The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-03-11
VOL. z, NO 80.

sicians. The people who stay at home and whs
have means, must support the wives and chii
dren of the soldiers in the field. AS genera
thing, the wealthy men have nobly done theil
duty. They have given their sons cheerfully
and their substance freely to the confederacy.
They have opened their barns and storehousss
to the poor and needy. There are others who
seem to take no interest whatever in the war
They send their negroes to labor on the public
works through compulsion, and pay their taxes
gruagingly. They hoard up their riches with
niiseriy care, and leave the soldiers to fight their
battles in the field. 10 such men the address
says: ''The enemy is at your door, and you sit
Still, hugging to your bosoms the delusive hope
| that you will make some terms with him and
save your property. If the enemy spared not
the slaves of good mon, do you think he will
spare yourss If we fail your negroes will be
driven-off at the point of the bayonet, and your
lands will be parceled out among the hireing
soldicry of Lincoln"
NEGROES IN FREEDOM.
The following picture of the free negro fol-
lows: $50 toNew England, New York, or llli-
nois, and you will find them everywhere perform
ing the menial Offices of life. If when this war
is ended there should be found alive sny negroes
in the hands of tue enemy they will have a
hard time indeed. They will not be permitted
to labor on the railroads, the canals or the pub
licworks Of any kind, for the Irish and Dutch will
rise il mobs and drive them off. Yankee society
will not educate. Yankee pride will not toler.
ate taeir intermarriage with the whites. Driv-
IN from the social circle and all the industrial
pursuits of life, what will become of the poor
negro? There are two kinds Of aboli-
tlonists-the political and the. religious-the
religious steal the negro and the political kill
him. From reliable information in my posses
sion, two-thirds of all the negroes that have gone
10 the enemy are now in their graves. Many
are daily desarting and returning to their old
masters, sick snd sore and emaciated, and beg
gng that they may be permitted 10 die at home
in peace. There was once in the river parishes
and the lower portion of this state the most
centented and happy race Of laborers ever seen
on this earth. Music and the merry laugh were
nightly heard from their comfortable quarters,
for peace AMI plenty and quiet blessed both mas
ter and servant. Bu. now desolaton, want
and disease fill the cabins of these once happy
and contented laborers. In an evil hour the
destroyer came. He poisoned the ears and cor
rupted the hearts Of these people They have
either been enticed away from their comfortable
homes or driven of by force Of arms, and now
upon hard fare and harder work. they can on
ly dream OF the blessing of the old plantation
where the meat-house and the corn-crib were
always full and at their command. The White
inhabitants of our state have suffered much in
this war, but the blacks have suffered far nors.r
MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED.
The attention of the Legislature il called to
the passage of such laws as the exigencies of
the times demand. Tlfe Illegal manner in which
the "Iulpressnient act has been executed in
the state by officers, or those claiming to be Of
ficers, of the contederacy, must he stopped.-
'.'Ihe people must and shall be protected in all
their civil rights" There is no fault to be
found with Lieutenant-G General Z. Kirby Smith
the commanding officer os the department. or
with Major Gen. Taylor. ''These commanding
officers have not only done their duty most no
bly, as gallant soldiers, but whenever there has
been conflict between the civil AM military
authorities, they have most cheerfully submit
ted to the decisions of the courts Of The state"
The inaugural closes with the following par
agraph:
You, gentlemen, are assembled together on
no ordinary occasion. You have much to do.
Your constituents expect much at your hands.
My hearty cooperation will cheerfully be given
to every measure that may tend to guard the
citizen in his rights and secure the liberties of
the people. While urge upon you the strict
est economy in all your acts, still would say,
spare no expense. Stand not upon dollars and
cents when the safety of your country requires
your action. Lei svery man who owes service
to his country go to the army Let every man
who stays at home do his duty--frown down
extortion and vice in every shape and every
form. Be true to yourselves and leave the rest
to God. Be- true to yourselves and the coun-
try is safe.