ed or abetted the rebellion can be quali
fied as members. The strict enforcement
of this law would exclude every Southern
member elect.. -Should they be admitted
in violation of the law and aid iti the de
termination of the issue whether this pen
alty for treason should be revoked T If
treason is thus to sit ill judgment upon
treason, where will be the penalty' for
crime I—where the reward for virtue?
Our organic law may prive to be defec
tive—unequal to the preservation of our
great National compact; and to whom
should be entrusted the responsible duty
of adjusting it to heal a country's-woes?
Surely not to those who have ever strug
gled to weakea and subvert out great
charter and ended their perfidy in revo
lution. There are billions of rebel debt.
Shall it be paid in part or in whole ?
There are thousands upon thousands of
rebel maimed and scarred, won with a
heroism worthy of a better cause, and
there are other thousands of bereaved
mothers, who would have irresistable
claims upon the generosity of a govern
ment to which they had been faithful?
Shall they be pensioners upon our common
treasury ? These are issues which trea
son does not flaunt upon its banner as
CA Iranian' firpostiotp, 41.4ambersbuts;
it thunders at the doors of Congress; but
they must be met, and who shall meet
the& If met by united delegations of
rebels from the Southern States, with their
concentrated power to appeal to ambition,
well may the patriot ilespair of the Re
public.
—Let no Union roan from Penn'sylvania
presume so much upon a faithful coptit
uency as to hazard every issue of the war
by the admission of the rebel delegations
into Congress. They come in pursuance
of no law; the offspring of a provisional
organization that is but a petition to Con
gress for acceptance; and we owe it to the
- faithful people who have maintained the
government; to the hundreds of thousands
of our martyred heroes who were sacrifi
ces upon the altars of our liberties; to the
hopeful living who are stricken in their
holiest affections by the madness of trea
son; and above all do we owe it to the fu
ture peace and harmony of a mighty Na
tion,.that every issue of the war shall be
definitely and irrevocably adjusted;• that
its full fruition shall be fixed as-the stars
in the spheres, before one faithless repre
sentative of a faithless State shall sit in
judgment on Freedom's noblest_struggle
for mankind !
THE PARASITE'S EULOGY.
The chief Editor of this journal has
achieved the most enviable distinction of
having been elaborately denounced by
both the 'Harrisburg Tapers within the
space of ten days, and he hopes that the
credit he has thus won shall not soon be
wrested from him by the fatal praise of
either of the tlindicant journals which
have so long disgraced our capital. If in
an evil hour we should resolve upon polit
ical suicide, their blistering commendation
can be had at any time, in any degree of
extravagance, and at rates within the reach
of the humblest means.
A few weeks ago the writer hereof call
ed on President Johnson. He was not an
obtrusive visitor. He did not go to make
apologies. to seek honors, to beg for emol
uments, to give unbidden counsehtTor did
he go to plead that the wishes of his peo
ple should be.defied to make him the re
cipient of official favor. Just why lie
went, or how he came to be there, is no
matter. When there he discussed with
the frankness of manhood such questions
as were agreeable to his company. On
some points there were differences of sen
timent expressed with 'equal candor by„
both, and on others there was entire eon=
cordance. The main features of that con
versation were given in an Editorial letter
in these columns, in which the same frank
ness was maintained that characterized
the conference. It was so given for truth's
sake, mid also because it is ever a matter
of public interest to know the views of an
Executive when grave questions are agi
tated and demand solution. Had we been
the village post-master, with four-fifths
of our citizens desiring our removal, pro
bably we should not have said and pub
lished what we did; but being a stranger
to that_ measure of both greed and con
tempt, this journal stated the simple truth
at, the President means it shall be under
stood
This letter is made the pi (-text by the
Telegraph for a gross perversion of its
statements and tone and a column of scur
rilous abuse of the writer. It assumes, that
we have assailed the President's policy,
when we have merely adhered to the
opinions this journal has uniformly ex
messed since the close of the war, as to
the treatment of traitors, in which we have
ever fallen far short of the vengeance de
manded by the Telegraph. Hitherto it
Ice. teemed with vengeance and only ven
geance to the subjugated people of the
- rebel States. It has demanded life, pro
perty..honor and citizenship to be surren
dereetts the penalty for treason; but now
it learns from this journal that its persist
ent demand for wholesale ostracism anti
wide-spread slaughter are at variance with
the views of the President, who has chang
ed his convictions, and forthwith it reviles
us for stating the truth and pleads the
cause of treason with a mendacity only
equalled by its former thirst for blood and
confiscation.! It elaborates the privations
and the virtues'of traitors. With mingled
stupidity and cowardice it cries that the
punishment of rebels " is already greater
"than that suffered by a ny people for a sim
"ilar offence!" and it bends the suple knee
in the face of its low appeals to prejudice
to swell the current of Northern hate in
adjusting our difficulties, and would kiss
, the'lash of the lordly traitors, whenbidden
by its masters or its fears.
