Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-11-04

The late tragedy at Harper's Ferry has cali
led forth universal comment from the public
press. As yet we have not seen single jour-
nal containing syllable in excuse or justli-s
cation of even the motives of the misguided
men whose acts have sent thrill of horror
through the laud. The wild Insanity Of the
attempt proves of itself the total loss Of the
last ray of reason on the part of the ilnmedi-
ate actors. Madness, utter madness, could no
further 90.
No event could teach more significantly, or
more eloquently, the wisdom Of that govern
mental policy to which the Republican party
has been committed from the very day Of its
first Inauguration. The doctrines preached by
its founders we're the same conservative prin-
ciples which, from the formation of the Constr
tuition down to 1854, the era of the infamous
Kansas Nebraska bill, had met the approval Of
all parties. The cardinal idea that leglsla~
tion for the territories should belong of right
to Congress, as the Constitution expressly pro-
vides, was the favolite doctri1eo of Henry Clay
and the Wing rarty. This idea fell by right
of succession to the conservative Opposition of
/ the country Had the frebrand of squatier
sovereignty never been flung into Congress by
MIR. Douglas had the unwearying exertions
of the Opposition to keep the Missouri Conn
promise intact been successful, the Pandora's
box of evils which lay concealed 10 the spe-
cioas provisions of the Kansas Nebraska act
would never have cursed the country. But
the insane movers in that scheme of wrong
would listen to no utterance of Reason or Of
Right. They were blind to every idea save
that of selfish aggrandizsment and temporary
triumph. Not one who moved in it, not Ste
phen A. Douglas himself, the contriver-in-
chief, at this day, with the fearful experience
since, would do the same deed over again.
The dragons teeth were 6rst sown in Kan
sas. Peace, that was to hover like protect
ing angel over that fair and sunny garden spot,
folded her wings in dismay. Discord, and her
dark and damuing brood, entered the devoted
State, and scenes that shocked humanity stars
tied the land into indignant detestaticn.-
Peaceable men from the North, unoffending
citizens, who on their arrival in Kansas we're
hooted at by the Missouri rufians, as race Of
impotent towards, found their homes invaded
by the knife of the assassin, their wives and
children outraged, their dwellings lit by the
torch of the incendiary These we're the first
fruits of the great peace measure of 1894, Of
fered to the expectant country as sovereign
panacea, by Senator Douglas. Those peaceful
emigrants, who had exiled themselves from the
land of their early associations, were madden
ed to revenge. fhe Missouri borderers bad
taught them, bJ lesson Of blood and fire, the
catecbism of 5arfare. They were, in self-de-
fence Obliged to protect their iresides, or else
consent tosacrifce all they had come to Sc
cure-nanely, peaceful restlng-placc upon
the common territory of the nation.
! Ths catalogue of wrongs the people of Kan
sas s4re called on to con, has never all been
tou. Those who suffered in person, in the
! spctity Of their homes, became, like Brown OF
osawatome, frenzied with the scenes of dia-
u hoIical horror through which they had passed.
4 Reason fed her throne, and the idea of resist
ance to the supposed cause of all the tumult
and outraes became religious fanaticism.- -
The idea of constitutional barriers never more
had place in such disorasred brains, aud blood
shed aud civil war became u such distracted
minds as things of right. The affalr at Har-
per's Ferry, insane, utterly inexcusable as " Is,
nay we'll be credited as the legitimate conss-
quence of the false policy invoked by the au-
thors and contrivers of the Nebraska bill.
It is even higher madness, more absurd and
gIaring folly to charge such terrible outbreak
upon any party Of reasonable men. All par
ties alike condemn it, and the Republican par
! ty, above all others, is committed point blank
against the policy that could breed such ex-
cesses. We seek to make no war upon the
South, or its rights. We believe only in work
ing under and through the Federal Constitu-
ton Through legal means, and only legal
means, can any social errors in the political
fabric be corrected. As proclaimed by the
leaders of the party in the canvass OF 1000,
we have nothing whatever to do with slavery
in the States. To the people of the Southern
States alone belongs the settlement OF this So
eial evil within their own borders. THIS doc-
trine the Republcan party has always undev:-