The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-07-22
BEDFORD. Pa, FRIDAY MORNING, JULY %. 1864.

and settled in the halls Of legislation, will be
tried in the field of battle and determined by
the sword Neither should you deceive your
selves with the hope that the first line of sepa-
ration would be the permanent one.
Local interests would still be found there and
unchastened ambition If the recollection OF
common dangers, IN which the people of the
United States have stood side by side against
the common foe, the prosperity and happiness
they have enjoyed under the present Constitu-
tion--if all these recollections and proofs of
common interests are not strong enough to bind
us together, one people, what tie will hold
united the warrlng divisions of empire, when
those bonds have been broken and the Union
dissolved The first line OF separation would
not last long--new fragments would be torn off
new leaders would spring up, and this glor-
iouS Republic would soon be broken into null
titu,ie oE petty States. armed for mutual ag-
gressions--Ioaded with taxes to pay armies and
leaders. seeking aid against each other from for
eign powers-inspIted and trampled upon by
the nations Of Eurupe, until harrassed with
conflicts and humbled and dehased in spirit, they
would be willing to submit to domination OF
any military adyenturer, and surrender their
liberty for the sake of repose."
HesTy Clay. in speech in congress as early
as $50, warned his countrymen against the
iauaticism Of the Abolitionists in the following
words:
.'Ahotionism shoeld no longer be regarded
( as an imaginary danger. The Abolitionists,
( let me suppose, succeeded IN their present aim
Of uniting the inhabitants of the free States as
one man against the inhabitants OF the slave
! States. Union upon one side will beget Union
orJ II Cf
solidafioa will be attended With all the violent
i proudces, embittered passions, and implacabie
animosities, which ever degraded or detormed
/ haraan nature. One section will
stand in menacing ard hostile array against the
other, The collisions of opinion will be quick
/ ly followed by the clash OF arms.--I will not
attempt to describe scenes which now happily
/ lie concealed from, our view.-Abotionist
4 themselves would shrink back in horror at the
contemplation of desolated fields confagrated
cities, murdered inhabitants and the overthrow
of the faivest fabric OF human government that
ever rose to animate the hopes of civilized man.
/ In addition 10 these warnings and prophecies
4 might ae added ike opinions from ali the great
statesmen Of the country. This advice has been
disregarded, and a party built up in the
North whose aim was to destroy the institution
of slavery. either cut of hatred to the people of
the South. or false ideas Oi humanity. They
appealed to the passions of men, and labored
u array the North against the South, and TO
ALLEVIATE one section from the other. The friend
ly relations OF the North and South we're pro-
ken; strife begat strife The sunjustiiabIe in-
termeddIng with the institutions OF the South
fed the bad passions Of men until thar section
Of our once happy country has taken up arms
to destroy ;he tairest fabric of human govern
ment that ever rose 10 animate tae hopes Of civ
ilized man.
Sir. need not quote the reasonable utter
ances OF the opponents Of the Democratic party
nor their threats OF violence to the South. |
need not repeat how they exasperated the peo-
pie Of one section against another How they
attempted to murder and did murder citizens of
the South in a wild attempt TO abolish slavery.
E How many jaek-eg, itinerant preachers have
gone to the South like the wolf in sleeps, cloth
ing to stir mp servile iusurrection, to incte the
slave to murder his master and slay the first
, born. Sir, this is the history of the fanatical
party that was the inception and cause of the
I rebellion. While do not justify the rebellion,
while | pronounce those engaged in it guilty
of treason, yea, worse than treason, If there be
such a crime, in truth and Justice ] must equally
condemn that party which furnished them the
excuse for the rebellion. During all the agita-
ton proceeding and attending secession, the
Southern conspirators considered the Abolition
, !, lists their best friends Governor Adams of
South Carolina said Of them:
s'The Abolitiorists are our best friends.
, Thank God for what they have already done
and for the inestimable blessings they were a
, bout to confer, thev were entitled to our warm
;, est gratitude. Their assaults have been unceas-
: lag. but all for our good. They have furnish
. ed us justification for dissolving our connec-
ton with them"
In three particulars, the Abolitionists were
{ the best friends of the Southern conspirators.
, FIRST, by furnishing them with the means to ex-
cite the Southern masses into rebellion. Second.
by advocating the policy of ''letting them go
! in peace and thus aiding them to establish an
empire founded on slavery. Third by pushing
the government into an extreme policy of eman-
cipation and confscation, uniting the South,
dividing the North, and in effect doubling the
relative strength of the rebellion.
: Slavery is denounced as the cause OF the re-
bellion deny this, though It NAV be the occa-
5 sion, as money is tire occasion of larceny, rob
berry OF burglary. If bad men did not covet
, their neighbors money and lay feloEious hands
r upon it and carry it away. such a crime as lar.
ceny would not be known TO the law. II the
, uniustifable and unlawful intermeddling with
t slavery had never occurred, there would have
, been no rebellion. The deadly conflict which
is now convulsing the country from centre to
circumference would not have occu-red-no
, fields and beautiful farms devastated no loss
of thousands of free and happy people; no
grave-yards extending from the Potomac TO the
| Mississippi; no people in Mourning for lost
} friends who fell m battle. We lived four score
years in peace and prosperity, and the clash Of
arms in intestine war was not heard and never