The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-04-28

for thenaslres (worse than death) to draw from.
| know my choice.
have also studied hard to discover upon
what grounds the right of State TO secede has
been denied, when our very name, United otates'
and the Declaration of independence, both pro-
vide for Secession. But there is no time Tor
words. write in haste. know how foolish
I shall be deemed for undertaking such a step
as this, where, on the one side, | have many
friends and everything to make me happy, where
nv profession atone has gained me an income oi
more than twenty thousand dollars year, ana
where my great personal ambition IN my hro-
! fessior has such a great field to" labor. On the
i other hand, the South have never bestowed up
on me one kind word; place now where l
have no friends, except beneath thesoo place
where | mast either become private solder OF
a beggar TO give up all OF the forna@F Tor the
latter, besides my mother and sister whom love
so dearly (although they 50 widely differ Win
me III opnion,l seems insane but Goa Is my
Judge. I love justice more than do country
that disowns it; more than fame ana wealth.; !;
more {Heaven pardon me II wrong) more ihah
q happy home. have never been upon oat-
tie field; but o, my countrymen, could you All
but see the reality of effects of this horl1d war,
as have seen them (eve1y State, save virginia.
know you would think like me, and "outI
pray the Almighty to create In the Northern
mind a sense OF right and justice (eVen should II
Dossess no seasoning of mercy, and that lie
would dry up this sea OF blood between U.S.
which is daily growing wider Alas poor cOuh-
5 try, is she to meet her threatened doom fonf
/ years ago, would have given thousand hVes
to see her remain (as had always known hefJ
: powerful and unbroken. And even now
: would hold my life as nouaat, TO see her "hal
she was. o my friends, Il the fearful scenes oI
5 the past four years had never been enacted, OF
G if what has been had been but fri9htlul dream
from which we could now awake, with what
e oyerfowing hearts could we bless our God and
9 pray for his continued favor How have low
: ed lhe old R1g can never now be known. a
/ few wears since and the entire world could boast
Y of none so pure and spotcss. But l have o.
e late been seeing and hearing of the blooly dsea
of which she has teen made the emblem, anC
would shuider to think how changed she hae
/ grown Q how | have l0ngel 70 ste her hreat
from the mist cf blood and death that circle
around her folds, spelling her beauty and tarn
isling her honor. But no, day by day has sh'
J. ben dragged deeper and deeper into cruelty ant
oppression, till now lin my eyes, her once brigh
red stripes look ike bloody gst2hes the face o
~ Heaven and look now np0n my early admra
~ ton Of her glories as dream My love "a
- things stand to day., IS for the South alone
Nor do decm it dishonor in attempting t
make for her prisoner Of this man, to WHOM
she owes 50 much Of misery. If success al
. tends me, 90 penniless to her side, They sa
10 she has found that ''last ditch which the Mort
have SO long deri,ied, and been endeayoTing
- force her in, forgetting they are our brothers
-, ~ aud that its impoltic to goad an enemy to mad
IN ness Should reach her safely and find it true
u will proudly beg permission to triumph On d
in that same ''ditch" by her side.
y y, Il Con Tolerate doiag dufy "pon his own r.