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

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has undermined the Federal Government bro,,ebf
on this war, and sacrificed thE lives Of thousa5dss
OF our people. General Jadlson in his dav da
nonnced it, and warned the country against Il
and even Mr.. Buchanan, in lis last Annual Mes
sage declared it ITO be inconsistent with the his
tory as well as the character bf the Federal Con-
stitution. 1t means that Fe have no national
Government; that under tie Constitution there
is no Union, but only knoll of States that may
be tied or united at pleasure; that there is no
such thing as a citizen Of thu United States, and
no national flag to shelter him
But, MIR. Chairman. the most cruel feature of
my colleagues speech is that which, openly pro-
claiming his approval Of 8lr Buchanan course,
implicitly eensures that of the great old patriot
whom be and !, once and again. but yainly labor
ed to make President of the the United States
General Lewis Cass; whose patriotism and states
manship reyolted at the trucking policy Of Mr..
Buchanan, and who, when bis proposition to gar
risoR the southern forts and maintain possession
of the public property was refused, promptly
rendered his resignation and withdrew from the
Cabinet # Mr.. Buchanan policy was wise,
General Cass's S was unwise it Mr. Buchanan
was faithful in his high position, General Cass
was mistaken In Judgment; if Mr. Buchanan
properly met the great duties of the hour, then
General Cass utterly failed to appreciate the diff
euitles. But not so. | can never subscribe to
such q sentence of condemnation against an old
friend whom | have long admired whom | now
revere as among the worthlest statesmen the
country has ever had, and whose claim to the love
and gratitude Of p0sterity rest in my Judgment,
more firmly upon his unshaken fidelity when trea-
son was so general, than even upon his brilliant
records OF both civil and military service. About
the time he retired from the Cabinet be was filed
with gloom and anguish at the threatening aspect
of public affairs, as he fully comprehended the
great and growing dangers which threatened the
ship OF state. His impressive exclamation at the
time, IN my presence, was: We are lost We are
destroyed; cur great and glorious country viii be
ruined. it might be sayed-it might be saved
| have tried to save it, but can do no more. =
Glorious words betokening the great heart Of a
brave clear, patriotic statesman, who would have
saved the country, the public property, and sub
dued the rebellion had HE been President in place
Of Mr. Buchanan As he was not, and the Pre-
sident would do nothing he left the Cabinet
! ct my colleague indorses Dir. Buchanan and his
policy; thus implicitly casting eensure and blame
upon General Cass Iresent the imputation, and
appeal with confidence from his words to the
judgnent of free people, who actH be saced des-
pIte the oPep treachery of Buchanan, or the COW
ert treachery of his allies and friends.
have alluded to the fact that rebellion Is not a
new thing 10 American history; all remember how
prompflg jackson put down one, and Taylor
nipped another in the bud. lincoln has aroused
the loyaly and patriotism Of the country to sub
due the lAStandworst, and wewho are thus thlsday
engaged are but following the teachings OF those
departed patriots around whom united country
threw its protecting arms, and upon whose memo
RES it continues to lavish its praise. The Union:
it must and snail be preserved, was the motto Of
jackson: it is the heart-work of Lincoln. The
rebellion Of 1892 was invoked against existing leg
islation; this. much less justihable, and more
wicked was inaugurated in the absence of often
{1a oil
legislation was not only harmless, but harmonious
on the late disputed territorial question when BY
the confession of the ablest of their leaders, the
shareholders Of the South had no cause to justify
secession, and when by the truth of history, there
was no actual grievance whatever This is most
vigorously and clearly presented BY the following
extract from a speech Of Alexander III. Stevens,
delivered in the secession convention OF Georgia,
in January, 1861:
This step of seeession) once taken never be re-
called and all the beefl and whitening consequences
that must follow viii rest the convention for all coming
time. hen and posterity shall see our lovely
Sonth dcsolated by the demon of war teheh tins act 81
green fields OF waving harvest shall he rodden down by
the murdeEous soldieTy and fiery OF war sweeppg
land temples Of justice laid in ashes, al the
horrors and desolatons Of upon cao bNt 's con-
uefiop trH be hc}d responsible for and who but him
who shall have given his vote forthis unwise and med
measure honestly think and believe, shoi Be held 70
strSe account for is suicidal act By the present genera
oa and probably cursed and erccr0ted g posterg for
al eoiHg tune for the wide apd desoatng ruin that viii
inevitably follow this act you propose to perpetrate
Pause, entTeat you. bhat f39At has
he Nort assaied2 What interest Of the South has been
Invaded? What Justice has been denied and what claim
founded in justice and right has been wthhed? Can
either Of you toGy governmental act 0f wrong
deliberately and parposely done hy the Government at
Washington, of which the South has right to complain
challenge the answer.
eve have always had the control of the General Gov
enment and yet if remain in it, and are as united
have been. We have had majority Of the Presi
dents chosen from the South well the control and
management of Of those chosen from the NORTH
We have had sixty years OF southern Presidents 70 the
twenty for thus controlling the Executive department
SO of the judges Of the Supreme Court we have has
eighteen from the South and but eleven from the North
although nearly fourfths Of the Judicial business has
arisen the free States yet majority Of the Court has
always boon from the South This have required st
guard against any Interpretation Of the Constitution
unfavorabe TO IN like Dmnner wo have been equally
wachfu to guard interests in the legislative branch
of Government. In choosing the presiding prcsde1i L
pro eR Of the Senate, have had twenty four to then
eleven. Speakers Of the House, we have had twenty
three and they twelve While the majority of the repre-
sentatives from their greater population, have always
been from the North yet have so generally secured
the Speaker because he greater extent shapes ane
controls the legislation of the country.
Attorney Generals had fourteen while the North hay'
had but ye Foreign ministers we have had eighty x
and they but fifty -four w
world markets cotton tobacco and sugar the bes
possible terms. We have had vast majority Of the high
Offices of both army and navy, while large proportion
of the soldiers and sailors drawn from the ortiz
Equally Of clerks, auditors and comptrolers, films
the Executive Departments The records show for tn
last fifty years that Of three thousand thus employed
have had than two thirds Of the while W.
have bat third of the white population of the Repub
lie. A fraction over three-fouFth
of tho collected for the support of the Govern
ment has uniformly been raised from the North Paqs
now while you can gentlemen, and contemplate carefui
and eanddly these important items
sFor you to attempt to overthrow such Government
as this upder which have lived for more than thre
quarters Of century in which we have gained ou
wealth, standing nation, oEr domestic safety
while the clements of peril around us, with peace an
tranquility accompanied with unbounded prosperity an
rights unassaiIed is the height of wadaess folly, an
cchedness, to which neither lend my sanction no
my vote"
Sir, this rebellion was cold -blooded, premedi
tated, Infamous attempt of ambitious, desperate
I IL