Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-08-11
no the solaiers or Bedford County.


kH BY A SOLDIER.
Upon a resolution introduced into Congress
| by Senator Foote, upon which many Senators
delivered their views, and much sectional ex
citement was aroused, Daniel Webster be-
gan his second speech with this example of
logical precedent: "when the mariner has
been tossed for many days in thick weather
and on an unknown sea, he naturally avails
himsefsof the first pause in the storm, the
earliest glance of the Sun, to take his latitude
and ascertain how far the elements have driv-
en- him from his due course. Let us initiate
this prudence and before we float farther in
the waves of this debate, refer to the point
from which we departed, that we may at least
be able to conjecture where we now are.
Let as now initiate this same prudence, and
avail ourselves of the first pause after the
storm of war to ascertain how farthe elements
of political discord have driven some of us
from the true course of patriotic duty. Du-
ring the last two administrations of the teder-
al Government prior to the inauguration Of
Abraham Lincoln into the Office of Chief Ex-
eeutive Of the Nation, the people of the Uni
ted States were divided upon the question Of
extension and non-extension of slavery.
The most powerful political party in the
North believing slavery to be an, evil, desired
it to he confined to its then present limits:
the South having grown up. with the institu-
ton, and knowing it to be peculiarly adapted
to the aristocratic views of people Widowed
to rule rather than be placed upon an equality
with the greasy mechanics and small listed
farmers" of the North, desired its extension.
No depredations upon the system of slay-
cry where it already existed was meditated by
the party.of non -extensionists, and so was no
toriously asserted and perhaps nearly univer
sally believed
In 1860 the people again went to issue, asbe-
fore, upon this question, and the result wasthe
great triumph of the non-extensionists. There
was no constitutional violation I'M the verdict
then given. There was now nothing to iusti-
fly rebellion on the part of the South because
of theirptapo1fed defeat, more than there had
been before ON the part of the North.
The damnable secession dogma Of State
Rights was made the pretext for the rebel
lion, which though long before meditated, fol.
lowed the election Of Mr. Lincoln to the pres
idency. The South had not forgotten the
teachings of Calhoun, and now could practice
the lessons Of his inspired liturgy. Nothing
could have been better pretext for secession.
in the hands of Southern FIRE eaters than this
dogma, and, never, was it thought, with bet
ter prospect of success than now, could it be
applied.
1t must prove It's merits, some of them
were already known. Thedoctrine was known
to be so plausible that nearly every person in
the South would indorse It, and the ignorance
of the masses would see in it the cause of our
forefathers IN the revolt against the tyranny
of Britain They said the South can soon be
hurled in open defiance against the federal
authorities, and the North may turn its eyest to
its government for its vindieation if it will,
until the fourth of March next when we shall
be able to take care Of ourselves; forforsooth,
many senators and representatives in their
congress are ours; in their Cabinet Floyd is
o-.~sr s.,.d- -CaIl anl Thanansan is ours.
and the President, is everybody's.
But the South was so eager for distinct
nationality, that preparations were continual
" making for months prior TO the election in
1860 to achieve that end. The result of the
election for President, they well knew could
be determined by their viii. Not one State
in the South could be carried by the non-ex-
tensionists, while from2the results of recent
preceding elections in the Northern States
with Mr.. Douglas as their candidate, (the in
evitable one of the honest northern democra-
cy before the democratic national conyention,)
they could well expect to win. They felt it
would be so. They were just aswell prepared
now as they could ever expect to be to estab-
lish their own Independence. The election
of the Republican nominee was determined
upon if southern man could not be made
the choice Of the Democratic convention at
Charleston or Baltimore.
A southern man was not made the choice of
those conventions, and the prestige of success
perched upon the Republican party.
Mr.. Lincoln was elected President, and
thousands of fimaginary eneroaehments upon
the guaranteed rights Of the South, by the in
coming administration were paraded before an
easily deluded people; and State after State
renounced its allegiance to the Federal gov
ernment. Our forts were captured, our
treasury robbed, our guns stolen, and the fra
mers of the constitution were said to have
forgotten to give the President the power to
''coerce State. The old Public Functiona-
ry beheld, with complacency, the disruption Of
the States, whilst a patriotic people elamored
for his interpositon against this treason until
their impatience could scarcely ylongerforbear.
Just censure fell upon him from all the news
paper presses thathad supported Mr.. Lincoln,
and not few that had opposed him; butma-
ny induiging friends in the North beheld with
sorrow the error of his views, andby series
of compassionate excuses in his behalf made
themselves the opponents of the policy that
the advocates of the incoming administration
were endeayoring toWge upon him.
OF this, again. t
aB The Ladies' Aid Society, of Bedford,
ceased its labors ON the 18th of July, last,
despatched their last box of Hospital sup
plies, and settled up the business of the soci-
ETY. mcst satisfactorily, leaving balauce of