The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-01-09
Emancipation and Negro Equality.
President Lincoln in his Inaugural Address

President Lincoln in his Inaugural Address,
used the following language:
81 have no purpose, directly or indirectly, TO
it exists. l believe ! have no lawful RIGHT
to do so.'
In another column we lay before our readers
his proclamation which assumes to set free three
millions Of negroes. The record speaks for it.
self. History does not furnish an example of
such Inconsistency and perfdy. After publicly
and solemnly pledgins himself not to interfere
with any of the rights or institutions of the
States, he deliberately falsifes his pledge by is
suing proclamation at once Quixotic, uncon-
stitutional and full of mischief. In former days
the nation would have stood aghast at such Vi
oation of the constitution and laws, such un-
blushing disregard Of solemn pledges and Off
cial trust. But in these evil times such things
have become too common to excite surprise.
Not the least remarkable feature of this des-
potic edct is the fact that the President excerpts
from its operation all the slave territory within
the lines of our armies, where alone he has any
power to enforce its provisions. Only those
slaves are assumed to be set free who are at
present fenced in by rebel bayonets; and over
whom the President has no more power than
he has over the Man in the Moon. How then
can it effect its purposee How except through
slave instructions with all their inseparable
horrors. And the President means it to effect
its purpose in this way. lie can mean nothing
else. 1t is true that with a ilypocritical cant
characteristic of the man, he ''enjoins upon the
people SO declared to be free, TO abstain from
all violence except in necessary self-defence,
and recommends that in all cases when allowed
they labor faithfully for reasonable wages" but
he also, and we believe with more sincerity,
''pledges the nation to do no act or acts to re-
press such persons or any of them in any efforts
they may make for their actual freedom" The
veil with which he tries to hide his real purpose
is too flimsy to serve him. The world will see
that he recommends evidence" more savage and
bloody than was ever before introduced into civ
ilized warfare.
But the President proclaims that these freed
blacks will be received into the army and navy
OF the United States. This is, perhaps, the
most significant part of the proclamation Ne
gro equality has always been the pet dogma of
the Abolitionists and it has now taken long
stride forward. At first the ''contrabands''
were only retained and fed at government ex-
pensa; noxt they were paid wages for digging
bitches and other labor; next abolition officers
acting without orders from the President, as the
people were led to suppose, organized few Of
them into separate negro regiments but now
the chief ruler of the nation proclaims that ne
groes will be taken into the naval and military
service on terms of equality with the brave men
now fighting our battles. 'Murder will OUT
The President and his advisers now stand be-
fore the country and the world, the avowed ad-
voeates of the doctrine of Negro Equality
doctrine at once barbarous, unnatural and mon
strous Hereafter the white man who rushed
to arms to defend the Constitution now so ruth
icssly trampled under foot, will be compelled to
march side by side with negroes, fight side by
side with negroes sleep side by side with negroes,
eat, as it were, from the same dish, and drink
from the same canteen with negroes Can such
monstrous doctrine be forced upon nation Of
free white mena We shall see.