Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-03-03
Chr gedfpra gnqairer.
THE TROUT cAsE AGAIN.

10 prejudice the minds Of the public, from whom
jurors are to be selected in regard to case yet 10
be adjudicated
It is not to be supposed that our Copperhead
contemporary cares for such consideration. The
utter disregard of truth exhibited in the peryert-
ed statement Of the facts in the Trout case for
bids any such idea.
Whether the man, or men. who shot Frederick
O. Mock are guilty or innocent Of an offence a.
gainst the laws, and whether, if guilty, the
offence was murder in the first, or in the second.
degree or manslaugnter, is question for the tri-
bunal before which they may be tried, and the
declaration of the Gazette that
There should be no hesitation or the part of
any jury called to try these men, to convict them
of murder IN the first degree.
is a continuous manifestation of the same pafti-
san malignity which originated and prosecuted
the indictments against the Trouts
The officers of the law are urged to do their du-
ty No doubt they viii do so without being houn-
ded on by the Gazette, whose oficious intermed
ding they ought to regard as an impertinent and
insulting imputation on their character.
We advert to the article Of our eotemporary,
for the purpose of correcting two misrepresenta-
tons The remainder of its tissue of fabrications
are of no moment, in view Of the fact that We
published fair account of the case in last weeks
paper, and also the evidence, n ertoaso, in our
issues Of last week and this week. The Gazette
AYERS that Judge King, in his charge to the Jury,
declared
THAT soldiers in a body had no business at the
election pols that their presence there was clear
ly infracton of the law, and that he hoped they
never would be found there again. Also, that the
Sheriff had perfect right TO issue the proclama-
ton which he did issue, calling upon the people to
prevent armed violence at the polls.
Judge King is far too skillful Jurist to have
asserted either the one or the other of these prop
ositions In the first place the issue before the
Court was the guilt or innocence of James A.
Trout. The expression of an opinion by judge
on a point of law foreign tc the issue is a mere
dictaa regarded as Of no weight as authority, and
exceedingly unprofessional and Objectionable as
likely to be embarrassing when the point fairly ar
rises for consideration and adjudication. In the
second place it did not appear in the evidence, and
1t is not the fact that the soldiers were present.
in body, or individually, at the polls, nor that
they did, or attempted to do, anything calculated
or intended to interfere in any way with the cleo
ton 1t is true they were at Gideon Trout house,
ate their meals there, had their arms stacked on
his side porch and their horses in his stable; and
Trouts house is, perhaps, about one hundred yards
from the place of election Their object was to
arrest deserters and the nearest they were to the
election house during the hours of the election
was in passing on the public highway, at some dis
tance off, in their way to the Ridge, where it was
said some deserters were lurking.
But can it be controverted that the Government
has the right to arrest deserters wherever they can
be found, though that should be at the place of
election itself And any state laao in controven-
ton of this right (if there were any such, which
we deny) would be utterly imperative and void.
1t viii be some time before our designing contem-
porary peryerts Judge King intoa states-rights
Democrat. The meaning of our state law clearly
is, that no body of troops shall be present at the
polls to interfere in any way with the election
viii it be alleged that they might not be brought
there under order of the proper authority to quel
riot, or to resist armed rebels? Suppose that
General Meade had found it necessary to march
into Gettysburg ON election day, ought he to have
been met by a proclamation from the Sheriff of
Adam county, calling upon the people to arm
and drive him out ? The object of a law, the In
tent of the laWgiyers and the condition of the
country to be looked at in giving it fair con-
struction On haeret az sltera, haeret IN cortice
And this brings us to the proclamation of the
Sheriff whiehthe Gazette says Judge King travel
led out of the record to approve Of 1t is well
known that several hundred drafted men in this
county had failed to report that many of them
were concealed in the woods and mountains, and
that some were organized into armed bands for the
purpose of resistance that the draft was denoun-
ced by party leaders as tyranncal and unconstitu-
tional and that it was an object Of vital import
ance to these party leaders to get the vote of these
deserters Hence the cry free ballot or a free
fight Hence the call upon Democrats to 90 arm
ed to the polls Hence this proclamation of the
Sheriff 1t was mere political trick, well cacu
lated to result in disturbance and riots The ale
CATION that the Government intended to Interfere
with the ballot was reckless partisan falsehood
What do these partisan leaders care for law, ex-
cept as means for party success? We are infor-
med that In Londonderry township the polls were
opened before the lawful hour, to let in the votes
of deserters, and again in the evening after they
were closed, they were secretly reopened for the
same purpose
Every man owes allegiance to his country He
is bound by Divine as well as by Human law to
defend his Government when it assaulted by for
eign foe or by domestic treason. Those who re-
fuse to discharge their duty to their country in its
hour of need do not deserve the right of suffrage
And this attempt to nspirt deserters so that they
might venture from thier hiding places to the polls
under the belief that armed Democrats would pro-
tect them from arrest, deserves the condemnation
Of all right thinking citizens
HON. A. H. CoFFROTH.