Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-08
L. O. GOODRICH.P Publisher.
VOLUME XVI.

!
But the childhood of the nation has
| passed. its manhood has arrived Hence
! forth things will be changed and our rule,
| grated as it has heretofore been in public
consent, will lose as it respects those por
| tions which have been in rebellion, in a
measure, it's republican character, ard be
that of conquest, 1t can not be otherwise.
| In fact the Southern States are conquered
territory, as much so as Hungary, Poland,
or Ireland and our administration must
adapt itself to the change. Not in severity,
not in anger, but in a s:ern merciful Justice,
! taking the initial steps in reconstruction,
and leading the way to state of things in
advance of that prior to the rebellion. No
one supposes the South can come back Just
as she was. Things do not stand still any
more than the years. Events will take
place as time passes, and the four years
/ last past have been fruitful in events
With every care of the government to pro-
| tcct the institution of Slavery during the
war just closed, it would have died out, and
the emancipation proclamation hastened
, that event in no degree.
Here then are results which were sure to
take place from the first-the first gun fired
at Sumpter still echoes from the Gulf to
Passamaquoddy and that echo will be heard
and felt to the, ,last syllable ofrecorded time.
That echo was the knel of Slavery, of
State Sovereignty, and it's thunder tones
proclaimed the principle that majorities
shall always govern minorities. To large
portion of the population of these States,
all south of the Potomac, startling changes
are in spect--changes quite subversive
of the ancient order of things, and it can
not be expected that the southern mind will
embrace them at once. The result Of this
South as a contrary result would have been
in the North. 1t will be wisdom in the
victorious North to avail itself of its advan-
tages of position. Compromises are OBJ
solete-there is but one right way, and let
that way be determined on and ligidly pur-
sued.
All this is spoken and written with no
feeling of resentment towards those who
begun the war. 1t must have happened
sooner or later and we think best now. HUI
man nature is now as it ever has been and
no such great change has ever taken place
without blood-shed Men are naturally
belligerent and that good time has not yet
come, so often invoked and prayed for by
prophets, poets, and philanthropists. The
war was then a necessary war-northern
and southern civilization are so different
from each other that they could not remain
side by side in peace The one is modern
com amercial civilization which letters and
the arts have introduced to the intellect
and conscience of men within the last three
hundred years. The other is the ancient
military civilization which has always ex-
listed since Nimrod the mighty hunter erec-
ted his empire upon the trophies of con-
quest The latter being of bar5aric origin
is essentially barbarous, a proposition
which nearly every event of this war con-
firms, while the former, springing into life
since the invention of printing and the ad-
aptation of magnetism to navigation is en-
lightened and refined-built up on the cul-
tivation of the moral and intellectual fac
ulties of our race