North Branch democrat. (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, September 28, 1864, Image 1

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    II riVEY Ciirletor.l
NEW SERIES,
EETTEK FROM HOBi. REVERDY
JOHNSON,
Scathing Review of Mr. Lincoln's Adminis
tration .
McCLELLAN TIIE HOPE OF THE NA
tion.
WHY SENATOR JOHNSON OPPOSED] LINCOLN'S
ELECTION IN 1860, AND WHY IIEOPPOSSES
IT IN 1864.
WE MUST SWAP HORSES
WTIAT]THE UNION HAS SUFFERED EROM THE
PR ESENT ADM I N ISTRATION.
WASHINGTON. Sept. 19.
HON. REVERDY JOHNSON FOR M'CLELLAN.
Washington was electrified to day by the j
publication of the following letter from Sen
ator Revcrdy Johnson, of Maryland,who was
elected by bis state Legislature apposed lo
the Democratic party, and who in the Senate
acted not unfrequontly with the Republican
portion of that body. Let him sneakier him
self, a* the oldest Senator in Congress :
SARATOGA SPRINGS, September 14
GENTLEMEN : Your invitation to the meet
ing to be held in Washington on the 17th inst
to ratify the ifomir.ation of McClellan and
Pendleton is but just received.
It will be out of my power to be with you
my stay here for some days longer being un
avoidable. Opposed as I was to the original
election oi Mi. Lincoln to the station be now
occupies, from a conviction of his being une
qual to its duties,the manner in which he has
met thtin.has but cr nfiimed me in that opin
ion. With more than two millions of sol
diers placed in his hands and an unlimited
amount of treasure, his policy and his man
ner of using bis power, instead of putting the
rebellion down and bringing to our ranks the
thousands of Union men who were then
each of the si ceded states, and who, in some,
are Believed to outnumber the rebels, have
but served the d< üble purpose of uniting
them against us and of dividing the public
r>pinion of the loyal states. The elect, of
course, is that notwithstanding the gallant
deeds of our army and navy, and the manifest
justice of our cause the Union is even more
effectually broken now than it was when his
admmisi ration commenced. Whatever of
honesty of purpose may belong to him, and I
am willing to admit that he has had it, hi c
vascillation, his policy now conservative, now
radical,his selection of military officers gross
ly incompetent, his treatment o. those who
were evidently competent, his yielding tn this
to what he has himself been often heard to
suy as an excuse, was, "outside pressure" his
Jiaving not only not punished, but as far as
the public know, unrcbuked the vandal ex
cesses of military officers of his special selec
tion, shocking the sentiment of the world.and
disgracing us in the view of Christendom by
trie burning of private dwellings, and depriv
ing their often exclusively female occupants
of home and means of livelihood—all demon
strate that he incompetent to gov
rn <he country in this crisis of its fate,
Ilow can an honorable man believe that
one who has so signally failed for almost four
entire years, can be successful if another four
voars be granted him ? No one in Congress,
certainly. Not twenty members believe him
equal or at all equal to the mighty task. He
has been tried and found wanting. Let us
have a change, none, if loyal, can be for the
worse. It is not that we wish to use his own
classic figure to swap horses in the midst of
a stream, but that when we are on a journey
and safety depends on making our destina
tion at the earliest moment, we should cast
aside a spavined and thin horse, and secure
a sound and active one.
In General McClellan we are furnished—in
the history lif h.s life, in the purity of his
character, his refinement, his attainments,
civil and military and, above all in his per
fect loyalty—every asurance that, under his
executive guidance, the war, now so cxhaus
live of treasure and blood, will be soon
brought to a triumphant termination, and
this Union which "at at all hazards ' he wi'l
never agree to surrender, will be restored.
With regard,
Your obedient servant,
REVERDY JOHNSON.