We do not claim for this journal that
it rivals the Telegraph in endorsing the
President. We shall endorse his admin
istration, as we endorse every other pub
lic man or measure—when consistency
and right depend it. We censured him
months ago, as did every other- Union
journal of diameter, and would do so
again under similar circumstances. The
Telegraph did not, lest its pursuit of plun
der and precarious official honors should
suffer thereby. It approves because it
dare not do otherwise. If vengeance be
demanded, it is for vengeance ; if concilia
tion, it is for conciliation. It clings to of
fice in defiance of the popular will, while
a brave soldier with scars and stars hero
ically won, although sustained by the
people in overwhelming numbers, is
thrust aside in obedience to,the impera
tive demand of its masters. The-soldier
who has aided to win his country's de
liverance shivers at the outer door of fa
vor, while the pampered parasite Weis
within. We envy not the little success it
gains by meanly reflecting others hatreds
and jealousies, and in imbecile, contradic
tory sentences weaving awkward false
hoods against all who maintain their man
hood. ,Its infamy is its own and fairly
won, and as it is harmless only' in its as
saults, we thank if for the tribute its
groveling malice has paid us. One year
. ago, when the Union candidate tbr the
legislature, we encountered the impotent
'opposition of its proprietor„ who in that,
as in all things, but obeyed the master's
behest; but then as now its hostility was
the surest precurser of success, and the
highest vote cast for any one ou the tick
et was given for the editor of this jour
nal. When - the Telegraph's ostensible
proprietor or those who use him for their
meaner purposes, attain one position with
the high seal of popular favor, instead of
crawling or climbing to place in insolent
defiance of the people, we shall join in
awarding them all the credit 'they have
achieved. Until then however, there
would be fitness in persistent and obnox
ious place-hangers and plunderers letting
- those alone who seek no honors but at
the hands of their constituents.
LIVE THE REPUBLIC!
The elections of the 7th inst. present
one overwhelming wave of Union tri
umph. - Not an Executive, not a legisla
ture, not an important' officer of the op
position-was chosen in any of the States
which voted—the last elections of the
year 1865 but consummating what all pre
vious ones were _steadily effecting—the
universal discomfiture of the so-called De
mocracy-. In New York Gen. Slocum—a
man who had been the recipient of polit,
ical honors from the Republican party—
was tempted to treachery to himself and
his cause by the proffer of a Democrati
nomination for Secretary of State—anom
ination tendered him by the same "friends"
who crimsoned New York with lawless
ness to defeat the conscription of men to
fill oar then sadly shattered armies fr in
which Gen. Slocum held an important
command. To delude the people more
effectually, they placed the Republican
Controller on their ticket also ; endorsed
President Johnson, and their orators and
journals from day to day declarediffin in
syrupat4 with them and desiring, their
success: but the people of New York;
faithful in war have ,been no lesafaitlifid
in peace, and they respondt*te the is
sue by giving more ; than ,qUadruple the
majority for the Union" ticket given for
Mr. Lincoln last .yri►r. Thus have gone
down in the.Empite State the weak and
'temporizing, the corrupt and faithless in
a common grave. They made but two
sites distinctly before the people—the sup
port of President Johnson and the imme
diate admission of the Southern represen
tatives as his favorite policy. Will they
accept the verdict as forced by them
selves ?
Massachusetts,' \Wisconsin, Nlinnesota
and New Jersey all' elected Governors on
the same day. In Massachtisetts A. 11.
