The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-07-27


rcaaFy 0fthe Navy. in favor of the Ma
ti0uai Union Convention.
The Hon. Secretary of the Navy has
addressed the following letter to Sena-
tor Doolittle:
WASHINGTON, d. c.,
July IL, 1866,
SIR: Your note Of the 10th inst. was
received yesterday. / cordially APP
prove the movement which has been
Instituted to Sustain the Administra-
ton in maintaining unbr0ken the IN
ion Of the States" and | recognize in
the call which you have sent me the
principles and views by which the Adj
ministrati0n has been governed.
The attempt made to destroy the ma
tiOnal integrity by secession, or the
voluntary withdrawal Of State from
. the Union, has beendeieated. War has
forever eXtinguished the heresy of Sc
cessiOn. On the suppression Of the re-
/ belliOn measures were promptly COM
menced to re-establish those fraternal
relations which for four years had been
interrupted.
The policy initiated by President
Lincoln to restore national unity was
adopted and carried forward by Presi
dent Johnson; the States which had
| been i'm rebellion were, under this be-
nign policy, re,uming their legitimate
flnctions; the people had laid down
their arms, and those who had been in
inSurrcctiOn were returning to their al
/ legiance; the Constitution had been
Vindicated and the Union WaSsuppOsed
to be restored, when a check was put
upon the progress to national harmony
and prosperity thus daWning upon the
country. On the assembling of Con-
gress all efforts toward Union and ma
tionality became suddenly paralyzed
the measures OF reconciliation which
the President had, from the time he
ntered upon his duties, pursued with
eminent success, were assalled, and
their benefiCent purpose, to a great eX-
/ tent, defeated; attempts were made to
impose conditions precedent upOn States
/ before permitting them to eXercisetheir
constitutional rights; loyal Senators
and Representatives from the States
/ which had been in rebellion were refu-
~ed admittance into COngreSs-the peo-
/ pie were denied rightful constitutional
representa;iOn-and eleven States were
and are excluded from all partici patton
! in the Government. These proceedings
which conflict with the fundamental
principles on which our whole govern
mental system is founded, are genera
/ ting and consolidating sectional ami
mostly, and if long persisted in, must
| even,uate in permanent alienation. /
| rejoice, therefore, ina movement which
has for its object theunion in one bond
| Of love Of the people Of our common
| country, and which invites to council
and to political action the citizens Of
| every State and Territory, from the At
! lantic to the Pacific, and from the Lakes
! to the Gulf The centraliZing theory
| that theloyal qualified dSenatorsand
/ Representative from eleven States
/ shall be excluded from Congress, and
| that those States and thepeople Of those
! States shall not participate in the Gov
| eminent, is scarcely less repugnant
! than that Of secession itself
Propositions to change the Constitu-
! ton and unsettIe some at the fOunda-
| tiOn principles Of our organic laW-to
change our judicial system in such a
! manner as to destroy the independence
! of theStateS by insidiOusly y transferring
| to the Federal tribunals all questions
/ relating to the life, liberty and prop
erty Of the citizen'-t0 change the ba-
sis of representation, which was one Of
/ The difficult and delicate compromises
| Of the convention of 1877, when no
! States were excluded from representa-
/ tiOn-tO change the existing and wise
! ly adjusted distribution Of powers be-
! tween the different departments of the
! Government by transferring the par
1 doning power in certain cases from the
| Executive, where it properly belongs,
| to Congress or the legislative branch OF
/ the Government. TO which it does not
| legitimateiy pertain-tO incorporate in
| to our Constitution, which is to stand
/ through all time, a prescription Of citl-
| Zens who have erred, and who are lla-
| BILE 10 penalties under existing enact
ments, by di,qualihcatiOns, partaNing
! of the nature Of er post .tuctO laws and
! billsof attaiudcr-theSo propositions or
! changes, aggregated aS one, and called
an amendment to the Constitution,
| designed to operate on the people and
| States which are denied all representa-
tiOn or voice in the Congress which o.
Figinates them, are Of radical, ii not
Revolutionary. character.
These and other proceedings, and the
political crisis which they have tended
to produce, justify and demand a con-
vocation OF the people by delegates
from all the States and from the whole
country.
The President has labored with de
voted assiduity and fidelity to promote
union, harmony, prosperity and happi-
ness among the States and people, but
has metWith resistance, misrepresenta-
ton and calumny where he had right
to expect cooperation and friendly sup
pore. That thegreat body Of ourc c0un-
trymenare earnestly and cordially with
him in his efforts To promote the ma
tional welfare | have never doubted,
notwithstanding the hostility OF ma
IeVOlpnt partisanS, stimulated by per-
verted party organizations; and | re-
ioice that a convention which shall rep
resent all true Union men Of our whole
country mas been called to sustain him.
Very respectfully,
GIDEON WELIIES.
uz-s1y=z=-zrr-==,sz=r
LETTER FROM GEN. DIX.-The fol-
lowing is General DiX's letter indors-
ing the Philadelphia Convention:
Now Nprl, irIy 13