Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-06-21
! Private Letter from Edward Ever


PIRATE letter, written without 'hougt: of
pa6lication, to q correspondent 10 Virginis:l
RosToN. May Is, 1861
3IY nEAR Ma: Your letter of the
10 reached NE yesterday. | read it With
r5ingled feeling; grasi6ed that your friendly
esgard had as yet survived the shock of The
.ines, aud deeply grieved at the different view
gs take ot the exissingicrisis.
L i we'll known to you that 1 sustained the
Syalh, at the almost total sacrifice of Influence
ard f4sor at home, as long as I thought she
par lng Constitutional objects. This
I ~ although the South bad Elaoed the con-
sas4@s1ys North IN afalse a. iaaefensible no
sitlpu, Is fhe TePe4l oI toe Missouri t-.apro
mise, aud the pefsevering attempts 70 f3:ee
Slavery into The Territory of Kansas, by sur
Prise, fraud and violence, against the knowa
wish Of an overwhelming majority of the Peo-
pls. / pursued this course for the sake Of
strengthening the hands of patriotic Unlon
f9en 4 tse South although / was we'll aware,
par5!g tTan facts within my personal knowledge,
,aat leading Souhern politicians had far thir-
= ye-ss been resolved TO breaknp the Ueion
a. soon as they ceased 10 control the United
o'stss Government, aud that the Slavery ques-
s,ou was but pretext for keeping up sgita-
'ion aud rallyiag the South.
Notwithstanding this state of things, and
the wholly uowaFrentable manner in which
the policy Of Secession was initiated by South
Carolina, aud followed up by the other Cotton
States, aud in spite OF the seizure of the pub
hc property which in the absence of any joint
act Of partition, was sheer pIuuder-it was my
opiniop that, if they would abstaio from fur h.
er aggression, and were determined to seper-
ate, We bad better part in peace. But the
wauton act on Fort Sumter (which took place,
not from any military necessity, for what
harm was single company, cooped up 10
Charleston harbor, able to do TO South Csrc-
hna ! but for the avowed purpose of ''stlrr-
ibg tue bfood'' Of the South, aud thus bring
ing in the Border Stsiesl, and the subsequent
proceedings at Montgomery have wholly
changed the state of affairs. The South has
levied an uDproyoked war against the Govern
frent OF tie Uoited States, The mii3est and
nost beGi6cent 10 the world, and has made it
the duty of every citizen to-rsly TO it's support.
perceive that my baviDg publicly express
ed that sentiment, aud contributed my mite
toward toe regiment of Mr.. Webster (who in
herits the conservative opinions of hIs Illus
frious fatberl, has caused surprise on the part
Of some of my Southern freuds-yourself
em0ng the most valued Of them-as if my so
doing was Inconsistent With the friendly feel
iogs have ever cherished toward the South
But these tieBds forget that as early as the
12th of April, that is, before the Proclamation
OF P.estdebt Linooln, the Secretary Of War at
Montgomery had threatened that by the lst of
May, the Confederate flag should Aoat over
she CspitoI ss Washington, aud 10 due time
over Fanenii Hall When General Beaure-
gard proceeds TO execute this threat, bis red
hot caun0n ball, aud SHELLS will not rp5re the
roof that shelters my daughter aud four little
children sat Washington, nor nay own roof 10
Boston. MUsT ], because have been the
steady friend Of the eoutl, SIT slll while.be is
batteriog my house about NY ears?
/ isinly deprecate the choice OF a PEesi-
dent, exclusively by The electoral votes of one
section OF tue conutry, though consenting
vita gae greatest reIuclsnse 70 be myself upon
one of the opposing tickets. Ii was, h6wev-
er, fully 10 tbe power Of the South to have
their oWo candidate, though mistskeu | trust
in the belief that be shared their disloyal
views. | make this ehgrge against them With
9us ssFuple, justified by Subsequent events, as
we'll as BY the lsngnae Of the eBilre Union
press Is she South during the canvass.
After the election was decided, tas Disu-
nicDisis would not wait for oUen acts, because
they knew none could on would be committed.
They knew that there was an i-Rapublican
"a jority ID the Senate aud that there would