C'sr The workingwotnen have been par
ticularly blessed by Mr. Lincoln's Adtninis
taation! While the price of all the necessv
ries of life has increased to a fearfal extent
the wages paid them for labor by Mr. Liu
coin's contractors have been greatly dimin
isbed. Before Mr. Lincoln became Presi
ded they received seventeen and a half cents
for making an army shirt—now the conlrac
tors pay S them eight cents ; they received
forty two Mid a i, a if cents for making infant
r) jiauis—now the contractor pays
from seventeen to twenty cents; they re
ceived fnily cents for unhned blouses—now
coi tiaco.r pays them from fifteen to
twenty cents; and so on to the end of the
ana drrnrj- chapter.
Oh (i, d! that bread should be sc dear j
And flesh and blood so cheap ;
ADMINISTRATION GIVING EVI.
DENCE IN FAVOR OF GEE.NRAL
McCEEI.I.AN.
In view of the attempts of the Republican
papers to circulate slanders against General
McClellan, we give the following testimony
respecting his abilities and services from va
rious members of the administration :
WASHINGTON, July 2, 1862.
MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE B MCCLELLAN :
1 am satisfied that yourself, officers, and
men have done the best you could. All ac- j
counts say better fighting was never done - j
Ten thousand thanks for it. A. LINCOLN
TWO days afterward', when Mr. Lincoln !
had fuller information, General McClellan
received the following :
WASHINGTON, July 5. 1862.
MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE B MCCLELLAN
COMMANDING ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
A thousand thanks for the re lief your two
dispatches of 12 and 1 P. M. yesterday gave
ive. Be assured the heroism of yourself,
officers, and men is, and forever will be ap
preciated. A, LINCOLN.
In August, 1802, Mr. Lincoln made' a
speech at the White House, in which he
said:
There has been a very wile-spread attempt
to have a quarrel between General McClel
lan and the Secretary of War. * * Gen.
McClellan's attitude is such that in the very
selfishness of his nature he cannot bu wish
to be successful, and I hope he wil
* * I know Gen. McClellan's wishes to
he successful- * * General McC/eltan is
not fo blame for asking what he wanted und
nee ded.
* * I believe he is a brave and able man
and I stand here, as justice requires me to
do, to take upon myself what has been chain
ed on the Secretary of War as withholding
from him,
Here is Gen. II Aleck's testimony :
WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 1862.
MAJ. GEN. Geo. B. MCCLELLAN :
I beg of you to assist rne in this crisis with
your ability and experience, lam entirely
tired out.
11. W. II ALLETE, Generul in chief.
WASHINGTON, 1). C. Sept 30.
MAI. GEN. MC CLELLAN, COMMANDING, etc
GENERAL : Yuur report of yesterday, g v
mg the results of the battles of South Moun
tain and Antiefaui, has been received and
submitted to the President. They were not
only hard fought battles, but well armed
and decided victories.
The valor and endurance of your army in
the several conflicts which terminated in the
expulsion of the enemy from the loyal S'ate
of Maryland, are credited alike to the troop
and to the officers who commanded them.
A grateful countiy, while mourning the
lamented dead, will not be unmindful of tin
honors due to the living. U. W. HALLKCK,
General in Chief.
Says Mr. Lincoln, referring to Antietam:
WAR DEPARTMENT* F
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15,1802. $
Your despatch of to-day received. G"d
biess you and all with you. Destroy the
rebel army, if possible. A. LINCOLN.
To MAJ GEN. GEO. B. MCCLELLAN.
But the Republican Congress also gives
its testimony. On the 16th day of July, Mr.
Edwards (Rep.) ofN-w Hampshire, offered
the following resolution in the House of
Representatives, and it was unanimous!',
adopted :
Resolved, That the thanks of this House,
be presented to Major General George B
McClellan and the officers and soldiers of Li
command, f>r the series of brilliant anc de
ci-ive victories which by thoir skill and ora
very they have achieved over rebels and
traitois m arms on the battle fields of Wes
tern Virginia.
On the 9th cf May, 1862, after the victo.
ries of Yops town, Williamsburg, and Wes i
Point. Owen Lovejoy, the most ultra radical
in the House of Representatives offered the
following resolutions, which were unanimous
ly adopted.
