Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-11-22
unpEruL ouTLoOK.

Adversity has lis uses, aud there IS no
fate so dark but that il has bright side.
In such spirit we SEQ here aud there re
publican paper discussing the result Of the
late elections. Those who see things ia this
doleful light are welcome 10 do 20, but we
cannot Join their number We utterly re-
fuse to see the dark side at oil in fact W.
don't believe the subject has any dark side
for our cause when rightly viewed, unless
we count our losses as imaginative men
sometimes count their business losses, not
BY what they bad and lost, but when they
have made large and absolute gains, lock
back regretfuIly and speculate ON how much
more they might have made and did not,
and count that loss. The man who esti
mates his grain 10 the chat may have an
immense crop, but he Is very apt TO over
estimate the amount These republicans
who estimated the strength Of the republic
an party by all who voted for it, wheneyery
instinct of patriotism compelled all who
we're not utterly lost to all honor or love Of
country to join its ranks for the, time were
very apt to be thus deceived. 1t must be
remembered that thousands then joined and
helped to swell cur immense majorities who
were not and never had been up to the true
republican standard. The republican party
during the latter years Of the war was the
crude ore, unrefned and numbered with
dross. The necessities ef the times requir-
ed and determined the eonglomeration Of
many uncongenial elements, with great d.
versity of views, having but the one great
central idea Of free and united country,
in common As the pressure of eircum
stances relaxes, many 10 whose minds other
ideas preponderate viii Of necessity fall
away. This has been the case for a year or
two, and now that we stand freed from the
dross that clogged and obstructed in a great
measure the usefulness Of the party, we
deem it not Cause of complaint but rather
of rejoicing. Now we are in condition to
take calm view of the past and present
situation and compare our strength III the
present with what it was in the past, as the
representative of the cause of law and order,
of human liberty, of mental, moral and ma
terial progress Let US look back seven
years. The party. that then dared only ask
that the vampire Of slavery should be re-
stricted to its then existing limits, led by
q way it knew not, but by a Providential
hand, through very baptism OF fire and
blood, stands to-day upon an eminence that
it then dreamed not of, and sees a race en-
franchised, and the glorious banner of our
country the emblem of freedom in deed a-
well as in name. Nay more This is not
bo, her glory Whether by her own viii
~ tbsto, her enemies the votes cast az the
Fau elections a. owing still an immense ag-
aregate majority 10 ..he country, represent
her as the advocate and ,. andard bearer o.
law aud order, Temperance, morality ana
the religion Of the Bible As suei, repre-
senting the cause Of the little band G'at
turning away IN gloom and sorrow from cal
vary eighteen hundred years ago, with
nothing but their faith in crucifed Master
and Saviour to sustain them, set forth to
redeem the world to virtue and religion, as
the representative Of the same cause re-
formed and renewed by the great Luther
three hundred aad fifty years ago, aud to
which the civilized world to day owes all Of
liberty, virtue, humanity, and hope of the
future, that it now enjoys, as such we say
greater glory crowns her. We say that we
have indeed great cause of rejoicing that so
many in numbers so much in strength are
found on which to rest our hope of the fu-
ture Of our country and the world. Away
with gloomy forebodings, with such host
faithful to their convictions and devoted to
the great cause in which they have enlisted
we can look with a calm and hopeful spiris
to the future. With such cause to advo
cate and such host to sustain it, We can
60 forward with alacrity to do battle in the
future, assured that While true to our con-
vietions and faithful to the cause of jus
tice and humanity, energy and vigilance
viii crown our efforts with triumphant vic
tory and the welfare Of the whole country
be advanced thereby.