Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-06-15
The Old Woman and the Bear.

The Old Woman and the Bear.
On the borders of a vast forest which abound
cd il all manner of wild beasts, there once
lived an old woman with her husband, John.
Driven by hunger, bear one day made an
attack on the rude cabin that sheltered them,
John promptly retreated to a safe position in
the loft and calmly surveyed the hattie be-
tween his wife and the bear, not caring much
which side whipped. When at last the old
lady proved victorious, he came. down and
hailed her with the congratulation, Good
ness aliue, Peggy, amt thata big bear ''hot
are killedf ,l. !
So, now that Uncle Sam has killed his
bear" the Rebellion, the "Johnnies y are
coming up and slapping him good-naturcdly
on the shoulder, with Goodness alire ain't {
that a big Rebellion achat zoe killed. r. 1t
was evident to every intelligent mind willing
to admit that .t,co were greater than one that
the bear" would be slain. But the men who
adopted the declaration of the Chicago plat
form that the war was a failure" the
men who "wanted the South to have her
rights" who "didn't believe in Abolition !"
who called slavery "Divine institution, and
the normal condition of the black man." who
prated about the weakness and corruption
of the Administration; who, declared that
"the chivalric Southrons could never be con-
quered y who piled the public mind with wea-
risome dissertations OH 1.-THE enormous debt"
"the high taxes "thepublic extravaganza;
who called Mr. Lincoln "buffoon" and a
"tyrant y who never reioiced at Union victo-
ries because ri twas only prolonging the war;
,l,,, ,yha how u
ded soldier, but never put their hands in their
these men stood quietly by while the fight
was going on without a word of commendation
for those who were fighting the battle for
them, expecting and many of them hoping
that the "bear'' would whip. Then there were
Others such men as are wcll-known in our own
midst who were even more decided in their
sympathics" for the bear" Men who kept
at safe distance from the fight, but were ac-
tive in their encouragement and secret aid;
who winked at the " bear" as much as tosay,
$50 ahead, Old Fellow, we're with you heart
and SOUL" who gave him all the support they
could in their cowardly, underhanded way;
who declared the Government "a tyranny
and the Rebellion "a heavcn-born causc;'
who swore allegiance to the Government, en-
joyed the mild protection of its laws, and yet
heartily wished for its overthrow These men
shut their eyes to the glorious history of our
past; they forgot that there is Power who
rules the destiny of nations, and is able to
bring good out of evil they forgot that there
is such thing as Eternal Justice they for
got that our Government is founded on the
broadest and noblest principles OF humanity; /;
they gloried in the idea of an empire which
rested on the blood of human bondage, and
in their infatuation they verify believed that
treason and villainly would triumph, and that
right and Justice would be oyerthrown The
hope was Father to the belief They couldn't
tell exactly how it was to happen, for might
as well as right was against them. But some
how they kept dreaming of foreign interven-
ton; they anxiously awaited on uprising in
the North against " the cruel wal" and the
burdensome debt" they believed in the "lions"
that were waiting to spring upon Sherman j;
they were hopeful of the "event' which Lee
was preparing to "astonish the. world = in
theirfoly and prejudice they were given over
ito make and believe lie"
But the bear" is dead. Their last, fond
lingering hope died out with the fall of Rich
mond and the surrender of the rebel armies.
The big fights over And now these secret,
cowardly Traitors, are coming down from the
"loft," and with mock iubiant faces, chuck
ing Uncle Sam familiarly under the chin,
with "That was big job; but I always knew
we'd whip!' F b r<.rfss ~ ;, 81
1t was rather amusing to see how fond of
the "Old Flag" these men suddenly became,
when the rebel capital succumbed; how they
ran about town buying, begging and borrow
ing everything that bore stripe or carried a
star; how sociable they suddenly became with
contemplate Union men," the " mudsills"
ofthe community; how glad they were that
the war was over and the Government re-
established; how we'll they Malways knew IL
would end in this way" and how ridiculous"
it was for the South ever to take up arms
against such great and good Government as
ours!
We have little faith in death.bed repent
ance. With all his wellknown forbearance,
we have always doubted whether the Almigh-
ty would be justified in listening to the dying
prayer Of a lifelong william. His repentance
springs from fear rather than love. So with
these eleventh hour Union men. While the
slave confederacy was fourishing, they were
buoyant and hopeful "The South could new
er be conquered" was the burden of their
daily speech Now that is is drawing its last
gasp, these men, with the coolest impudence,
gather within the sanctuary of the Republic,
claim place and protection under it, and de.
clare that they always were for the Union.
Before receiving them into full connection
with loyalty, let them bring forth fruits meet
for ret enhance" We arein favor of putting
them on a probation like other foreigners who
happen to be in our midst To the Union
men belongs the honor of killing the 3 bear
to them belongs the privilege Of disposine
of the carcass They don't intend to be in
terfered with in the enjoyment Of that privil
ege. They have fairly slaughtered the ''bear'
and they mean to do with his body just what
seems best to them. Rest assured they will
bury him safe and deep-Baltimore Commt.,
Union. ..,...-.. u.
PRoFIT OF ONION CULTuRE-Mr. Georg,
W, sWoodfal produced last year from six acre.
near NeWburyport Connecticut 9 on hnshel