Resolved. That it is with feelings of de
vont gratiuude Almighty God that the Iluuse
of Representatives, from time to time, hears
of the triumphs of the Union army in the
great struggle for the supremacy of the Con,
stHuiion and the integrity of the Union.
Resolved, That we receive with profound
satisfaction intelligence of the recent victo.
ries achieved by the armies of the Potouiao,
associated from their localities with those of
the Revolution, and that the sincere thanks
of this House are hereby tendered to Major
General George B. McClellan tor she display
of those high military qualities which secure
important results with but little sacrifice of
human life,
Let Democrats bear this testimony in
mip.d,and wnen efforts are made *o belittle
Gen. McClellan's great services to the State,
iet thir significant testimony of Mr. Lincoln, I
Gen. Aalleck, and the Republican Congress,'
be produced,
—
yy The following named 6ocietms of
tradesmen arc getting up addaesses
Lincoln, thanking him f r his ' ~\\ horn it may
concern" letter.beseeching him to stand by it
,and assuring him of their cordial support :
The Embalmers, the Artificial Limb Makers,
the Surgical Instrument Makers, the Coffin
Makers, the Mourning Store Keepers, and the
Grave Triggers.
"TO SPEAK HIS THOUGHTS IS EVERY FREEMAN'S RIGHT. "—Thomas Jefferson.
TUNKHANNOCK, PA., WEDNESDAY, SEP T. 28. 1864.
THE CASE STATED,
As the canvass progresses, discussion clari
fies the issues, Ihe speech of one able man,
on either side, d < es much to hasten the pro
cess. The recent elT>rt of Mr. GREELEY, be
fore a campaign ciub in this city, has elimi
nated from the record upon which popular
judgment is to be pronounced in November
much of useless chaff. He states the issue
to be, "Union, peace, and slavery," on one
side; "Union, peace, and liberty," on the
| other side. The fotiner ho declares to bo
j expres-ive of Democratic, and the latter of
i Republican faith. We quote Mr. GREELEY'S
words, as reporel in his own journal. The
only difference between MCCJ.ELLAN and
LINC LN is declared by the leading elector
on the New York national ticket to grow
out of slave holder. B >th candidates and
both parties are for Union first ; IVace af
terward
Mr. Greeley misstated the formula of Re
publican faith as annotiuccd by Mr. Lincoln
The latter proclaims it to be "Abandonment
of Slaverv, Union anu Peace;" not "Union,
Peace, Liberty." To the laUar formula tak
en .iu its broadest sense, ail Democrats,
would, and do, unhesitatingly subscribe.
If we were a*ked to state, in briefest phrase
the general Democratic doctrine in respect to
the issues of the hour, we should say ; Con
stitute.., Union, Peace. It asked for the
republican dogma, we should say ; Aban
donment of Slavery. New Union. Peace.
Tn a word, the Democratic party propose
to make peace, if the rebels will submit to
the <' imitation, as exp mnded by the high
est judicial tribunals of the land. The Re
publican party says. No pi ace, unless the
robe's consent to give up slave-labor forever.
Mr. GREELEY will not, in a speech or
w rip en hffer, deny to it w<- sta'cthe issue
between MCCLELLAN and LINCOLN fairly,
when we say that the former is willing to
make peace with the rebels upon the basis of
the Constitution as it stands, leaving the
(ate of slave-labor and all minor questions
to the courts, an I that that the I itter is not.
Mr. LINCOLN'S purpose is fixed by his
Niagara letter. Poalma-ter-General BLAIR,
in his speech at Cleveland, confirms the fact
11 at destruction of slavery is, villi the Re
publican leaders, a condition precedent to
Union and peace. He says :
The people once slaves in the lebel states
can nt ver again be rec -gnized as such by the
United Slates. No JUDICAL DECISION, NO
LEGISLATIVE ACTION, STATE OR NATIONAL,
can lie admitted to re enslave a people tyho
are associated with pur own destinies in this
war oi defense to save the government, and
whose manumission was deemed e-senlial to
tne restoration and preservation of ihe Union
and fo its /termantnt peace.
