Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-08-18

martyr to his country. We knew him wen.
| and we speak knowingly of his many good
| qualities Peace to thy names, old friendi
The BEDFORD HoMicrpE. John p.
| Reed, Sr., is an intelligent and respected ci T.
lzen of Bedford. He is, we believe, a mem
Der of the bar and has filed important official
trusts. he has two sons-John p, Jr., and
\ Mengel by name-and it may be others, but
these have earned for themselves place in
the records of justice. Not knowing to the
| contrary, we assume that Mr.. Reed taught his
i sons, among other essential virtues, that all
| their manifold social, religious and political
rights are the fruits of our most benefcent
II system of government and that they owe un-
| faltering devotion to its cause whenever its
permanency orpriceless principles of freedom
| are assailed by either foreign or domestiefoes
But however faithfully he may have discharged
| this sacred parental duty, his sons proved
faithless to his precepts, to themselves and to
their own great inheritance. So far from fol-
lowing the dictates of patriotism when treason
made causeless, wicked war to overthrow the
government, and responding to the Nation s
call in the hour of its deepest peril, Mengel
| embraced the first favorable opportunity to en-
| list in the traitors ranks in 1868, aiming to
| add to the full measure of his eountrys woes,
and thus served in perfdious, murderous war
| upon his own home and people. To this crime
he was faithful until he was captured as a pris-
oner OF war and he was heId as such until the
| bloody work of treason ended in discontinue,
when he proposed formally to resume his e.
deity to the government by taking the oath of
allegiance. The institutions in its boundless
| magnanimity permitted him to do so, and he
| returned to Bedford to enjoy the blessings of
| the government he had vainly sought to de-
| stroy, and to mingle with the people again
| whose sad bereayements he had aided to his
| utmost power, to shadow with fresh SORROWS
| A generous people at his home bore with his
malignant perfdy to the free North that gave
him birth, and the shameless insolence that
made him seek the comforts of home where
he had once sought to mark the desolating
track of treason's barbarous war; His broth
er, John p, inspired with hate for the free
government under which he had been reared,
fed to foreign land avowedly to escape ser
vice in behalf of his imperiled country and
the jurisdiction of its laws. When the Ma
tional enrolment law passed Congress, or was
about to pass, he jUurneyed to Canada, where
he supposed that he could unreservedly fra
ternize with congeniai rebels plotting treason
and death to his brethren. He entered an
Office for the study of law, an6 meant, as the
sequel proves, to remain only until he could
return home without danger of being required
to aid in preserving the government under
which he hoped to live and to which he NOM
inally confessed allegiance But, although in
distant land, he had forgotten that he had
no abiding place, in the eye of the law of Ell
ther Canada or the United States, other than
in Bedford, and he was properly enrolled and
drafted a conscript in the Union army. Of
course he did not respond, as he had gone a.
way for the purpose of escaping service in the
cause of his country, and he quietly and snug
ly enjoyed British hospitality until our Con
gress disfranchised all deserters unless they
should report within given period. Howey-
er much Mr.. John p Reed, Jr was willing to
be called Canadian when draft was to be
made, he was quite unwilling to be Canadi-
an in the sense that would prevent him from
voting the Democratic ticket whenever an op-
portunity should offer, and he had his friends
at once proceed to appeal to the Provost
Marshal TO allow him to put IN a substitute,
Captain Eyster refused; Gen. Kinks finally
assented to it, and before he had furnished his
substitute the war was manifestly about to
close, and he was allowed to pay cOmmutation
Being thus clear Of the draft and the rebel
lion being SO out at all fours that future drafts
were alIogetnes iI.sf issare; ne, TOO, resunIoSF
his residence in Bedford.
1t may be, as alleged, that both these Young
men behaved on all occasions with becoming
reserve aud prOpriety; but while perhaps
ninety hundredths of the citizens were
disposed simply to treat their perfdy to the
government with forbearance or silent con-
tempt, there were few whose ordor for the
cause made them call things by their right
names, even at the cause of disturbing the
p1blic peace. Among these was Mr.. Jacob
Grouse, who had acted as an Assistant Provost
Marshal in that county, and had doubtless
learned in the discharge of his official duties,
how mean a traitorous sympathizer may be.
1t is said that he would at times address Mr..
Mengel Reed, the ex-rebel hero, as "Johnny
Reb," and thus salute him on the street in
presence of his companions. Had Mr. Reed
retortedon Mr.. Grouse by calling him a 'yank,i y
it would have been equally just, but perhaps
materially less offensive; and because Mr..
Grouse would at times remind him of his
companionship he had deliberately chosen and
publicly persisted i'll for more than year, he
deemed it cause for offence. To be reminded
of the truth, and of what he would doubtless
boast in congenial circles, he felt to be hu-
initiation in Bedford, and alteration succeed
ed alteration between Grouse and the broth
ers Reed until finally the parties met or the
street on Tuesday of last week, and Mr.. Jno
p. Reed, Jr., shot Mr.. Grouse dead.
We have not at the time of this writing,
any details of the fatal affray. 1t may be, as
alleged by the Bedford Gazette, that the inn
mediate proyocation was all on the side of
Grouse that he was quarrelsome bully and
talation until words ended in blows and
blows in the deadly bullet Or it may be, as
we have heard, that the conduct of the young
Reeds was such as justified any loyal man in
publicly resenting their traitorous sentiments
and actions; that the shooting was deliberate
ly determined upon under the advice of sym
pathizing friends, and that Mr.. Reed prac
ticed with his pistol assiduously before the fa-
tai meeting so as to make sure of his victim.
OF these allegations we have no opinion to ex-
press. All that we know is that they met;
that the skulking conscript was armed while
the loyal citizen was not, and the result was
the death of the latter on the public street
without moments warning. The Reed
brothers are in custody and we leave them to
the verdict of the jury of their country who
shall be called to determine the mersure of
theirguilt
Whatever may be the determination of the
law as to this fearful homicide, can any dis
passionate and conscientious citizen doubt
where rests the moral responsibility for the
murder of Mr.. Grouse? If men are educated
to espouse the cause of their countrys foes;
to join their battallions; to wage war against
their own homes, kinsmen and neighbors, and
to fee the jurisdiction of the law to defy the
Nations call in its day of peril, and do these
things with impun1ty, can it be wondered that
it should engender the deepest depth of loath-
ing and contempt in every loyal breast, and
that it should even outstfip the bounds of
prudence at times as unpunished traitors and
sneaking, defaulting conscripts are met on the
street corners pluming themselves as menand
citizens? OF such creatures some men i0tU