The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-03-20
NEW SERIES.
A SENSIBLE SPEECH.

We arc glad that Massachusetts is has one
man of common sense in Congress-. Judge
Thomas, though Republican, frequently
gives uttcrance to reasonable and conserva-
tie views. We make the following,ex-
tract from his speech on the negro soldier
bill: '''ss ~
s"NIr. Speaker, let me now turn to an
other feature of this bill, the term of en-
lisiment 1t provides for the enlistment
Of mon for period of yfre years. Why
.fvs years? / think there is more siignifi-
eance III ihat word GIVE in This bill than
in all other soor2s written In It. It's pos
sible objects are not written. Do you mean
to say to the country thai it is your cxpec-
tation, your reasonable expectation, and the
basis on which you propose 10 make enlist
nents for your army, that this war is to
continue for period Of five years longer? ?
Do you mean TO say TO the country that on
the vast scale on which TIE war is now pros
ecuted, and at the expense, treasure and
loss Of life at which it is prosecuted, You
expect to carry it on for five years more
IF such be your expectation, il is Just and
manly to say SO. Ii such be not your cx-
pectaton, pray add nothing TO the anxiety
OF the people.
Mr.. Speaker, if the object of this war is
restoration, gllat involves state of things,
present OF future, which will soon be devel-
oped and felt. A war for restoration p?o-
cecds upon The grounds that you viii find
in The rebcl States, rs YOU. army advances
and protection is made possible, men who
are ready TO rally again, under the blessed
flag OF the Union and TO return to their al
leglance-to the National Government. If
that feeling exists and is developed, certain
ly it will be developed tefore the lapse of
FIVE years; nevsr, indeed, BIZ this instrn-
mentality, never. But if the object Of this
war Is not restoration; if the purpose and
object of this war are-as is sometimes de-
claled in the heated and brilliant rhetoric of
gentlemen on your left -subiugation, exier-
Ininat.on, the recolonization OF The whole
rpbel territory, then your term of enlist
mentis altogether 100 sliolt---a.tegether too
short. @ eia4
L. Dir. Speaker, the object ,3c extcrrni-
aoiioH, there Is Ist.eyse OF tfacsu, ,sa,;;rs,
snatched from his .,9thor's arms or cradle,
who viii live to see 10 the end. You have
been waging the war two years, and yet
tie number of inhabitants in the rcIel
States to-day is larger than it was when the
war begun. You cannot, probably, if you
would, and you would not if you could, car
ny on a war with fcrceness and severity
that would destroy lie as fast as it germin-
atos. Men, in war, even, will marry and
women be given in marriage, children will
be born to them, and their mothers will
hold them TO their flowing breasts as the
storm sweeps by. The angel of life will
triumph over the angel Of death. Such is
the blessed economy of God The extcr-
mination Of eight millions of people, with
the use of all our power and all our rcsour-
ces, is a moral and physical impossibility.
OF this war, if it is carried on for extermi-
nation, neither you norI, Mr.. Speaker, may
hope to see its close but in one way, to us
the way of deepest humiliation, the inter-
vention of other nations, to stay its ravages.
| Who talks of war of determination is SIM
ply mad"