Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-08-18
DUTIES or THE HOUR.

Cant. AMOS ROBENETT, southampton
DUTIES or THE HOUR.
We embrace the present as fitting op-
portunity, to call upon all the lovers of law
and order, without regard TO party, to raise
up their voices and use their influence Tor
the preservation and vindication of the laws
Violence rules the hour and papers come to
us from every quarter freighted with tales
of murderous assaults and fiendish crimes
enacted by laWless men. They who opposed
the war for the Unicn protested to fear its
influence upon the soldiers after theiF return
to their homes, but thanks to the noble men
who fought for the enforcement of the laws
and the suppression of rebellion against the
legally constituted authorities, we have It
not to record, that they are the instigators
of violence and lawlessness Our returned
soldiers have set such an example of peace
ablefess and obedience to the laws, as those
who have fhaiigned them and endeayored to
produce prejudice against them ere they
returned to their peaceful homes, would do
well to follow.
Those, who have covertly and stealthiy,
during the last four years, endeavored to
arouse spirit of resistance to the laws of
the land and the rightfuly constituted au-
thorities, would now fain throw the blame
upon the men who have ever stood by, and
advocated the enforcement of the laws. We
are glad that they are ashamed of their rec
ord, or afraid Of the consequences of thei
evil teaching. We rejoice to see men turn
from their evil courses even if they do so,
from fear of consequences rather than from
love of better things. We bid them vel
come to the ranks of those, who, while as
serting their rights and privileges offreedom
of discussion of all questions, in any way
pertaining to the public welfare, at the same
time demand, that the laws be vindicated,
and that threats against life and property eth
er for the fearless discharge ofpublic duties
or tho public iJrvzaiv Of IvAieie-.i Vti.-.',--1
shall not only, no longer be encouraged and
eulogized, but that all the power of the laws
be invoked to punish the authors and In
stigators as well as the perpetrators of such
threats. 1t becomes all who make these
professions to frown upon all such as are in
any way parties to deeds of violence and law
lessness, and instead of honizing murderers
and traitors, to do all in their power to make
crime Of every kind odious in the sight Of
the people. Through the instigations Of
wicked and designing men and political dem
agogues, large numbers of our people have
not only purchased, but habitually carry,
deadly weapons while this is the case, we
can only expect that in the heat of contro-
versy, frequently embittered and fred by the
intoxicating cup, men viii be driven to deeds
of violence, and blood-shed and oft-times
murder win naturally follow The remedy
for this dangerous evil is, for every man who
desires the peace of the community and the
personal welfare of himself and his neigh
bors to discourage the carrying of concealed
and deadly weapons There is now no rea
son for any peaceable and well disposed citi
zen to carry deadly weapons of any kind, anC
it is a fair inference that every man found
in his own community, with concealed weap
ons upon his person, is bent upon deeds o
violence and as such should be carefully
watched by the officers of the peace.
The sooner we have laws enacted for the
punishment of persons carrying concealed
weapons throughout the State, the better il
will be for the peace and welfare of the coun.
try. We hope to see this subject receive
the early attention of our next legislature
Until then it becomes the bounden duty o.
every good citizen to discourage by every
means in his power, the spirit of lawlessness
that now seems to reign supreme over the
land. Men may cry away with military rule
but as long as they encourage, favor, and
pay special respect and attention to those
who defy the law and glory in its violation,
they are only adding another to the many
good reasons that have thus far called for
necessitated and justified, the employment
and stationing of military force in oul
midst. IF half the efforts that have been
made during the last four years to rouse the
people to open resistance of the laws, had
been expended in intoxicating and demonstra-
ting the necessity for obedience to the le-
gally constituted authorities, we would not
now have these awful catalogues of crime to
record.