Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-02-23

and on the morning OF the 18th OF April be-
gan the bombardment of Fort Sumter, and
compelled its evacuation.
UPRISING OF THE PEOPLE.
4 Ii is the glory ofthe late President that
/ he had perfect faith in the perpetuity Of the
/ Union Supported in advance by Douglas,
who spoke as with the voice ofa million, he
instantly called meeting of Congress, and
summoned the people &c come up and repos-
sess the forts places and property which
had been seized from the Union The men
of the North were trained in schools; indus
trious and frugal; many Of them delicately
bred their minds teemilg with ideas and fer
tile In plans of enterprise; given to the cul-
ture OF the arts; eager in the pursuit ofwealth
yet employing wealth less for ostentation
than for developing the resources Of their
country; seeking happiness In the calm OF
for generations they had been reputed un-
warlike Now at the cry of their country
ia its distress they rose up with unappeasa-
/ bic patriotism; not hirelings- purest and
of the best blood in the land; sons of a pious
ancestry, with clear perception Of duty.
4 unclouded faith and fixed resolve to succeed
they thronged round the President to sup
port the wronged the beautiful flag of the
nation. The halls of theological seminaries
| sent forth their young men, whose lps were
touched with eloquenee, whose heats kind
led with deyotion, to serve in the ranks, and
| make their way to command only as they
learned the art of war. Striplings In the
i colleges, as well the most gentle and the
most studious; those of sweetest temper and
loVehest character and brightest genius pas
sed from their classes to the camp. The
lumbermen sprang forward from the forests
the mechanics from their benches, where
they had been trained by the exercise of po-
litical rights TO share the life and hope of
the republic, to feel their responsibility to
their torefathers their posterity and mankind
went forth resolved that their dignity as
constituent part of this republic should not
be impaired. Farmers and sons of farmers
left the land but halfploughed, the grain but
half planted, and taking up the musket,
learned to face without fear the presence Of
peril and the coming Of death in the shocks
Of war while their hearts were still attracted
to the charms Of their rural life, and all the
tender affections of home. Whatever there
was of truth and faith and public love in the
common heart broke out with one express
sion The mighty winds blew from every
quarter to fan the flame of the sacred and
unqueHchable FIRE.
THE WAR A WORLD WIDE WAR.
4
For time the war was thought to be con-
, fined to our own domestic affairs; but it was
soon seen that it involved the destinies OF
mankind and its principles and causes shook
the politics of Europe TO the centre, and
from Lisbon to Pekin divided the govern
lnents of the world.
GREAT BRITAIN.
There was a kingdom whose people had
in an eminent degree attained to freedom o.
industry and the security of person and
E property. Its middle class rose to greatnes.
Out of that class sprang the n0blest poet
and philosophers, whose words built up the
intellect of its people; skilful nayigators tC
| find out the many paths of the oceans: dis
/ coYerers In natural science whose inventions
guided Its industry to wealth till it equalled
any nation of the world In letters, and ex
celled in trade and commerce. But it,
, government was become government o
land, and not of men; every blade of grass
was represented, but only small minority
of the people. In the transition from the
feudal forms, the heads of the social organi
cation freed themselves from the military
services which were the conditions of theil
tenure, and throwing the burden on the in
dustrial classes, kept all the soil to them
selves. Vast estates that had been managed
4
and charity were appro priated to swell the
; wealth Of courtiers and favorites; and tht
J commons where the poor man once had hi
right OF pasture were taken away, and uadeI
: forms of law, enclosed distributively within
their own domains. Although no law for
bade any inhabitant from purchasing land
J the costliness OF the transfer constituted |
prohibition so that it was the rule of tina
: country that the plough should not be il
/, the hands of its owner. The church wn
: rested on a contradiction claiming to be ar
I embodiment of absolute truth and yet was o
e creature of the statute book
II HER SENTIMENTS.
t The progress of time increased th'
S terrible contrast between wealth and poverty
e ! in their years Of. strength, the laboring peo
pie cut off from all share in governing the
v state derived scanty support from tht
D severest toll and had no hope for old age bu
8 in public charity or death. A grasping am
o bition had dotted the world with military
+ posts kept watch over our borders on tn.
e northeast at the Bermudas, in the West In
t dies, held the gates of the Pacific, of tht
S Southern and of the Indian ocean, hovereC
e on our northwest at Vancouver, held the
{ whole of the newest continent, and the en-
/ frances to the old Mediterranean and Rec
a | Sea: and garrisoned forts all the way from
S / Madras to China. That aristocracy has
e gazed with terror on the growth Of com
s monwealth where freeholds existed by tn
l. million, and religion was not in bondage &
o the state: and now they could not repTes
r their joy at its perils. They had not on
a word Of sympathy for the kind hearted poo
a man S son whom America had chosen fo
/ her chief; they jeered at his large hands
IS and long feet, and ungainly stature; and tn
e British Secretary of State for Foreign AT
! fairs made haste to send word through th
d palaces of Europe that the great republl
8 was in its agony, that the great republic wa
VI no more. that head stone was all that re
i mained due by the law of nations to sth'
i late Union. = But it IS written: Let th'
n dead bury their dead" they may not bur,
/ the living. Let the dead bury their dead
4 let a bill of reform remove the worn on
government of q class, and in use new lif
: into the British Constitution by confdinl
g rightful power to the people. f
Z HER POLICY e
Il But while the vitality of America is di
Ie destructible, the British government hurrle
o to do what never before had been done b
4 Christian powers, what was IN direct con
e fiict with its own xposition OF pubic lay
in the time of our struggle for independ
n ence Though the insurgent states bad no
.e a ship In an open harbor, it invested then
IN with all the rights of a Lelligerent, even Of
Is the ocean; and this too, when the rebellion
n was not only directed against the gentles