The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-08-21
BEDFORD, Pa, FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST q, 1868.

eyes of the municipal and State authorities,
there is neither protection nor redress. The Sci
zure of Journal at West Chester was after
wards the subject of a suit for damages. in the
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. 1t came to
trial before Chief Justice Lowrie.
Rehearsing the ancient principles of English
and American juitice, he condemned the act s
/ of the Federal officers as violation of the law
that binds alike the private citizen and the
public functionary lie said, call public func-
tionaries in this land are under the law, and
none, from the highest TO the lowest are above
| IT," Impatient at any restraint from law, par
tzan majority in Congress hastened to pass an
act to take from the State Courts to the United
States Courts all suits or prosecutions for tress-
passes or wrongs done on committed by virtue
or under color of any authority derived from or
exercised under the President of the United
States" and such authority was declared to be
q full defence for the wrong doer in any action,
civil or criminal. The American Executive is
as the word imports, the executor of the duly
enacted laws yet the pretension is made that
his will can take the place of the laws. The
liberty, the character of every citizen is put at
the meroy of new functionaries called 'sProvost
Marshals' A secret accusation before these Off
cials takes the place of open hearing before a
lawful magistrate, and no writ of Aabeas corpus
may inquire the cause Of the arrest. To Illegal
arrests have been added the mockery of trial
of private citizen, for his political opinions
before Court Martial, ending in the infiction
of a newand outrageous penalty, invented by
| the President of the United States.
We need not comment upon acts like these.
The President of the United States has no au-
thorty, in peace or war, to try even an enlist
ed soldier by Court Martial, save by virtue of
and in strict conformity with the military law
laid down in the act of Congress Establish
ing rules and articles for the Government of the
armies of the United States Yet by his proc
lamation Of September "a, 1862, he has as
sumed to make all citizens amenable to military
courts He has violated the great principle of
free governments on whichW ashington conducted
the war Of the Revolution, and Madison the war
of l8l2,--the principle of the subordination of
the military to the civil power. He has as
sumed to put s'martial law" which is the rule
of force alta spot where all laws are silenced,
in the place Of iviljustice throughout the land
and has thus assailed in some of the States
even the freedom of the balot-box. These are
not occasional acts. done in haste, or heat, or g-
norance; but a new system of government put
IN the place Of that ordained and established by
St o pdFpla4 That the Queen couldfio. DO what
he could, was Mr.. Sewarl's boast to the Brit
ish Minister. The military arrests OF Mr..
Stanton received the 'hearty commendation"
of the convention that renominated Governor
Curtin; and it pledged him and his party to
s'hearty corporation" in such acts of the Adj
miniStration in future. Such is the degrading
platform on which candidate for Chief Mag
istrate Of Pennsylvania stands before her people.
These pretensions to arbitrary power give omi-
nous significance to Il late change in our military
establishment. The time honored American sys-
tenn OF calling on the States for drafts from
their militia, has been replaced by Federal con-
scrption on the model of European despotisms.
We would not minister to the excitement which
it has caused among men of all parties Its
constitutionaliy will be tested before the courts
If adudged to be within the power of Con-
gfess, the people will decide ON the propriety of
a stretch of power, on which the British Par
liament-styled omnipotent-has never VEN
tured. On this you will pass, at the polls, and
the next Congress will not be deaf to the voice
of the people.
For all political evils, constitutional remedy
yet remains in the ballot-box. We will not en-
tel tain fear that it is not safe in the guardian
ship of a free people. If men in office should
seek to perpetuate their power by wrestling from
the people of Pennsylvania theIright of suffrage;
if the servants of the people should rebel against
their master, on them will rest the responsibility
OF an attempt at revolution of which no man
can foresee the consequences or the end. But
in now addressing you upon the political issues
, of the day, we assume that the institutions of
our country are destined to endure.
The approaching election derives further i'm
portance from the influence it will exercise up
on the policy of the government. The aim of
men not blinded by fanaticlsm and party spirit
would be to reap the best frait from the victo-
ries achieved by our gallant armies-the best
fruit would be peace and the restoration of the
Union. Such is not the aim of the party in
power Dominated by its most bigoted mem
bers, it wages a war for the negro, and not for
the Union. 1t avows the design to protract the
war till slavery. shall be abolished in all the
Southern States; in the language of one of its
pampheteers, show can man, hoping and
praying for the destruction of slavery, desire that
the war shall be a short one" Mr.. Thaddeus
Stevens, ithe Republican leader in the last
House of Representatives, declared, "rhe u
nion shall never, with my consent be restored
under the Constitution as it is, with slavery to
be protected by it." The same spirit appears
in Mr.. Lincon's late answer to the citizens of
Louisiana, who desired the return of that State
under its present Constitution. Mr. Lincoln
postpones them till that Constitution shall be "a
mended The Abolitionists desire the war to last
till freedom is secured to all the slaves; hordes
of politicians, and contractors, and purveyors,
who fatten on the war, desire it to last forever
When the slaves are all omancpated by the
Federal arms, constant military Intervention
will be needed to keep them above or equal with
the white race in the Southern States. Peace