Mr. GREELEY declares, in substance, that,
as between MCCLELLAN and LINCOLN, there
is no war issue, ixcipi that the former will
onh fight to enforce the Constitution, and
tiit- laws duly enacted thereunder; while the
I liter doems it his duty to c mtmue the fight
ing till sl.veey is abandoned. LINCOLN pro
poses to usurp the power of the Lni m, and
use it to control the domestic relations oi the
states, and thus not vindicate, but violate
the Conslikwtion. Mr GREELEY is distinct
in his statements. "We have," he says,'
" resolved to put down slavery and restore
"the L'nion, On that platform we stand,
"by that wt- act, and, ij there is ever a re
stored Uuion , it will be a Jrce Union from
•'ihe Aroostook down to the Rio Grande.—
"To this consummation every Union man
"is pledged.''
MCCLELLAN is pledged to restore the Uu
ion, and stop the war when that blessed con
summation is attained !
'As to slave-labor, northern Democrats
have no interest in protecting that, any more
than any other interest declared by the Su
preme Court to be under the shelter of the
fundamental law. Democrats may regret
that there is a slave to be free, or a tnastert
to pursue ; but yet they know and feel thai
to use the power of the Union to put down
an interest protected by the Constitution is
not right, but is flagrantly wrong. D mo
erats know and feel that to take an oath to
support the Constitution and then destroy
an interest which the Supreme Court has
declared cannot be lawfully destroyed by the
federal arm, is peijury, and nothing less.—
They know and feel that, under the Con
stitution, there is no power of authority giv
en to presidents or cabinets to carry on a
war to compel the people of a Aate, willing
to submit to the fundamental law on all £ th~
er points, to Such is Dem
ocratic opinion, and upon it Democrats must
act. They follow the flag and keep step to
the music of the Union !— World.
A CRUEL JKE,— As President Lincoln
was proceeding up Seventh street yesterday
J evening, escorted by his body guard, he met
; si me distance above the Norm- rn Market, a
| squad of -ivairy coming down tho street.
Perceiving His Illustrious Highness, and rec.
his fani'har eatures the cavalry men
rose in their stirrups and gave three hearty
cheers for " Little Mac." The commander of
the Faithful, had fool for reflection in this
little incident.
—
The beautiful residence of the wid
ow of John Sehlon near Richmond was late-
I h' burned by order of Ben Better
it aha i mn
THE TRUTH OF HISTORY
It is a well known fact that General Mc-
Clehan opposed the withdrawal of the /rtny
of the Potomac from the front of Richmond,
in the campaign of 1862, in the most earnest
manner. When, jon the 3d of August, th£
order to withdraw it from its position on the
James River to Acquia Creek, was mads, he,
in a manly and earnest protest, opposed it, —
His views were given at length, and no roan
familiar with the position of affairs can fail to
See their soldierly sajacity. Said he: "Clear
in my convictions of right, strong in the con
sciousness that I have ever been, an d still
am, actuated solely by the love of my coun
try, knowing that no ambitious or selfish
motives have influenced me, from the coin
mcnoement of this war, I do now what I nev
erdid in my life before, I entreat that this
order may be rescinded
What were some of the reasons given by
General Halleck for the withdrawal of thc-
Armv from James River to Acquia Creek ?
First and foremost, was the very cogent one,
that the enemy's forces in and arcund
Richmond were estimated at two hundred
thousand, while tue effective Lrce of this Ar
my of the Peninsula was only ninety thous
and- This is not mere assertion. The ofll
cial correspondence between General Hal—
leck and General McClellan clearly prove® it
And jet the Abolitionists, who are fiendishly
as-ailing General McClellan, unblushingly
declare that he nt I aore than enough men
then were revuirod to accomplish the pur
puses of the campaign.
