Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-12-18
Letter from Suffolk, Va,

tue muster hOllS OF the l4lSt Regiment, +.
", also arrived, and it was with great inter.
est that looked over the names Many of
them are persons of my acquaintance, and
several were pupils of mine at my school in
West Franklin years ago. Years ago How
strange to cast n glance at the quiet past and
compare the years gone by with the exciting
present.
Boys Of little while ago-quiet, inoffen-
sive boys-insignifcant as they thought them
selves, are now enrolled with the nations
hosts. writing their part on the great exclam-
atory page of American History.
| What volume is being written And
who will arise with SO wonderful powers as 10
be able to paint the untold agony of the mil.
lions bereaved
No Let it not be written let History
record deeds of valor, causes lost or won, the
numbers of killed, wounded and missing, and
let some dashing novelist or writer of romance
with imagination vivid as the lightning, re-
gale bis readers with stories of lost loves and
broken hearts, but let no man dare-even if
it were possible-to enter the sacred portals
of the broken household, with view to pub.
! lish abroad the keen and poignant grief of
those whose best loved have been sacrificed to
the Moloch of Slavery.
Truly, we have fallen upon troublous times,
but We have nothing to complain Of, for when
We remember our National follies and pr, ju.
dices and sins which we have not ouly tolera.
ted, but winked at, even if we come not out
till the "uttermost iarth;ng" is paid, we are
constrained to say-at IS q just sentence.
In jeremiah there is a complete description
of the Shareholder. l will make short quo
tation from the 5.h chapter, commencing at
verse 25 adding word or two as l go on, to
make the application clear:
Your inIquites have turned away these
things, and your sins have witholden good
things from you.
For among my people are found wicked
men Shareholders kidnappers, etc.)-they
lay wait, as be that setteth snares they set
a trap, they catch men. (Saves, ruuaways,
contrabands, free black men, and some not so
black, are caught in these snares.)
AS cage is full of birds, so are their
houses full of deceit (deceit that covers the
worst system of concubfuage in the world,
where man makes merchandise of his own
children therefore they are become great
and waXen rich.
They are Uaxen fat, they shine Gin
silks and satns purchased with the price of
blood) d)-vea, they oVerpaSs the deeds of the
wicked they judge not the cause, the cause
OF the falherless, - Ibut sell children from their
mothers, wives from their husbands, and pa
rents FROM their children)-yet they prosper,
and the right of the needy do they not Judge.
I" Shall not visit for these things saith
the Lord shall not my soul be avenged on
such nation as this
" A wonderful and horrible thing is COM
mitted in the land
{" American Slavery, the vilest that ever
saw the sum- Wesley.
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the
priests bear rule by their means ;-(yes, min
isters % declare that Slavery is divine in
stltution, aud on the strength of this falSe
prophecy. Southern aristocrats boldly assert
their right to rule )-and my people love to
havelt so (mark that, every Northern dough
face every Southern sympathizer, every ex'
cuser for Slavery, every compromise man in
all the world who is nominally a Christian,
and therefore my people is among those who
lore 10 Aace II SO, aud the terrible, the awful,
aud as yet unanswered question folIows)-
and what will ye do in the end thereof 2"
Without contending that Secretary Seward
is without his weaknesses, which is too much
to say OF any great man. | canDot agree that
onr disasters are attributable to hasfollies, for
the consequences following mems weaknesses,
depend altogether upon the responsibilities of
their position.
A private in the ranks of an army may be
fool, and no one the worse for it, for, iu the
language of certain defunct Captain "A
private is supposed to know nothing but or.
ders )" but au officer is at least supposed to
know how to command, and single mistake
on his part might work disaster to many.
So, as effect follows cause, and as the effect
is in proportion to the cause, can fix upon
| no one as directly responsible for our disas.
tiers and snailface movements as the President
himself Still would support the President
Because he has made q great mistake, we
sbonld not desert him for that would make
o bad matter worse.
President Lincoln is undoubtedly a great
man, but has betrayed one great weakness !;
and that very weakness is esteemed by many
to be bis great virtue.
That weakness is his wonderful conserva-
tism. This grand idea led him to select from
all parties to fill places in his cabinet In
stead of having preference for the Republi
can party which elected him, he very kindly
appoints men of known hostility, from the
Breckiuridge and Douglas ranks, to fill res.
ponsible positions and act as bis political ad
visers uDder the mistaken notion that this
course would unite the country Is it to be
wondered at, then, that with such mixed
cabinet, he pats generals into the field of the
same calibre F
The Presidents policy seemed to be to please
everybody.
His advisers undoubtedly disagreed, and so
to satify all, he will be very conservative, ap
point few good aud loyal men, few about
half and half. and some who "t,dmt know
aohat the apar aoas about"
The men most earnest in the struggle, were
checked, lest the rebellion should be crushed
too soon, and the fsvor of some of the half