The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1865-01-06
BEDFORD, PA, FRIDAY MORNING. JANUARY 6, 1866.

| OF tanatlcism aud the most dangerous kind o
deyiltry. Its only tendency isito breed centen-
tion, animosity, hatred and civil war. Meu
are not 10 sit taTnely down and be sent to the
pit as cviiainals by conference Of ministers be-
cause ti-eys cannot, in Tie discharge Of their du-
| ty, vote ioF MIR. Lincoln They win and must
resent theiusult it is not in human nature TO
bear IT. Ne, rs Democrats, are honest in our
politics ssir opiiiions are seriously and re!ig-
iously forced We believe, relisiously believe,
that the highest and best good Of the country
demands q change of administration. To this
end we wBik as patriots. We see in this course
| the only snre way out of our national troubles,
1 tic only eerialn and safe path to honorable. aud
/ lasting peace We seek to save and perpetuate
j this oyefnment. To this end we support and
intend to vote for Sen. Mcclellan. In all this
we are sincere earnest, honest and then are
we t o be told BY. your body Of priests that we
are traitors? No.. a conference who viii TINS
resolve are beside themselves. They have tal-
len from Egace turned aside from their legitimate
calling, aad alewed'their political partisan zeal
| TO MASTER. their christian charity. They are
/ 10 longer religious body, and no longer ent-
/ led 10 respect as such, They are a Repubh-
can caucus or convention, and have substituted
for FheIr leader and teacher sour Abraham, .
as one Of ahe number calls Mr.. Lincoln.
Ana TOO severe do Lexaggerate;, do /
bring into.contenpt this body of ministers, and
l6rerstatc fheir position, their policy ard wrong
doing? Rad again the resolution Of fbefF e:-
act position. Is Therelis no eyading it, they re.
solve, ia conference without specifying aaytiing
bu- opposition to 3Ir Lincoln's reelection, that
n1il!irns ef their feiow-ciiizens Of the LOYAL
States ara vile criminals, traitors liable 70 death
AnA if honest can tcese gentlemen. stop here! /!
Can they make these grave charges and then
stop if they are SINCERE and hones; They must
arTaiEn every Democrat who belongs to their
churches. try every one opposed to Lincoln
and expei them as traitors To this 1t must
come list, if these men speak the truth and
mean whet they say. Nay, more, they must
prosecute them. in tha courts, indict, Try and
hang them as traitors.
These men are Ike Saul, as fred with zeal
he vent tqm Jerusalem 20 Damascus, In his
view all the followers of Jesus were traitors,
deserving Of CHAINS, prisons, death; and his
party seat him out on his errand Of destruction,
bat he vae. then no Christian minister; then
he was fGil0gIg an ali5s sttlS.., ir =
down 10 power; and although lie might have
been very honest, he was certainly very wrong:
and when the High and Lofty One touched ms
heart, and when the scales fell from his eyes,
and be saw the truth and became mbucd with
the temper, spirit and faith OF Jesus, he ac-
knUwledacd bis crgor and made confession Of
hls SIN and how unlike was Paul, the Christian,
hero and tnIuister, and Saul the bitter, unre-
leniing partisan and bigot. Again, let these
ministers Of the Genesee Conference contrast
tlerown harsh resolution with their Masters
Sermon on the Mount, andsee if in their zeal
they had not forgot the teaching, the example
and spirit OF Him "who spake as man never
spoke"
have no doubt these mistaken men viii blush
with shame, confess in sorrow aud repent when
the excitement Of the canvass shall 5e over,
and when religion, reason and right thoughts
shall resume control over them, and that their
folly viii appear as it iS and they viii ask the
G feat Head Of the Ckurch.to forgive them
You VIII mark that my complaint is not that
these men are Repub!icans-that they vote for
Mr.. Lincon--ttat is their privilege; but it is
their departure from all decency, Christian
courtesy and charity, and their wholesome mis-
eratle ISLANDERS ard denunciations Of men as
honest as themselves and whose only offense
is a difference in political opinion.
am cften met by this class Of clerical poll
ticiars with the assertion: why YOU are con-
tending for slavery you seek to uphold a stu
pcpdous system of moral wreng, and we can
but dcnounce your course Honest as these
men may be in this, they are entirely mistak-
en-; they mistake and misState the real issue
as we understand il We contend not for sia-
yCry-we wage no political campaign for it
purporting To support General Mcclellan with
no intent to uphold slavery or give it aid and
comfort. We strive for the maintenance of
,he lSovcrnmennt-th free constitutional Gov
ernment Of our fathers-for its maintenance
with all lis blessings to us and cur posterity, we
fight tlis political battle and so SO earnestly
nfo liis election. We see in the election of
General Mcclellan hope f5rour country, through
ard ny change Of administration. We eX-
pcct 10 restore the Union % stay the carnage
and suffering Of war, and give back to all our
people law, order and constitutional liberty,
with peace an! prosperity. And for this we
are denounced as traitors.
If the admission be made even that slavery
was indirectly, if not directly the cause of the
war, it by no means follows that it is or can
be the legitimate object OF tho war. Dir. Lin
coin got up no such pretence in the beginning
| It is a State, not national institution; it Is
hateful to me, to US all we dislike tive de-
sire is oyerthrow-will DO all that is consistent
with the Constitution Of our country to abolish
| it; bat we must take things as they are, allow
reason and common sense to apply. cannot
consent to overthrow all the guarantees which
secures Liberty to white men in a bootless cru
tsade against slavery = If in the struggleto up
hold the Constitution, to maintain Che Govern
ment, slavery be ncidentIy or accidently killed,
= shall rejoice but when see great people