It is not necessary to give, in detail, the
masterly manner in which the order of with
drawal was executed. It stands without a
parallel in the history of warfare. Neither
is it necessary to refer to the disasters which
followed t e policy of th, Administration,—
The complete overthrow of the braggart P >pe
the demoralization of the grand Army of ihe
Potomac, the threatened capture of Wash
ington, the terror of the Administration, the
invasions of Marylaud, the tamest beseech
ings and entreaties of Mr. Lincoln that Gen.
McClellar Would again assume the Command
of the army the almost m.raculous re organi
zation of our defeated and disheartened
troops, the victory at S <uth Mountain, the
great victory of Antietam, and tho shameful
removal o( G-n. McClellan bv the very men
.
who.less than two months before, were in
debted t' him for the preservation of the ar
my and the capital of the nation—are all
matters of painful record. Thread by thread
history is unravelling the tangled meshes of
Abolition duplicity, and a deceived people are
beginuing to fully comprehend the gross im
positions that are attempted to be practiced
upon them by wicxed and unscrupulous par'
tisans.-Age,
JOHN VAN BUREN FOR MCCLELLAN AND
PENNOETON* —At an immense ratification
meeting At Albany on Wednesday evening,
a letter was read from John Van Bureu in
which lie says : " There are two men who
obviously can never make a peace that will
receive the sanction of the American people
They are Abraham Lincoln and Jcflerson
Davis : and unless we are prepared for an
eternal wtr. and the slaughter, debt, taxation
and suspenpion of constitutional liberty at-*
tend it. Abraham Lincoln must be made to
retire on the -4th ol March next, and a Presi
dent must be chosen in his stead who will
consent to peace on the basis of the Union
and Constituti on. Such a man is General
McClellan, and I cannot lillow myself lo
doubt that the loyal people of the United
States will call Jjim to the discharge of this
as well the other grave duties that belong to
the chief magistracy.
Tom Thumb and wife has rcaly got
a baby
The Releajo of Howard,
From tho New York Evening Post.
We learn thar Mr. Howard, father of the
forger of the President's Proclamation, ob
tained the order for his son's release yester
day. lie t..ok it down to Fort Lafayettu.and
the forger reached Brooklyn during toe after
noon. Muli®on,the man who acted as amanu
ensis for Howard, is sull in con-nemeut,
having no powenul friends to secure his re
lease, .
This is a fair iljustratian of the way jus
lice is administered by the system of milita
rests, which is a part of too policy of this ad
ministration. The chief offender is set at lib
erty, simply because he has powerful friends
who can bring a "pressure" to bear on the
President, while the subordinate, the mere
amanuensis, is lef' to rot in one of the G v
eminent Basfiies. Shame on the men who
perpetuate such oat rages, and if the people
hating ihe opportunity to ntrip them of tin
power have abused, neglect to do so,
then shame on the people.
• • "
0 HOLD llt.u TO His YV'ORD. —The friends o
jßA'nion must remember that Mr. Lincoln
hWcfistinctly announced that he will enter
%iti no propositions for peace and restora
lion that do not embrace the "abandonment
of slavery " This is bis ultimatum. What
right has he to call himself a Union candi
date, when he refuses even to discuss the
question of reconstruction, gnless tho rights
of the States, under the Constitution, are
yiefdod by the peoplo thereof to the central
1 at Washington 7
GREELEY GIVES IT UP ! —The New Yfk,
Tribune of Monday last contained an artlcf/
on "Gen. McClellan's position," wnich ia re
markable for the candor with which it con
fesses that Gen, McClellan's Letter of Ac
ceptance has greatly strengthened his pros
pects of election. Indeed, in the following
paragraph, which comprises the substance of
the Tribunes remarks, it virtually gives up
the contest and conceeds McClellan's elec
tion :
''Running on his Letter ss'a platform^;
if ill poll a good vote in nearly every State'
and probably carry five or six"
The States are not named ; but the Tri
bune doubtless meant New York, Pennsyl
vania, Ohio, Illinois,lndiana and Kentucky
six Stales that are more than enough to elect
McClellan, to wit :
New Y. rk 33 1 Illinois 16
Pennsylvania 2b ! Indiana 13
Ohio 21 j Kentucky 11
Tola' 120
Only 116 electorial votes will be required
to make ''Little Mac" the nest President ; so
that, when the Tribune gives him six States,
t makes his election as sure as anything in
the future can be mado. When our opp£
nenis are thus compelled to admit McClell
tH s strength, what should d'scourage our
friends ?
