The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-08-18

in the same condition. Where were the absen.
tees! At home, on furlough, staying over then
turloushs, deserted and stragglingI At no tim,
during the last three years of the war was ther.
; more than one-thrd ofthe army ready to marci
into battle! How was it possible for tie South
eTn people to succeed acting thus?
THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS CULPABLE.
Congress, too, Mr.. Chairman, is greatly te
blame for their exemptions. All between IL
ages Of Is and As should have been forced into
the army and kept there 1t mattered moi
whether he was a doctor, lawyer, preacher
politician, editor or school-teacher, if an able.
bodied man, he should have been sent TO the
army But, strange to say, the three classes
of men who were mainly instrumental in pIung-
ing their country into tLis mad revolution.
were all exempted, by Congress, from fighting!
l alIude to the politicians, newspaper editors
and preachers of the Gospel. This was not
fair The man who gets up fight should al
ways take his share of it.
MR.. LINCOLN No GREAT LOSS 70 THE SOUTH
1t has been said, and repeated all over the
Southern States, that the South has sustained
great loss IN the death Of President Lincoln
| do not think SO. President johnson is a much
abler and lirmer man than Lincoln was He
! IS IN every way more acceptable TO the South
In the first place he is q Southern man, and
Lincoln was a northern man. He is a Demo
crat and Lincoln was Wing and Republican.
President Johnson was q Slave noder, well ac-
qaalnted with the Institution, and knows what
is proper TO be done in the great change which
is taking place President johnson is a man Of
iron will and nerve, Ike Andrew jackson. ana
will adhere to his principles and political taith.
On the other hand, President Lincoln show
ed himself to be nothing more than clay in the
hands Of the potter, reader to change his
measures and principles at the bidding Of
his party President johnson has filed
all the highest and most honorable offices
in the State Of Tennessee, with great ability
and satisfaction to the people. There is no
stain or blot on bis private character. The
ablesl speech ever delivered in the Senate Of
United States, on the issues between the North
and South, was made by President Johnson
He voted for BTeekinridge in the Presidential
canvass Of 1860. Jndging, then, from his an
tecedents, the South should have every hope
and confidence in him.
LOOK AHEAD.
NJ. Cuairrnan--i i'ba fnture TO my mind, \
NOT so gloomy as some would have rs Uglley1.
have no doubt that in ten years the Southern
States will be happy and prosperous again, and
we shall find that the loss of Slavery will be
no loss at all to our real comfort and satsSac-
ton. The planter and farmer win find that
his net profits are greater with hired labor than
with slave labor Every Iandholder can rent
his farm or plantation for one-third of the gross
products. This is more than he now makes
net, after subsisting his slaves In truth, very
few farmers in this region Of country make
anything except by the increase of their slaves.
These are divided out among his children At
his death, and they pursue the same course Of
toiling and struggling through life to raise ne
groes for their children. And thus the system
goes on ad infnitum, without profit or Temun-
GRAFTON. The lands are worn out, and the
country remains unimproved If planter or
farmer is enabled to save anything, after sup
porting his establishment, it is invested in the
purchase Of more slaves. Hence, increased
wealth adds nothing to the enjoyment OF life,
or TO the Improvement of The country.
FREEDOM 4 CURSE TO THE BLACKS.
The idleness and vagrancy of the negro, in q
free State may be a nuisance TO society. Ii
must be corrected in the best way we can. !
have no doubt, in nine cases out of ten, free
dom will prove curse instead of blessing
to the negro. No one should turn off his ne
groes, if they are willing remain with him
for their victuais and clothes and work as they
have heretofore done. They had no agency
IN bringing about the change which has taken
place, and we should feel no il-will toward
them on that account.
GLAD THE WAR IS OVER.
Mr. Chairman, as much as we feel the hu-
initiation and degradation of our present stu
alton, and deeply lament the losses which have
bcfaen the Southern States yet we should be
happy TO know Chat this cruel and bloody war
is over, and that peace is once more restored
to our country. This is great consolation
amid our wants, distresses and humiliation.
The husband will no longer have to leave his
wife and children; the father and mother will
not be called upon any more to give up their
sons as victims TO The war 1t sto be hoped
that in very short time civil government will
be restored III South Carolina, that law once
more will reign supreme over the State, and
that life, liberty and property will be protected
everywhere, as they heretofore have been.
TRAITORS AND TREASON.
The resolutions submitted to.this meeting ex-
press hope, on the part Of the people of Green
vile, that the President will enlarge his amnesty
proclamation, and grant pardon TO all who
are liable to prosecution. The Secession of the
Southern States was far greater, and very diff
ferent from a Rebellion proper. 1t was organ
lied by constitutional sovereign States acting
in their sovereign capacity, and not by unau-
thorized assemblages of citizens Treason
may be committed against the State of South
Carolina, as well as against the United States.
After South Carolina left the Union all her cit
izens were liable, as traitors, in the State
Courts, who took sides with the United States
and fought against ber. If they were liable
TO be punished as traitors in The United States
Court. for taking side with the States, then all
were traitors and liable to be executed as trail
tors, whether they fought for or served the one
or the other Government. This would, indeed,
be 4 moet cruel and lamentahle condition -