Bullock (Union) defeats Gen: Couch about
three to one; in Minnesota .Wm. R. Mar
shall (Union) defeats Rice by a large ma
jority, and Lucius Fairchild (Union) is cho
sen in Wistonsin by a decisive vote. In
New Jersey, the only Northern State that
has . hitherto adhered to the waning for
tunes of the Democracy, the Union men
have at last triumphed by the election of
Ward (Union) as Governor by some 3,-
500 majority. and a Union majority iu
botit branches of the legislature—thus
securing the ratification of the constitu
tional amendment abolishing slavery. It
Illinois the vote was for local °deers only,
but the Union men have made large gains,
and in Maryland they elected a solidllniitm
legislature and one Union member of Con
greSS to:till a vacancy.
—Such is the: verdict of the Nation !
Behold its tribute to Truth, to Union, to
Law, to. declared from the opening of the
year. with treason still in deadly array
against the government, to its close, when
it yielded the sword to win its way to
power through Democratic success at the
polls. Thus have the people, ever faith
ful in the darkest days with which treason
shadowed the Republic, vindicated their
country's cause with the dawn of peace,
and declared million-tongued that the
dearly won and deeply crimsoned fruits
of the war shall not be marred or blotted
in our history. It is au admonition as
grave as it is decisive to rulers and to
people, to patriot and traitor, to the faith
ful and perfidious/ that to loyal Men, and
No them alone, shall the destiny of the
Nation be comm tted until treason be
comes powerless to reverse the verdict of
the sword which it chose as its arbiter.
Let all accept the verttict, for it cannot
be disregarded with impunity. Let it be
obeyed in the calm, determined, faithful
spirit in which it has been given by a IoY-.
al people, and the perils of peace will fade
away as have faded the terrible clouds of
war. Live the Republic!
KOONTZ %S. COFFROTH
Owing to the flagrant disregard of the
law by certain Democratic return Judges
in this Congressional district, General
Koontz's name is omitted from the Gov
ernor's proclamation certifying to the list
of members of Congress elect from Penn
sylvania. Gen. Coffroth is also without
the formal 'recognition of the Executive
proclamation, and the certificateOn which
he relics to give him his scat entirely (units
the vote of Somerset county. where a ma
jority of over 600 was cast against him.
llis friends, in insolent disregard <of their
solemn oaths, and in disregard of the
plainest provisons of hiw, rejected a por
tion of the soldiers' vote, even after it had
been computed by the return Judges of
Fulton county, and' thus made an appar
ent majority for him ; but when the ,ffis
trict Judges met, they concluded to do
the clean thing, and they made out a re
turn for him omitting an entire county and
on that they gave him a certificate. -
Owing to the organized fraud in a cir
cle of Democratic return judges—that
party having control of the Boards in
four of the five counties—Gen. Koontz
was unable to get the full and correct vote
certified by the persons chosen to perform
that duty; but he has it properly certified
from the records, under the seals of the
respective Prothonotaries, and will thus
present it to Congress: The official vote
was as follows :
Adams..
Bedfigd..
Franklin.
Fulton...
Somme t
Koontz's majority, 68
That this vote was cast and proPerly
returned to the Prothonotaries of the pro-.
per counties no one prethnds to deny; and
that it was the duty of the return judges
to compute it and issue a Certificate of
election in accordance therewith, is clear ,
from the following section of the law :
And it shall not be lawful for said Judges or
clerks in casting up the- rotes which shall appear
to have been given, as shown by , the certificates
under the 76th and 77th sections of this act to
omit or reject any part thereof, except where in the
opinion of said Judges, such certificate is so de
teethe, as to prevent the same from being under
stbod, and computed ,in adding together the num,
bur of rotes.
In open disregard of this law the army
vote was withheld and while it did-not
secure Gen.Joffroth a certificate, it did
deprive Gen. Koontz of such testimonials
'as are necessary to enable him to ; be pla
ced on the roll when Congress meets.—
Certainly one of these men is entiaed to
be sworn as prima facia elected, gild we
submit to Congressmen whether the man
whoihas, confessedly, a clear majority of
the tchole tote returned in the district, is not
.that man. It is not disputed that Gen.,
Koontz has such a majority, and we insist
thataie shall be admitted at once on the
evidL i mee to that effect, and thus prevent
a district from being entirely disfranchis
ed for two or three months until a corn
nuctee,- shall decide the case. If illegal
votts have been polled, let Gen. Coffroth
contest-in the regular way and establish
if he can that the majority for Gen. Koontz
is made up of illegal votes. If he can
prove that such is the case he will be just
ly entitled to hiS seat; but until then the
clear majority cast and regularly returned
gives Gen. Koontz ajust,and legal claim
to the seat until his votils shown to be
fraudulent. z -v
We ask tye- - attention of Congressmen
to this peculiar case. and ask only that it
simple judged by law and equity accor
&fig to the well settled rules which gov
ern elections. If it shall be so judged,
G ea:Koontz will be sworn at once in obe
dience to the instructions of the House,
and a fair contest, if Coffioth shall so de
termine, will establish the folly of his
claim to represent us in defiance of the
vote of the people. .
