Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-08-18
BY A SOLDIER.

BY SOLDIER.
You remember | concluded my previous let
ter by saying the administration of Abraham
Lincoln met with opposition from the condol-
ing friends of James Buchanan, whose dough
faced ministrations at the latter end of his
term of Office, provoked the patriots of the
land to condemn him, and perhaps to attrib-
ute to him, as a reasonforhis course, a com
mitment to theinterest ofthe Southern people.
1t is natural for persons to excuse their
| friends for mere mistakes, especially those,
that never before betrayed confidence, and al
most as natural to attribute right views to one,
whose Judgment was never positively known
TO err, as it is to believe that wise
man can distinguish positive right from posi-
tive wrong.
And the belief by many, in the honesty of
purpose, with which he advocated reconcilia-
ton, yet withal, so contrary to that of Gen.
Jackson's plan on a similar occasion, preserv-
ed to him the fascinations of his constituency.
Any other policy that James Buchanan might
have pursued, that in its weakness would not
have given more unmistakeable evidence Of
completely with the rebels, than the one he
did pursue, would have been alike applauded
| by his friends. Had he possessed the iron
VIM or Anurtfw 0aorsvls, alS '~s'---s
mating the unexampled PLOT of treason against
the government of which he was yet thehead,
| instead of the timorous heart that inherited
his frail being, and with that viii, had deter
mined that the Union "mustand shall be pre-
served by every power vested in the
President to throw against this treason,
scarcely an individual that afterwards COM
posed the peace party in the North, if treason
had lasted so long, as to behold the inaugura.
of President Lincoln, would have failed to
sustain him with the laudations that
pure democracy were wont to bestow upon
| Andrew Jackson / ask is it not so? If you
say yes, will you not reewith me further?
In the course pursued by James Buchanan, IN
reference to this rebellion, and that pursued
| by Andrew jackson with regard to South Car
| olina notification, there were two distinctpol-
icies. / viii not deny merit to either but II
pacific course could with rropTiety have been
| adopted in either of those instances Of exec
utive interposition, would it not have
been vastly more appropriate to have applied
the pacific measures, when only one State was
renouncing allegiance, than when dozen
were setting up new national independence?
| In the first instance, the life of the nation
could not well have been endangered, while
IN the second, days delay was often the
mower of half a state against US. When two
| intellgencies are at variance, each having
zeal not readily surmountable, it is natural for
one to amuse the other with objects of diver
sion, until it has the better qualified itself for
the blow. 1t was natural to expect the same
| in this instance. More than halt of the peo-
pie of the North believed that the South, in
its delusive labors in the Peace Congress, and
in its action upon the Crittenden compromise,
were only trying to gain time The North and
the South were alike well satisfied that the
terms of reconciliation would require one or
both sections of the nation to reiinquish the
cause, that seemed to have given occasion to
this outbnrst against the federal authority. 1t
| was sheer weakness to indulge in the hope Of
reconciliation in this wise. Itwas not designed
to spring from any terms that might be agreed
upon by few, but the rebellion was designed
to fall with the exercise of executive power;
and now, not until the soil of the nation be
drenched with the blood of half million Of
brothers. The new administration came into
power when only seven States had passed the
ordinance of secession, and with an inaugural
declaration vouchsafng protection to all
Southern rights, still the current of the re-
bellion was not stayed but unheeding these
assurances, four other states plunged into the
gulf of secession, one declared an independ-
ence and another determined to remain neu-
trail; while still two or three other states ac-
knowledged the right of the South in the re-
bellion 1t had been hoped that this defni-
ton of the policy of the government, might
prevent the tide of rebellion from further ag-
gression upon the old union, and possibly
weaken the new sprung confederation with a
detraction from the belief of a meritorious
cause; if not from perfect understanding;
virtually restore the Union. The rebellion
having amassed nearly all the strength it
could it was proper for the government, now,
since no more could be added to the force of
the rebellion by delay, to define its policy
with reference to the issue that had broken
the allegiance to the Union. But it a1ailed
nothing Sumter quivered into ruins before
the shock of rebel artillery, and to defend the
strougholds of the nation, and the capital of
the republic, the president felt obliged to call
out &, 900 men for three months. The patriot
ism of the people now exhibited itself thro' out