Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-08-23
5Ai9fellanGQna,
ovERPowERED, NOT CONQUERED.

The Post takes acceptiou to the declara-
ton of Mr.. Schenck, Of Ohio, the pres
ent political campaign Is bat a continuation
Of the war. We can see no reason for quail
flying or disclaiming this self evident fact.
The war of ideas which preceded the war
of soldiers is not yet ended; because, when
Lee surrendered his forces, he had neither
the power nor desire to surrender his creed.
Nor do we expect such submission from the
masses Of the southern people, until the
campaign Of ideas has swept IN triumph
through the physically conquered region.
The leaders OF the old South have been atfor-
dcd opportunities almost dangerous from
their unparalleled generosity, more liberal
to them than safe to the nation, to resume
their former position in the political govern
meut Of the country which they sought
With all the means 10 their power 20 destroy.
The Post asserts that the treaty between
Lee and Grant, the proclamation of peace
by the President, the perfect submission OF
the South to the general government and
laws, are all ignored by the representative
men Of the republican party. There is no
resistance, it says; the radical war Is one
entirIey ofaggression We believe that we
heard this statement more than once before
the close Of hostilities IF We remember
rightly. Mr. Davis declared that our soldiers
were the ruthless invaders of the confed-
eracy, and that all that the rebels wanted
was to be let alone Yet the war 'of
aggression continual until the nation was
saved and so, We predict, will be the pres
ent campaign.
No praise Is due to any act unless it is an
act of free will Lee is entitled to no thanks
for surrender which he did not dare 10 re-
fuse The proclamation Of peace by the
President was simply an official announce
ment of the submission by the southern
leaders to an irresistible force. 1t Indicated
40 change of theories, no love for the TN
ion. no desire to make political and social
peace with the defenders Of the nation. Il
was the record, simply, as subsequent events
have shown, wherever rebel leaders have
been clothed with power, Of a sullen, reluct-
ant and compulsory obedience. 1t is due to
the masses of the southern people to say
that while they yielded unwillingly, they
showed at that time readiness to submit to
whatever policy rpunishmeBts the conquer
ing people should infict on them. A Vir-
einia general declared that they would have
cheerfully submitted to negro suffrage, and
it is wen known that they expected to incur
the peneaity Of sweeping confi cation
But when-they found or believed that they
could regain their former power through the
influence Of Mr. johnson, they showed at
once, from the Potomac to the Rio Grande,
that, to use their own tagorIte phrase, they
were ''oyerpowered but not conquered,
The massacre Of New Orleans was an ep
itone Of the state Of the whole South. Al
though the reports of the agents OF the
Freedman Bureau eresuppressed, enough
came to light to show that the assassination
Of loyalists had occurred in almost every
county of the South; that northern men
everywhere were either socially ostra,ized,
threatened, or obliged to fly; and the flames
of burning sehoolhouses and churches show
ed that the malignant spirit which had once