Henry Wirz, the jailor of the charnel
house of Andersonville. was exeCnted in
Washington on Friday last in the Old
Capital Prison yard, in obedience .to the
iindingAnd sentence of the military com
mission as approved by the President.
He persisted to the last in denying that
be-had wilfully starved, murdered or mal
treated Union prisoners. although the tes
timony on the trial was overwhelming and
cumnlative to an extent that precluded
the possibility of doubt as to the fiendish
character of the man. He gave to the re
porters of the press a detailed account of
his life, carefully embellishing his good
traits, as though he dreaded the imputa
tion' of the unnatural crimes charged
against him next to death. His last letter
was written to one of his counsel just
-before mounting the gallows, in which he
appealed for assistance for his family. He
said in it that "if any oske ought to come
to the relief of my family it is the people
of the South, for whom I have sacrificed
all." After his execution, his body was
delivered to Father Boyle, his spiritual
adviser, for interment.
—Thus has the creature of murderous
treason atoned for the monstrous atroci
tieg which doomed twenty thousand Union
prisoners to loathsome disease. lingering'
sai-vation and death ; but where are his
principals The record of the trial of
Wirz shows that he was arraigned, tried
and convicted for , . " combining, confeder
" ating and conspiring together with Jef
" ferson Davis. James A. Seddon, Howell
Cobb, John H. Winder, Richard B. Win
" der, Isaiah H. White, S. P. Moore,
'• Kerr, late hospital stewart at Anderson
" ville, James Duncan, Wesley W. Turn
" er, Benjamin Harris and others unknown,
"'to injure the health and destroy the lives
" of soldiers in the military service of the
United States, then held and being psis
" oners of war," &c. Upon this charge
Wirz was found guilty—not guilty merely
of murdering Union prisoners himself, but
guilty of " combining, confederating and
conspiring together" with Davis. Seddon
and others to accomplish the deliberate -
murder of prisoners of war. This finding
the President approves with the sentence,
and upon this record, sanctioned, by a
court martial and approved by the highest
officer of the govermnent, the poor crea
ture—the miserable tool of the chief mur
derers,—is executed. What shall be the
fate of
,his principals ? When and how
w#l they be tried ? Is justice to be satis
tietit by the punishment of an irresponsible
subordinate, while his superiors whose
bidding he was bound to obey, are enjoy
ing their freedom and helping to recon
struct the government, or , saintly waiting
in comfortable , confinement, the coming
I day when they may be discharged with
?
reconstruction of the rebel States
seems to go on smoothly enough on paper
and in the speechiricof delegations which
call on the President; but when it comes
to electing Governors. &c., treason will
assert its supremacy and frequently smash
es the whole Union machine. South Car
olina simply repeals the ordinance of se
cession, instead of declaring it null and
void because illegal, and' thns,practically
reserves the bright to re-enact it at her
pleasure. She also refuses` to repudiate
rebel debts and hesitates about ratifying
the, amendment of the constitution—in
fact would not cast :a single vote for it in
her legislature if left to her own deliberate
'choice. Georgia demands compensation
for slaves emancipated. and finally, after
peremptory instructions froili the Presi
dent, who, takes that way of insuring them
a Republichn form of government, they
concluded to repudiate their rebel debt
by t bare majority. Louisiana also de
'mantis compensation for 'slaves, and has
just chosen a ticket of clean-limbed rebels
to all their offices, excepting only the Go
vernor, who is considerably mixed. Mis
sissippi had agreed to be re-constructed
with Fisher, Union, as Governor, but Gen.
