Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-06-28
EDFORD. PA. FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1861.


/ rendered the fountains of the lives os thirty
millions of people fountains of happiness.
/ The vigorous measures adopted FOR The
safety of Washington and tho Government
itself may seem open to criticism, 10 some Of
their details, TO those who have yet to learn
that not only has war like peace IT'S laws, but
that it has also les privileges and its dutes.--
| Whatever OF severity, or even irregalarity,
may have arisen, will find It's justi6eation in
the presure of terrible necessity under which
tbs Administration has been called to act
When man feels the p0gnard of the dcs-
troyer at bis bosom, he is not likely to con-
suit the law books aa 70 the mode or measure of
his rights OF self defense. What is true Of
individuals is in this respe O. equally true of
governments. The man whe thinks he has
become dsloyal because Of what tho Admin
istration has doae, will probably discover, af-
| ter close self-examiuaton, that he was dis.
| loyal before. But for what has been done,
Washington might ere this haze been a smoul-
deriug heap Of ruins.
They have noted the course Of public nfs
/ fairs to little advantage who suppose that the
election of Lincoln was the real ground of
the revolutionary outbreak that has occurred.
The roots of the revolution may be traced
back for more than a quarter ct q century,
and any unholy lust for power is the soil out
of which it sprang. prominent member Of
the band of agtators declared in one OF his
! speeches at Charleston, last November or
December, that they had been occupied for
80 years 10 the work OF sta.vina South CAT
olina from the Uaion. When Gen. Jackson
crushed Notification, he said il would revive
again under the form of the Slavery agitation,
and We have lised to see his prediction veri-
] nd. Indeed, that agitation. during the last
/ Is or 2G years, has been almost the entire
! s,,,ck in tIa lie of Southern politicians. The
Soutber,, neopIe, Saown to be as generous 10
their impulses they ste chivalric, we're not
wrought into frerzv OF PASSION hy tue iniem'
1 perate words of few .snaiic .Abolltonls's
+ for these words. If left to themselves, would
/ have fallen to the ground As pebbles into the
sea, And would have been heard of no mose.--
! Bat il was the echo of these words, repeated
wilb exaggerations for fhe thourandlh time by
! Southern politicians, 10 tie halls of Congress
and 10 the deliherative AID popular assemblies,
and through the press Of the South, that pro-
! duced the exs sspsra tion which has proved so
potens lever IN the hands Of the consPiTa-
tors. The cloud was fully charged, aud the
juggling reyol1tioDisis who held the wires and
could at will direct it's lightenings appeared
i at Charleston, broke up the the Democratic
Convention assembled to nominate candi-
date for the Presidency, and thus secured the
election or Mr. Lincoln. Having thus rem
dered shis certain, they at once set to work TO
bring the popular mind of the South to the
point Of determining in advance that the
election of Repu 5ican President would be
Z ~, a.,.sa for dissolutton nf he IIntnn
They were but too successful, and to this re-
suit the insctlon aud indecisslGn of the Bor,
der States deplorably cGntributed. When the
election of Mr.. Lincoln was announced, there
was reioleiDg in the streets OF Charleston, and,
doubtless, at other points 10 the South; for il
was believed by tae conspirators that this bad
brought tide in the current of their machi-
nations which would bear them on to victory,
, The drama of Secession was now open, aud
State after State rapidly rushed out of the
Union, aud their members Withdrew from Con-
gress. The revolution was pressed on with
tits hot haste 10 order that no time should be
allowed for reaction in the Northern mind, or
for any adjustment of the Slavery Issues by
the action Of Congress or of the State Legis-
, latures. Had the Southern members contin-
: ued in their seats, a satisfactory compromise
would, no doubt have been arranged and pass.
! Led before the adjournment Of Congress. AS
! it was, after their retirement, and after Con-
sress had become Republican, an anepdmenI
: to the Constitution was adopted by two-lhird
: vote, declaring that Congress should never
interfere with Slavery in the States, and de-
4 claring, further, that this amendment should
b be irrevocable. Thus was Fals6ed the olamor
!, so long and SO insidiously rung in the ears
: of the Southern people, that the abolition o
0 Slavery in the States was tho ultimate aim 0
} the Republican party. But even this amend
' menf, and all others which may bs needed t
/ furnish the guarantees demanded, are nov
b defeated by the secession Of eleven States
d which claiming TO be out of the Uuion, vii
i refuse to vote upon, and 10 effeot will vot,
q against any proposals 10 modify the Fedora
; Constitution. There are now thirty-four State
I; 10 the CoEfederaey, three-fourths Of which
Q being twenty six, must occur IN the adoption
!; of any amendment before it can become
! part of the Constitution; bat the Secession o
. eleven States leaves but twenty-ihree who's
vote can possibly be secured, waich is les
. thsp the constitutional number.
e Thus We have tbe extraordinary and dis
II oreditabe spectacle of revoluiien made b
certain States profsssedly on the ground tha
q guarantees for the safety of their institution
' aIo denied them, and is the same time, lnstea'
i Of cooper ating with their sister States, 10 oh
j. I,aining these guarenties, they designsdly "a
/, sumo o hostile assitade, anu thereby rende
2 it eons,ilutienslly impOsaible to secure 'hem.-
:, This profound dAaslmnlatioD shows that il wa
Q DOT the safety of the South tut its ssVereenc
{ from the ContederacY which was sought irot
r. tho beginning. Contemporary With and 10 som
> instances preceding these acts Of Secession
! the greatest outrsgeS were committed uPo
; The Government Of the United States by th'
i States engaged in them Isa foris, aEsenaiA