Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-04-15
REyERDY S0HNsOr Gsl TFFE .sPECyLEsT Y
RNSTETErE1E.'


Occasional writes IS follows ofReverdy Joh,,
sons great speech,-a speech already Pre- duo M
a profound impression throughout tne co mt =
The greatest argument that has vet eey ,r,,9a
in favor of the amendmentof TIE Fed sra' Cops,;-
tuition so as forever to prohibit sayer i, the In;
ted States, and forever to remove t ae o~oin and
feeder of the rebellion and the cauf q # isco,,ta,,
among the people, was made in + ae Senate he 1Ir
johnson on the very day befo e Mr. Tbonnson
made his plea against slavery the hail or tbo
House. have read this rc araent Of Senator
johnson with great delight and instruction n
IS wholly uuexceptionab e The delivery she
manner, and the matter .es this noale effort recall
ed the Augustan era Of t ne Repnll;e and the ven
cradle statesmen, who Fas eotemnoransous viii
she greatest men oI past, was heard with pro
ioaad attention 6y Z ful Senate and crowded gal
ierles. lie tod ;. a few months ago, that he
had dined with tt illustgious John Marshall in the
very room IN W. .ch this letter is written. What
attribute to tn cause for which we are now con
tending, thar such patriot should discard al pa5,
| theories arid. opinions, and plant himself on the
endu1Ing sis Of hostility 10 slavery! Not one
| 81 the 50 IS ot the Revolution-not Patrick Hen
RI tlSb q Ames, Sam Adams, Or Thomas defer
| son-e yer used more sublime language than the
ioloy lrAg. Never viii forget the effect 1t pro-
due d as it iel from Reverdy johnson lips on
| Tue day last;
| Remember, now the question is, Can that IN
s. 4tuton which deals with humanity as property
I Ghieh Claims TO shaekle the mind, the soul, and
body Which brings to the level OF the brute d
portion OF the race OF man, cease to be within The
reach o. the political power OF the people Of Che
Y4te3 Sfnfa< ,of
9lthln their power, but because at that time thew
alG not exert the power? What says the preanI-
bic How pregnant with conclusive answer is
the preamble to the proposition that slavery can
not be abolished! " hat does chat preamble state
GO have been the chief objects that the great and
wise and good men had at heart in recommending
tae Constitution, with that preamble, to tie adoy-
tIon or the American people! That Justice might
be established that tranquility might be presery-
ed that the common defence and general welfare
might be maintained; and. last and chief of all
that liberty might be secured Is there no Justice
i IN putting an end to human slavery? Is there no
danger to the tI&nquilty Of the country in itsex-
lstence! May 1t not interfere with the common
defence and general welfare? And above all IS
| ii consistent with any notion which the mind OF
man can CONCEIVE OF human hberty2 The VERY
cllSe under which we seek to put an end to the ~
sttutlon the amendatery clause may have bf,p
ana, IN al probability was, inserted into the in
| stfument from convection that the time V.Aud
come when Justice W oud call so loudly for theex
nct0n of the nstItu ton that her call cor IA NOT
| be dlsobeyed when the peace and tranov iljty Of
| the land would dema I'D ia thunder tones the des
truetIon OF the nStl alton as Inconsistent with such
peace and tranquility, and When the sentiment OF
the world would bccc me shocked with Il e existence
| OF condition OF Ga mgs in the only free Govern
ment upon the lace of the globe as far as the
White man ls conee rned, aad oundef upon princi-
pies utterly moons stent with any other form Of
government than government whic h secures free
dom when the sentiment Of the world would lie
shocked by the continuing exist nee OF human
bondage, and We should become the scor and scorn
OF Christendom
! am not to b. told, Mr. President. that our
| iathers looked to this race, merely because thev
differed In color rom ourselves, as not entitled ia
the rights which for themselves they declared to be
inahenable. Ihjre was not one of them. from
fiie most hunbta :, intellectually and morallv-if
there were any amee in that great body which
formed the Con v6ntI0n that recommended the
Constitution Of the United States to the adoption
OF the American pe0ple-who would not have
oeen shocked II he had been told that there was
light to make a slave of any human being. The
advocates Of slavery n0w ia our midst do nor
mean here but ia tie South and in some of tbe
puipIts OF the Nortllsay that slavery Of IL l,aoi
race IS OF divine origin. SeriptuFai authority for
rs existence aId It's perpetual existence from lime
60 tine, tai, as tsiak, the moral mind has be-
hceme nalsf ated by the declaration has been
g9Heheator ITS sanctiNanG its perpetual existence
lie saviour Of mankind did not put an end to h
hF hhysea power, or by the declaration ef an ex-
ifahg liiegaatY "a word Ills mission upon earth
was siot to propagate Ills doctrines by force Ha
came 10 save, not 20 conquer. His purrose was
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