Humphreys, one 'of Lee's division coin
wanders, took the field and ran pretty
ranch all the votes. In North Carolina,
where there has ever been a strong Union
sentiment, and where Gov. Holden, start
ed out with fair prospects for maintaining
his ascend efiey, the election has just swept
the board clear of all Union candidates,
beating Holden by Worth, rebel, and de-
Koontz. Coifroth.
2,525 2,759
2,145 , 2,515
3,508 '3,457
552 ' 851
2,512 1,592
OEM
11,14!I
EXECUTION OF WIRZ
feating all the Union candidates for Con
green. In none of these Sfates have the
Southern people even agreed to make ne
groes witnesses in their courts, and they
will be hereafter as heretofore, subject to
all the brutality of their old masters with
out7l a remedy. We submit that after four
years of terril e war, Ao. dethrone treason,
these results are mil the entertainments
to which, victory incited us.
WILL the Franklin Repository answer us this
question : Do you believe, with President John- -
son, that the States which passed ordinances of
secession were never out of the Union, and are in
the Union now, or do you go With Thaddeus Ste
phens, who holds that those States are out of the
Union and are no longer States, but conquered
provinces, and must be governed by Con,gmas and
the Federal Executive? No dodging, Colonel.—
Bedford Gazette. _
It the Gazette will read a leading edi
torial in this paper, it may find its
question frankly answered. The organic
law forbids treason and secession, but we
do not therefore assume that the crime
cannot be committed. In like manner
the laws of Pennsylvania forbid election
judges to make fraudulent returns ; but
when the Gazettc and its friends do make
fraudulent retnrhs an accomplished fact,
we are unwilling to deny the crime be
cause it is forbidden. The secession of
the Southern States was an 'accomplished
fact—it was so recognized , by Executive
proclamations; by solemn enactment of
Congress, in - which both parties concurred,
refusing their votes for President and de
nying them all representation, and it is
now for Congress to determitie when and
on what conditions, they shall regain their
position as States in, the Union. Some
preliminary steps were necessary, such
the appointment of provisional Governors
and the calling of conventions, all of
which are within the powers of the Presi
dent when States are under military rule,
but such organizations are but an appeal
to Congress for recognition and will be so
regarded.
TUE Xational Intelligencer of a recent
date says that President Johnson will,
before the meeting of Congress, issue a
proclamation recognizing the reconstruct
ed' States as again in practical relations
'with the federal Government; that it
will, consequently, he the duty of Mr.
Clerk IPPberson to place the names of
Representatives from those States on his
initial roll." It is not improbable that
such a proclamation may be issued for the
purpose stated, unless the thunder of the
late eleßtions has not reached the inner
sanctugy of the White House, but it will
be like the Pope's bull against the comet
so far as Mi. M'Pherson is concerned. Mr.
M'Pherson will obey the law of Congress,
and will not call the members elected by
?he States lately in rebellion against the.
government. That is 'a question for Con
gress, and not the Executive to detetmine,
and Congress will not part with its high ,
prerogative in the premises.
INFORMATiox is wanted of one Mont
gomery Blair, late a Republican Cabinet
officer, then a sore-headed scold in the
Union ranks. and later still a champion
of the Democratic ticket in New York.
We learn that Mr. Cessna, Chairman of
the Union State Committee, desires to en
gage Mr. Blair's services exclusively for-
Pennsylvania next year—said Blair to
speak for the Democratic ticket and thus
insure the success of the Union candidate
for Governor. .kny one who can give in
formation to Mr. Cessna of Mr. Blair's
whereabouts will 'do a signal service to
the Union cause, as there is danger of the
Union men of other States securing him.
We can elect our Governor by some 30,-
000, anyhow, hut it may just as well be
made 50,000. and Blair can do it
WE see daily statements from Wash
.ington in the papers . relative to the trial
of Jeff. Davis for treason—some insisting
that all arrangements for his trial are corn
pleted and that it will soon take place.
We do not assume to speak authoritative
ly on the subject: but if any arrangements
have been made for the trial of Davis they
have been made within the last two weeks.
We adhere to the opinion expressed last
week that Davis will not be tried at all,
but that he will ultimately be paroled, as
was Stephens, Reagan and others.
TIIE President has given a very posi
tive evidence of his appreciation of the
late elections, by the appointment of Gen.
