The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-01-05
AT LAST.

How persistent has been the cry of
the Republican politicians, that the
Southern people are still rebellious, that
they treat the freedmen" with cru
city, that they are unfit to govern
themselves, and that, therefore, they
should not be permitted to exercise the
rights and privileges of citizens of the
United States, every reader of "Repub-
ican" newspapers, and every listener
to Republican" stump speeches, is
,abundantly able to testify. Misrepre-
:sentation of the conduct of the people
of the late rebeIlious States, was the
only stock in trade left upon the empty
shelves of the Republican office-jObbers,
and they seemed determined to make
the most of it. bleeding Kansas"
had emptied its veins long ago; John
Browns soul stopped in its onward
march, having evidently got ON its
''last legs" Booth and the ''conspira-
tors" We're done with; We're was
hung; jeff Davis ceased to be Il sensa-
ton; and the whole Republican" plat
form broke down, so that the office
hunters of the 'party of the Union"
had nothing left to stand upon except
the plank of misrepresentation Mean
while 'Copperheadism" .''so-called,"
as Bill Arp hath it, was rampant from
Maine to Louisiana and from New Jer-
sey to California. Yielding not jot
or title of its principles, consistent in
spite of bastiles, exile and death, emerg-
ing intact from the storm of civil war,
It's banner defantly flung to the breeze,
Democracy stood ready to give battle to
its disorganized and demoralized enc
my. But, on the common ground of
misrepresentation, the foe temporarily
rallied, and at one time it seemed as
though it would be as favorable posi-
ton for him as Kansas, or John Browns
grave, or Mrs. Surratt's gallows. Soon,
however, it was plain that the ground
was untenable. Siege was laid 10 it by
the Democratic forces, and the batteries
Of truth made horrid breaches in the
hastily constructed works Of the Abo-
litiOnists. The siege progressed finely
and the position of the enemy was reg
ularly invested, when the Commander
in-chief, President Johnson himself,
accompanied by Gen. Grant, arrived
upon the field and assisted in manning
the guns of the Democratic canoniers.
They threw hot snoJ ana Greek nIv IIIrv
the Abolition fort, causing Sumner to
below like all the bulls OF Bashan and
Stevens to howl like wolf cheated OF
his prey. To drop the figure, the false
hoods in regard to the feelings and dis
position of the Southern people, resort
ed to by politicians of the baser sort,
for thepurpOse of excluding the South,
ern members of Congress from the seats
TO which they are duly and lawfully
chosen, have been openly and fully con
tradicted and exposed by President
johnson and Gen. Grant. The former
inaspecial messageto to the Senateand the
latter in a report to the President lbott
of which will be found in another col
umn) clearly prove that ali charges o
continued disIoyalty against the South
ern people, or of cruelty, on their part
toward the negroes, are base and mali
cious inventions At last have tn
knaves who have lived by this sort O
trickery been put to shame. At las
does truth seem to be vindicated. Ma.
the good work go bravely on!