Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-09-20

IL is because of good Government And
when we look ont upon it aud see it menaced
shall we not exclaim
SIS this the land our fathers loved
The freedom which they toiled to win
is this the soil on which they moved
Are these the graves they slumber in 2
Are We the SONS whom are borne
The mantles which the dead have worn ~
And if this Is the land Of our fa,hers--if we
are wearing their mantes-iu the name Of
Heaven let us preserve what they have in such
generous patriotism bequeathed to US. How
cowardly, how tEeacherous in us, if we were
to dlslocate or enable others te destroy this
Government. Divide this Union! Commence
by dividing and all is lost. Sever the human
frame and then ask the head and the lower
limbs to perform their functions as before
Let great rebellion succeed, you must let
lesser rebeillons from every quarter succeed
from State to State from county to county,
town to town, down to your very school dis
trict, until finally if you have horse another
/ wants he will 60 and take it, IF you reward
the great rebellion, you must the little one
you will find 30 good stopping place afterward
do not mean to give personal offense TO any
one, and regret that [ find myself differing
/ from old and early and valued personal and
political friend arraging those who have act
ed with me In former s;mes. But it is no time
for honeyed words or phrases--It is no time
I for sugar coated pills-you must give medicine
that will take effect aud operate pretty thor
/ ouehly, too. TlIaughter.l
| Mr.. Lincoln has been much complained of
that he has suspended the habeas corpns, aud
has interfered with private right, and has cur
tailed the liberty of the Press, anu has done
various other things of which they complain
Now, as bis opponent, | sustain him most in
the very acts they condemn. IGheers.I His
act that / approve of most is his suspendiue
the habeas corpus; and have said aud repeat,
if be bad suspended the traitors il related to,
in some cases, would have been glad of it. I
/ uphold him 10 arresting he voice of traitors
GUS press which was attempting to foster and
encourage aud stimulate treason. [Cheersl
agree TO his arrestlng aud eonsigning to pris-
on those villains who acting as spies aud
are attempting to DESTROY our Government -
I [Cheers, and cries Of F'Good, good''l sus-
tain him fully and cheerfuily in it. He has
ample authority for il. 1t is war power,
nothing Inore nor less. A wicked, reasonable
rebellion fastens a terrible war on the Govern
ment, and then whines itself and gets others
/ to wbmper for il, that they are arrested, tha,
their treason is blocked. Mr.. Lincoln would
have deserved impeachment if be had not exer-
cised these powers. They we're exercised by
I Gen. jackson, and they have been exercised
| by every military commander who has had
treachery and treason to deal with in the his
tory Of the world. What, pray, is the habess
corpus? 1t is a civil writ, and nothing more;
| 1t takes man before Judge 10 see if he isun
lawfully imprisoned; if he is unlawfully impris-
oned be is set at liberty If lawfully, be is sent
back to prison. That is civil wit, and a
civil remedy. But there is a power that is
called a war power, that does not rise up out
of the Constitution. When a Government is
erected it is presupposed that that Government
has all the powers of self preservation; like an
individual, it has the right of self-defeuce.
The Governments is not obliged to lie because
it cannot fDd clause in The Constitution to
authorize it 10 preserve existence. Ii is the
first instinct of Government, an indvid-
ual, to seek self preservation. When man
is assaulted, does be inquire what particular
statute and section authorizes him to protect
himself! No. he uses every means that God
and nature have put into his hands for defense.
And when Government is assailed, 1t defends
ITSELF and If il does net defend itself it deserves
to be overthrown. Now tie war power of
Government is as old as civilization. Smith,
an early British Minister, on martial law,
speaks thus of the power of war:
tMartia law is the law of war, ,that'depends on the
just but arbitrary power and pleasure of the King
| For, though he doth not make any laws but hy
common consent in Parliament, yet in time of
war, by reason of tae necessity Of it, to guard
against dangers that often srse he useth absolute
powers so that his word is a law
| - obi rrb
corruption is on every hand, when spies peer
from every window, and lurk in every fence
corner, what was Mr.. Lincoln to do? Was he
to pore through all the musty volumes and in
vite District Attorneys to the same work to
enable him to arrest and keep spy or to stop
the dissemination of treason through q guilty
press! No. If Mr. Lincoln had acted with
greater vigor / would have commended him
more. But may cay what is becoming from
a fair and generous opponent, that when ]
critcise his shortcomings ind in the cendie
ton Of affairs great eppology for him-he came
in when corruption was soathing, when treason
was peculant and all the departments teeming
With rascality, when he did uot know who to
trust when naval, military, civic, aud other
officers, were committing robbery and perjury,
and he knew not who to confdo in. But
wherever he has laid his hand upon this wicked
ness he is entitled to the thanks Of the whole
people. And when the historian comes to
write and be written il will stand out like
page of ire, and hs will be commended most
where be has taken those rebels by the throat
with the strong hand of governments power.
iCheers.l Every military commander has the
right to suspend the writ of babeas corpus in
emergencies, of which he is judge. Ho tells
the one who comes to take tho traitor and set
him at liberty, Stand of-unless your tongue
! is considerably longer than my bayonet you