Kilpatrick as Minister to Chili. The Ge
neral made fearful raids through the De
mocracy of Neu? York and New Jersey
during the late canvass, and more - than
once routed such old shoppers as John
Van Buren and Montgomery Blair, and
his signal recognition by the President is
a Significant rebuke to those blatant lead
ers who professed to have Johnson's ad
ministration in their peculiar keeping.
WE intimat d some weeks ago that Co.
C, of the Cha nbersbarg Home Guards,
might be wanted to make a journey to
Boston soon to grace the :inauguration of
Gen. Couch asGovernor of the Bay State.
From - some scattering returns, for Couch,
received from that State, we feel warran
ted in saying that the company will not
be wanted, as Gen. Couch has concluded
not to be inaugurated Governor this year.
THE Harrisburg Telegraph of Friday
last espoused the cause of traitors and
protested against any farther penalties be
cause, as it stated,, the: punishment of
rebels " is alremly greater thartifhat suf
fered by any people for a similar offence."'
On Saturday it insists upon hanging Jeff
Davis. What: next?
Tit z E GettysbniriSentincl : says that an
investigation of the vote of Mr. Duncan in
Adam's county exhibits the following
gal votes :
Deserters from the army and draft. --
Deserters to avoid draft ,
Other illegal rotes.
THE official aggregate vote foi-Auditor
General, including the army vote, is as
follows: '
Ilartranft, Union . ....... 237,816
Davis, Dem f 215,292
Itartninft's Majority 22,524
November 15, 1465.
C. B. Rtniaftneoft, the pubruther of the U. S.
Senice Maga:ine,ie . about publishing three works
which will be most important additions to the
history of the war. The "Campaigns of the
Army of the Potomac," by Wm. Swinton; in Cue
olumne of 600 pages, with fine steel portraits of
Gene. M'Clellan, Burnside, Hooker and 'Meade,
the several commanders of that heroic army, will
be a work of most thrilling interest, prepared as
it will be by Mr. Swinton with masterly ability.
" Giant and His Campaigns " will be issued by
th4l =no publishers during this month. It has
been prepared by Prof. Coppee, the able editor
of the Serria Migazine, who has had rare fad&
ties for making the work complete and reliable.
He has the sanction and co-openition of Gen.
'Grant in the enterprise. It will be one volume
of 500 pages, with ;portraits of Gens. Grant, Mc-
Pherson, Meade, Ord,. Sherman, Thomas, Sheri
dan and Rawlins:and maps of his great battle:
fields. • " Sherman and Hie Campaigns" , is just
issued. It is a volume of 512 pages, with steel
portraits of Sherman and all his lieutenants, and
maps and plane of his batttles and great marches.
It is prepared by Cols. Bowman and Irwin,who
have had the cordial co-operation` of Gen. Sher ,
man in the enterprise. These works are all sold
only by subscription, and we heartily commend
them to the favorable consideration of the public.
THE Adams Sattiset entered its t#ty-sizth year
last week; and its present venerable and respect
ed editor, Robert G. Harper, Esq., has conducted
it uninterruptedly for forty-nine years. He is
the patriarch of the Pennsylvania press, and the
editorial career of few men has been equally rep
utable. Many have won wider distinction, but
none have made a record more blameless than
Mr. Harper. Ever truthful, dignified and cour
teous, the Sentinel has gained a rare repute for
fidelity among its many, readers. We are glad to_
know that it " is now as well supported as it has
ever been," and Wish its editor still many years of
usefulness and success in the profession he has so
long and so highly adorned. •
THE Pittsburg Commercial has again been en
larged, and now ranks with the largest class of
our dailies. It is conducted with marked vigor
and ability, livid well deserves its liberal patron
age. The Garrtte announces that it will soon en
large also.
WASHINGTON
ThW tozet.rse — pa TheTtek- virt4
rain Reserve Corps—Shooting Afresh , .
Oorresppodence of the Franklin Repository.
NO. f.tV.l WABITINOTON CITY. November 12, 1865.
The sentence of death in the case of Werze
was carried into evecution on Friday morning
last. He was hanged by the neck until dead.—
The execution took place in the old capital yard.
The solemn spectacle was witnessed by several
hundred civilians and a large number of soldiers.
The dome of the capitol and all the house-tops
round About the place were crowded - with people.
