Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-04-15

l.
non, and BY decrying It's finances should he ranlred
country az Aas
!, but 1t SAID by these sympathizers with treason
e; y = the 1auit Ok this Administration and its
friends that this war exists that it Is On unbolv
war and should be stopped, and that Mr. P,;s-
Sha5an policy was one Of peace and conciI;atfov,
mnist tnat OF Alr. Lincn has been one If ,1snr
pa5l,sen ION and tyranny y IS ~
annie .se s. the answer 70 these allegations, full and
4or!an 4 ~ Is, may De important to the future his
.orla' VIII not stop to make Il here - tbe na
i III ~ - eea our present duties are to slpnregs
y !. anu lts cause 1t is waced for The ,,nrresa
,,net ,,i 'ne ngsernment It is enforced bv
- "ifsn ass kept in the field bv militia
~ uespotish oI tne Most relentless c,a,.aofor
| The great question oil she ds.r; o+ a5'e1 II
process this condition Of thNae ~, baa, na s. I aat
but how to suppress the re6e;r I - trae I,
back our rebel foes how to save r o',,i g..
spohation and dslaughter our countrS IL = ol1'
our Government from overthrow-dns;as =
presence every other political duty hides H
mlnished head | have, Mr. ChaiIlnap ~; |
tormly observed that the men who waste thei,s ~
ergies in discussing the past are the least Rie,,
to meet the responsibilities Of the present, and
| rise to the stature which it demands of all loyal
| citizens
| StiI sir, am not willing to letso much of that
part Of the charge remain unanswered as fixes
/ upon the loyal North the responsibility for this
| war The imputation is wholly false The slave
holders were the aggressors They were stiInula-
ted to the heinous crime by hatred of the progress
Of free communities by jeai0usies of their rising
power, by envy OF their great superiority IN every
art and pursuit of life and Of the higher ciyiza-
ton which paid, intelligent and free labor has con
| ferred upon the free States of the Union Does
any one doubt this? If so, let him read the de-
bates in Congress Of the last ten years hut espe-
elally during the sessions Of Is59-60 and lS60-6l
1 debates to which | was compelled to listen and
which fffp
Of hatred, scorn, contempt. and disoyalty plainly
| toreshadowlng the base revolutionary schemes then
farlv entered upon and hurlingdeiantly AT North
eTn Representatives the vile and misunderstanding
| OF the right of secession One class q northern
members, | regret to say, encouraged these decla-
Tations, sympathized with their authors, and abet
| ted their designs believing that they saw in them
the material OF successful political influence But
| Tor this, there wouidhaYe been no secession An
other class boldly denounced the fasehoods, resen-
ted the insults, and hurled back the threats of Sc
cesson, declaring that under no circumstances
would they consent to separation of these States
or permit the mere result Of an election to be made
the pretext for revolution. Sir, firmly believe
that had all the northern members Joined IN these
clear declarations Of fidelity to the constitution and
| the Unlon, and announced their determination to
MAINTAIN the existing 6oYernRlent at all hazards,
/ the secession movement would never have risen TO
formidable proportions, or cause for serious alarm
But everywhere overtle South secession was pro
claimed to be peaceful remedy for alleged griey-
ances, and it was publicly and constantly proclaim
ed that any attempt to coerce the South, would
be followed by division IN the North that blood
would flow III northern streets and civil war among
ourselves would render secession safe. certain and
complete 1t is too true that many northern Rep
resentatiyes in that critical period misrepresented
| their constituencies fearfuly deceived the rebel
leaders, and thus covered themselves with guilt
scarcely less deep and infamous than belongs to
JEFF Davis himselfand his traitorous cabinet
| While this was the position Of members on this
floor, what was the attitude of Mr. Buchanan
and his Administration? He covered before the
| storm Floyd shared his confidence until he had
transferred large portion of the arms to south
ern aTsenaS, without interference until arrested
! in his treasonable attempt to remove the cannon
from Allegheny arsenal to pretended forts in Lou
isiana by the determined patriotism and courage
ofmy constituents at Pittsburg, and then resigned
because Mr.. Buchanan refused to order Major An
| dersen back from Fort Sumter TO Moultrie and
| thereby maintain the promise previously given to
South Carolina by Floyd, with slr. Buchanan
consent, that the status Of affairs should not be
| disturbed in the harboF Of Charleston Cobbr re-
manned in the cabinet until by his financial man
agement the credit of the Government was so low
that money could scarcely be borrowed at any rate
even to pay the necessaryexpenses of the Govern
ment and in that time Of peace, temporarEloans
could not be made except at most exorbitant rates
|
the cabinet journeyed to North Carolina to aid in
switching the old North StateJ out of the Union,
and Continued to possess himself of cabinet secrets
to be transmitted south for the benefit of the reb-
els until his sensitive honor could not endure the
alleged eonceaiment from him of Mr. Buchanan S
tardy effort to provision Fort Sumter Mean
| while the President, trembling with fear andover-
come by the threats ofrebels, was dragooned first
into modification Of his last annualmessage so as
! openly to abandon the doctrine of coercion which
greatly corrupted northern opinion and eontribn-
ted vastly to southern acceptance the rebel pro-
gramme ; and then Tor weeks, as If struck with
paralysis, when it was proposed TO do ANYTHING in
assertion to tie righttul and Inherent power of
the Government to preserve itsell-this weak and
tmd old man performed role which has covered
his name with infamy, and viii forever load it
with the nation 5 contempt Such is my estimate
Of the reputation Of James Buchanan" tonee,
regret to say, known as PENNSYLVANIA S fsyorte
son, as finally left for the Judgment nf posterity
General Cass, in his expressions referred to be-
fore, erred IN one point. He misealeulatea the
extent ct the evil done BY Mr. Buahannan. and
overestllnated the influence of his nbeeility and
treachery upon the loyalmasSes. Yet atthe time
50 dark and portentous we're the clouds, 50 gener-
al was public suspicion, 50 widespread and power
ful the conspiracy, that it seemed to be hoping
against hope TO have any cheerful anticipations
when looking into the dark and gloomy future ):
and it is not surprising that his patriotic heart was
overwhelmed with grief On every hand the enc
; my was busy, the Government silent and ndifer-
ent, bound hand and foot by It's Attorney General,
who narrowly pairing down the power OF the Gov
ernment to protect itseIf advised the President
THAT the Union must utterly perish at the mo-
ment when Congress shall arm one part Of the
people against another for any purpose beyond
that of merely protecting the General Govern
ment in the exercise of its proper constitutional
functions. Such was the chosen and delbera-
ted nhraseooev within which urked the faIIac;o,,s
and destructive error that our fathers had con-
! structed Government without power to preserve
itself nfoFce its laws to assert its unquestioned
and inherit rights, to suppress insurrectinn, and
save its own existence from active and armed
treason /; and in my opinion Mr.. Chairman, to
! IL :. PlIs- : 1 :.