Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-12-09
THE TWO QUESTIONS.

THE TWO QUESTIONS.
1t is asserted since the election by republican
papers, that in re-electing Mr.. Lincoln the people
declared themselves for the principle of the ITO
whom it may concern" letter On the other hand
the New York Times, supposed to be in close re-
lations with the administration, tells the rebels
they are mistaken as to the position of the North
on the slavery question:
There is nothing about slavery that would pre-
vent the North from making peace tomorrow if it
could. 1t is quite willing to leave the whole dis
posal of that subject to future peaceful and consti
tutional action In no form or degree is the ad-
herence of the South to slavery part of our cqss
6eRt Nor do we fight to overthrow state rights.
The North is still for maintaining to the last ota
every right reserved to the states by the constitu
ton. We want no consolidated government and
would tolerate none. So far as respects veritabe
constitutional state rights, we make no quarrel
with the South. =
David Dudley Field made similar declarations in
a speech at meeting to celebrate Mr.. Lincon's
reelection He said -
EVERY one Of us knowsthat many ofthose who
spoke and voted for the reelection of our present
chief magistrate, dissented strongly from some of
his acts. They are of course, free to oppose re-
petition of them. If the election does not signify
our indiscriminate approval of the acts of the ad
minishation, much less does it signify an approval
Of any particular plan of reconstruction as it is
called There are those who voted for Mr. Lin
coin, and perhaps majority of them, who think
that no reconstruction is necessary; that in the
eye fthe law the Union is still unbroken; and
that all the government has to do is to put down
the rebellion, and that all the rebels need to do, is
tosubmit to the laws .
It's evident that there is still a wide difference
of opinion among the dominant party as to terms
ofpeace and reconstruction, and especially as to
slavery. 1t is doubtful whether majority of the
party would vote for the doctrine of the to whom
it may concern letter. But, what needs now to
be said and accepted is, that this controversy is
now thing ofthe past. 1t has ended by its own
limitations. The rebels have told US unanimously
by their congress, for the twentieth time that they
viii not come back to the Union, even if we let
them hold on to slavery under the constitution
Moreover, the loyal states have given formal no.
dce that theyintend to abolish slavery throughout
the whole Union by an amendment to the consti-
tuition. This they can constitutionally do Thus
the whole matter is settled for all time to come,
and in conquering- the rebels we compel them not
only to submit to the constitution as it IS bat as
1t is to be- Now the whole controversy is removed
from the forum to the battle field, unless some
party shall undertake to procure reversal of the
popular decision. The form of amending the CON
stitution has yet to be gone through, indeed, but
the character Of the members elect to the next
Congress shows that the matter is already fully set
tied by the people And so evident is this that it
is possible enough ofthe opposition members may
yield to the urgent logic of events to carry the e.
Emancipation amendment through Congress at the
pending session. It is clear that in every respect
it is desirable 10 complete the constitutional aholi
of slavery OF the earliest moment It viii sweep
all the theoretical and practical difficulties out of
the way yofreconstruction. Slayerylegally removed,
there viii be no further need of extraordinary
oaths or other tests of loyalty in the reclaimed
states All repentant rebels included IN the presi-
dents amnesty may then resume their citizenship
by taking the oath of loyalty to the constitution,
and reconstruction viii be simple affair.
Neither will the question of state rights give us
much trouble. The North has not renounced the
original doctrine, and the South does not half be-
ieye the distortion Of It upon which secession is
based. In the confederacy it is already practical
ly repudiated, and JEFF Davis threatens war against
North Carolina and Georgia ifthey attempt to se-
cede from his government. The states are soYer-
eign and independent under tha constitution and
that sovereignty win be respected and naintai ned
butt is sovereignty within the scope and linita-i
tions so well defined in the constitution. The
thing is true of the general government. And
right to secede no more follows from the
sovereignty Of the state, than the right to expel
state from the Union follows from the sovereignty
of the general government. Each is sovereign,
but only over It's own matters. In fact the rebel
leaders know well enough that their version of
state sovereignty is illogical and untenable They
use it to delude and mislead their own people
tb ~ viii not adhere to it if they shall succeed in
establishing government of their own. Their
viii be no serious difficulty in re-establishng the
Union on account of the southern caricature of
the states rights theory. 1t viii perish with the
rebellion.
SPEAKER CeLFAx-There was brilliant oya.
ton TO the Hon. Schuyler Colfax in Philadelphia
aS the Assembly Buildings, on Thursday evening.