The prisoner walked on to the scaffold with a
firm step accompanied by the Rev. Fathers Boyle
and - Wigget of the Catholic church, fromithe for_
mer of whom he received the sacrament before
leaving tfie prison. The President's orderappro
vine the sentence of the court martial was there
read, oeenpYing some three quarters of an hour
during xi Lich time Werze conversed with those
near him, appearing self possessed and asserting
his innocence. All the time he maintained a =lit
stolid indifference. When the eXecationer strap
ped his legs together and pinioned his arnui he
smiled and when the black cap was drawn over
his head be stood up erect wittaiut flinching a
moment until the drop fell. The firmness of the
prisoner was severely tested by the vociferous
cheers and taunts of the thousands who had
gathered on the roofs. His ears were constantly
greeted with voices exclaiming, "How are you
Andersonville r "Hang the scoundrel." And
just befia; the drop fell he was saluted with
"Down with him ; let him drop." The body at
ter falling swung to and fro, the shoulder shrug
ged a little, and the limbs drew up a little several
times, but in less than four minutes the body
ceased to swing and was apparently lifeless. Af
ter hanging fifteen minutes it was cut down and
examined by surgeons who found that the neck
had been-brokeu. The body was yesterday ta
ken to the Penitentiary yard and buried by the
side of Atzejodt, Payne, Harold and Mrs. Sur
ratt. And this is the last of Werze, but who can
tell from appearances what will be the end of
his superior officers, Davis, Lee, &e.. who real:
ly are the guilty ones, and not this poor Swiss
caitiff who but like a faithful cur obeyed their
call. He was but a poor miserable deg. He had
nu friends left. N 0.15,000 women led _on by a
Mrs. Coleman, who happens to be the daughter of
John J. Crittenden—and all of Baltimore, to
plead for pardon as they are now doing for Jef
ferson Davis. Verily President Johnson will
certainly have an unpardonable sin on his head;
if he orders the death of this poor dog, and spares
that of Jefferson Davis and others of hie stamp
who had the power not noly to stop the fiendish
work of Werze at Andersonville—but also the
power to try and execute him for the work. he
did. We do not dveder that the President' wa
vered so-much between staying the execution of
Werze and ordering it to go on—when he has yet
in his bands—the "head-and front" of the rebell
ion for whose blood all the loyal people through
out the land cry out.
The number of sick and wounded in the gov
entment hospitals throughout the' country is at
present a little unde• 5,000. Eight months' ago
there were-over 100,00 patients. There is yet
in the field, east and west of the Mississippi, over
180,000 men. This is considerable more than
people supposed.
Out,ef the whole twenty-four regiments of Ye
teran Reserves, only 1,260 men desire to remain
in service. There are 640 officers in these regi
ments, who mostly desire to remain, and who will
have nearly two men apiece to command.
The shooting was this week transferred from.
Washington to Alexandria, just to amuse the peo
ple there a little. On Fricfay afternoon Major•
Henry Dixon, a Paymaster in U. S. A., was as
sassinated in the street by aDr. IL C. Maddoi,.
of Warrenton, Va. Maddox shot Dixon twice in
front of the city hotel. Dixon lingered in great
agony until 6 o'clock Saturday morning. There
was an old political feud betwixt the two. -
PERSONAL.
-41or'. Morton, of Indiana, has been sick for
some time. He is going to Italy to recruit his
health.
—Maj: Gen. Thomas J. Wood, - has been as
signed to the command of the Department of
Mississippi, to succeed Gen. Slocum.
-Gen. Longetreet had an interview with Gen.
Grant on Tuesday week, and subsequently visited
the State Department, where he took the amnes
ty oath, which is preliminary to the consideration
of his application for pardon. _
—The body of Captain Werze was directed by
the President to be intered in the Penitentiary
yard of the Arsenal grounds, wherre Payne and
others were buried. Werze's grave* the south
ern. one of a row of five, in the following order— !
Mrs. Surratt, Payne, Harold, Atzeroth and
Werze.
anticipation of a visitation of cholera,.the
Secretary of War has ordered the suspension of
- Wes of all Government hospitals, that they May
be in readiness for use should there be a neceso•
ty for them.
A WasiinicToN correspondent annoulteei
that the President will issue a proclamation
de
d the restoration, of peace before the meet►
ing of Congress.
CIEI