"LITLLE MAC. —Everywhere the name
"Little Mac" is creating an enthusiasm never
before witnessed in the history of American
politics. The re üblican press are forced
io admit that the Chicago Convention made
the best possible nomination. Forney's press
says : "He is the uiogt popular candidate the
convention could have chosen," and although
Forney is in the habit of lying, he for once in
hi- life unwittingly told the truth, but be
couldn't help it, whilst the glad shouts ofjoy
were being heard from hundreds of thousands
of throats all over the land. " Little Mac"
siamis vindicated from base aspersions and
calumnies of his foes, and if he lives to the
4th day of March he will be duly in*
stalled as President of the United States, aud
| Peace and t Dion will again bless this War
weary-tax ridden as oppressed people.
.
Under Democratic Administration
the laboring man could afford to driuk tea
and coffee and use sugar in bis family. Since
Mr. Lincoln came into power,thousands have
been competed to give up their use, on ac
count of their enormous price. But the '
laboring man should not grumble. While
he and his dear little ones are naked and
starving, Mr. Lincoln is setting the negro
tree and placing him upon an equality wi'b
the white man.
The Baltimore Abolition platform
sanctions all the crimes and follies of the pre
sent Administration. It approves of arbitra
ry arrests— the suppression of free speech
and free press—and mil'tary interference in
elections. It makes slavery, not the Union,
the only real issue before the people. It
does not extend any sympathy to our
brave soldiers now in Southern prisons. Can
•he L niomsts of the country conscientiously
give their support to the candidates who
stand upon such a platform ?
IION, C. L VALLANDICHAM The Cincin
nati Enquirer of the 13th inst.,say* : "As the
Lincoln papers appear to be somewhat con
cerned as to Mr. Vallandigham's position
since the letter of acceptance, we will relieve
them by stating that we have good authority
lor saying that he will vote for McClellan and
Pendleton.
- ■
The Democratic State Convention of
New York, which assembled at Albany on
Wednesday last, nominated yesterday Gov
ernor Seymour as a candidate for re-election
to the office he now holds. After the trans
action of other business of a similar character
he Convention adjourned sine die,
DOES IT MEAN ?—A telegram from
St. Louis, uuder date of September 10, says
"The gallows on which the alleged guerril- :
las Moore and Smith were hung yesterday
was of uew invention, and designed to maae
short and sure work of all who are made to
mount it. Ihe name of the invention is not
known, but it is understood that government
hop adopted the machine for purges of rail
nary executions, after the example of the
lerronsis who adopted the guillotine in tho
French revolution."
This is suggesitive. It shows what we
have to expect in the event of Mr. Lincoln's
re-election. After Mr. Seward'* "bell," nat
urally enough, will come the "guillotine."
Every man who agrees with the
following sentiment, uttered on the Moorof
the Connecticut House of Representatives,
by Rev. Mr. Gilbert, an Abolition member,
Jan. 15. 1864. will vote for Lincoln :
For one, I am uot afraid to say, that I bad
rather iw down and die io mv tracks to-dhj,
iban to see any restoration of the Uuion aa it
was.
This Reverend gentleman supports Mr.
L ncoln, because he is opposod to tho old
Union, and refuses to negotiate unless upon
thy basis of "abandonment of slavery } n and
'6, of cou rsr, opposod to Gen. McCletian,
who says that "the it the W0"
mcp off jeace *'
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VOL. 4 NO. 8