The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-09-11
From the Valley Shirt.
Judge Woodward's Loyalty

u u
The treasury robbers, who have their arms in
the public purse up to their eIhe..- /. !, - ---
.h~y ,s.;ill,e clecIibn OF Judge Woodward, are
ipgfng out against his legally. The argument
is that he is not loyal to ''us," and, therefore,
the people should leave ''us," to fatten on their
earnings. This is the substance of their groans
No honest or fair-minded man has, or needs
to have, the slightest anxiety on the point. A
man reared in our midst, always living under
the eyes of the people of Pennsylvania, exercis-
ing great public trusts with the highest fidelity
owning no property and possessing no interest
whatever beyond our Oorders--what motive to
disloyalty has such man! What word or act
of his life implies disloyaltY to his Government
He has sworn to support the Constitution OF
the United States and of the State of Pennsyl-
vania many times; when where--has he vio-
lated that oath What patriot, what shoddy con-
tractor, what thief, even, dare charge him with
its violations
His speech in independence Square, in $50,
has been garbled, mutilated and forged by such
organs OF the National Administration as The
Press, but they dare not spread it before the
public. We have published it in our columns,
and most of the Democratic papers in the State
have done likewise. 1t is its own best refuta-
ton of these slanderous perversions.
AS further evidence of the general drift OF
Judge Woodwards thoughts, we publish below
part of a judicial opinion, delivered by him in
the Supreme Court, on the constitutionality Of
the soldiers stay law. We italicise few SEN
tences. Such incidental expressions, uttered
from the bench in the course of Judicial duty
not framed as catch words of campaign, but
grave and solemn expositions of the law, are
| better evidences of a mans mental condition
and views of public policy than statements and
professions, prepared in the heat of political
| contest, as bids for votes. Our candidate has
| no such bids to offer. He is not an obscure OF
unknown man. His life is before the people o.
| Pennsylvania-a people whom nc has served
faithfully through nearly all of his mature years
= always wearing purely and without stain tho
honors with which they have crowned him. W.
ask that that life be read truly. We ask moth
ing more Its records are an all-sufficient an
swer to the calumnes of the creatures who arr
hired to SANDER him.
The opinion to which we ask attention vindl
Gated the soldiers right to exemption from ex
ecutions, and other legal process, while serving
in the armies of his country. 1t maintained
the consttutionality and justice of a law which
while it could not avail to protect the voluntee
from the plundering hand of Curtin, secured hi
little possessions to his family until he came bacl
to maintain them once more by his daily labor
Ragged, starved and shoddy stricken by tn
grasping hand of false Governor, this law lei
his wife and babies bed, stove and COW
and when its validity was impeached in the Su
preme Court, W oodward was its champion
Judge Reed alone dissented.-the only Judge .
that bench elected by Republican votes
Judge Woodward's Opinion on the Sol
diers' Stay Law.
" "WoopwARp, 1.-The 9TH section of the Ac
Of 18th April, 1861, z. T.. p. 400, is in thes
words:
8 No civil process shall issue or bo enforced
Z gainst any person mustered into the service
this State or of the United States, during I'll
term for which he shall be engaged in such sci
vice, nor until thirty days after he shall ha,
been discharged thereirom; Provided; that Il
operation of all statutes of limitation shall
d suspended upon all claims against such perso
during such term"
, "rhe principal question upon the record