The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-10-27

| authOflty over them ana extend prOtec
ton to those who require it. When
the rebellion was overcome, the social
ed confederate government and all state
! governments which had been formed
| in opposition to the federal government
ceased to haveeVen anominal existence
and the people who had been subject tC
! them Wereleft, fOrthe time being, with.
out any government whatever. The
term Of office 0fthe federal officers had
expired or of offices had become vacant
I by the treason of those who held them.
/ There were no federal revenue officers
/ no competent federal judges, and no
/ organized federal courts. NOrwere the
/ people any better off az far as state au-
1 thority was regarded. When the con
federacy collapsed all the rebel state
! governments collapsed with it, so that,
! with few exceptions, there were no
| persons holding civil Office at the South
by the authority ofany legitimate gov
eminent.
\ LARGE ARMY DANGEROUS AND EX-
PENSTVE.
Now, as government is at all times 4
I necessity amollg men, and IL it was es-
pecially scat the South, whore violence
and lawlessneSs had fullsway, the ques-
tion to be decided by the President was
simply this: Shall the people at the
South be held under military rule un-
til Congress shall act upon the question
orshall immediate measures be TAX en
by the executive to restore to them civ
il government: after mature consid-
Grafton, the President concluded it to be
his duty to adopt the latter course, al d
am satisfied that in doing 50 he ha,,
acted wisely. Military rule will not be
in demand by the people of the United
States one moment longer than there is
an absolute necessity for it. Such an
army as would have been requisite for
the government Of the people of the
South, as a subjugatad people, until
Congress might prescribe the terms on
which they could be restOrcd:o the Tn
ion, would have hgeIi too 0severea a strain
upon our Republican institutions, and
too expensive for theprpsent condition
Of the Treasury. Tie President has
therefore gone to work to restore the
Union by the use, from. the necessity of
the case, OF apOrtion Ct those who have
been recently in arms to overthrow ii.
TIE SOUTHERN PEOPLE CAN GE TEUs-
TED.
The experiment may be regarded as
Il dangerous one, but twill beproved, l
apprehend, to have been ajudici0us one.
Never were a people so disgusted with
the work of their own hands as were
the great mass Of the people of the
South teven before the collapse of the
rebelli0n) with the government which
was attempted to be set up by theOver-
throw Of the COVE, rnslent of their fore
fathers. Never We're a people so COM
pletcIy subjugated rs the people Of the
rebel states. / have met a great many
of those whom the President is using
in his restoration policy, and they have
impressed me most t,lvorably. believe
them to be honest in taking the amnes-
" oath and in their pledges Of fidelity
10 the Constitution and the Union.
Slavery has perished d-this all acknOwI-
edge-and with Il has gone down the
doctrine of secession. State sovereign
ty had been discussed in Congress, be-
fore courts, in the public journals, and
among the people, and At last, ''when
madness ruled the hour this veXed
question was submitted to the final ar
bitra ment of the sword. The question,
Us all admit, has been fairly and def
nitG!y decided, and from this decision
Of tue sword there will be no appeal.
1t i: undoubtedly true that the men of
the South feel sore at the result. but
they accept the situation and are pre-
pairing for the changes which the war
has produced in their domestic institu-
ti3ns with an alacrity and an cxhibi-
ton of good feeling which has, ! con-
t,lSs, surprised as it has gratifed me,
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.
IN the work of restoration the Preei-
1ent has aimed to do only that which
was necessary to be done, exercising on
~ that power which could be properly
exercised under the Constitution, which
guarantees 10 every state republican
form of government. Regarding sla-
very as having periShed in the REBEL
fous States, either by the proclamation
of his predecessor, or by the result of
the war, and determining that no reb-
ii who had not purged himself of his
treason should have any part in the res
toration of the civil governmentswhic
he is aiding to establish, he has notcon-
sidered it within the scope of his all
thority to go further and enfranchise
the negro. For this he is censured by
MANY tr7lp men qt tho North and