The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-06-12
NEW SERIES.

piled to them everywhere, North as we'll at
South-in Springfield Illinois, as we'll as
Springfield, Tennessee. But, worse still, il did
not affect the rights or property of Union men,
women and children, or lunatics, in any section
Of the country
That Congress, strange as it may seem, did
not preceive that the way TO end the rebellion
and restore afectionate relations between the
sections was to place the Union men, women,
children and the insane upon perfect footing Of
equality with the yilest traitors in the land.
That Congress believed that the crime Of refu.
sing obedience to the usurpation Of Davis & Co.
in Mississippi, Arkansas, North Carolina and
elsewhere, amid the terrors of military des.
potism did not merit the same or worse punish
ment than that they had denounced against til
tied and official traitors. That congress spared
the women and children; it also shielded from
harm the Union men who still adhered to the
national symbol Of protection. What weak.
ness! But Congress has adjourned What was
to be donel Thank Heaven, our sagucious
President was found equal to the occasion.
You will preceive that on the Let Of January
last, under this s,-called Confscation law, the
slaves Of every rebel in the United States who
had not accepted the amnesty therein provided
were de jurs free. But how were we TO end this
rebellion if the Union men, women and children
in the so.called Confederate States were left in
undisturbed possession of all their legal and
constitutional rights' IF thispolicy were adopt.
ed the rebels might become angry with these
monuments of federal mercy" and in that e.
vent the spared monuments Of federal mercv,"
might cling more el,sely to the g leral flag.
This division among the people might cause a
still more unhappy state Of affairs in Dixie !;
our friends there might have to hear addition
al indignities Az before remarked, our merci.
full and considerate President was found eaual
to the crisis. In long conversation with .nme
inspired apostles from the SANITY city Of Chira-
goa place where On i,rdonhing and other
worTi by amusements are unknown, the President
candidly confessed that he was enieavoring the
dill not state the means) to ascertain the will
OF the Lord up IN this ditficult question; that
10 soon as he learned the divine pleasure he yer.
lily would do the will Of the Master who sent
him. The revelation came doubtless "by due
course Of mail"
Judging from "that which is written" it a.
mounted to this that in portion Of Virginia
and Louisiana. in Delaware. in MARYLAND, in
Tennessee and Missouri. it was lawful for trai.
tors who had accepted the amnesty provided by
the Confiscation Law and all other persons to
hold slaves; but that in the tiiewater regions
OF Virginia, and in that part Of Louisiana
which had not been consecrated to slavery BY
the military occupation of General Butler, as
also in North Carolina, Florida. Georgia, Ala.
bama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas, it should
no longer be lawful for the Union men, women
and children to hold our African feliow-citizens
to service or labor, And yet there are those
of the ''copperhead persuasion who profess
not to see the wisdom Of this great MASTER
stroke Of our most noble and exalted President.
Sirs, did it not Immediately divide the South
and unite the North! Were not our camps forth
with crowded with countless myriads of bold
and ardent recruits! Have not sour American
brethren Of African descent" crowded by thou
bands into our ranks. inspiring our soldiers
with the songs Of enfranchised Dinahs and
mcwling and pugking Sambo' and have not our
arms been victorious everywhere since the dawn
Of the negro millennium Of 1868!
know that men like General M. Brayman,
who commands in your vicinity (at Bolivar,
Tcnnessee.) are guilty of absurdities of speech
which afford the enemies Of our sagacious Pres
ident excuses for complaint and criticism. For
instance, in the 4th of last March that officer,
then in command at Bolivar, wrote as follows
in regard to the proclamation of freedom with
which our illustrious and far seeing President
greeted the advent Of the new year "The 10y
al man is equally helpless with the disloyal IN
fact more 20; for the rebel takes his slaves South
or hires them in the army in which he himself
serves while the slaves of loyal men flee to our
camps beyond reclamation. Under this process
the rebel holds his slaves by carving them into
State in which they are declared free, while
the law abiding citizen loses his by retaini ng
them in a State where it is lawful to hold them.
As it is now, the loyalty and good conduct of
these men avail them nothing"
In speaking of the elevating effects of this
system upon our armies md the negroes Gen.
Brayman shocks our sensibilities by the use Of
such language as this:-'rheir expense to the
government is enormous. 1t requires soldiers
to guard them. They sicken and die in crowd
ed and filthy corrals. They become debased
and demoralised. They debase and demo ralize
the army"
Now, among the resolutions you will adopt at
the Memphis meeting there should by all means
be one censuring Gun. Brayman for the use Of
language so insulting to sour fellow citizens Of
African descent" and SO justly calculated to in.
ccnse the shareholders in Tennessee, who have
80 stubbornly refused to join the rebels.
Why, sirs, this license Of speech must be
suppressed. What right have men who do not
support the prcsent wise and efficient admins
tration to critcise its policy the consequences
Of it. Within the last few days have heard
persons in this city-in this capital, which bears
the sacred name Of Washington, and which. for
the present, is the home of our illustrious Chief
Magistrate-draw seemingly inviduous distinc.
tions between the fate Of Jesse D. Bright, Of In
diana, and that Of John NJ Botts, Of Virginia.
How INV hlood s.ho;led with p;ous INDIGNATION"