Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-12-13

u-s IL must become worse aId worse
until all order viii be subyerted, an III
: dustry cease, and the fertile fields q
the south grow up into q wilderness
: VI ali the dangers which our natiO1
has yet encountered. none are equal L
those which must result from the sue
cess Of the effort now making to Afri
canize the half Of cur country. I woul,
: not put considerations of money il
, competition with justice and right, bu
: the expenses incident to recOnstruc
ton under the system adopted by Con
gfess, aggravate what ] regard as tn,
intrinsic wrong Of the measure itself
1t has cost uBcOuuted millions already
aad II persisted in, viii add largely 4
iae weight OF taxation already too op
presslVe 10 be borne without Just com.
plant, and may finally reduce THE
treasury OF the nation 10 a condition
OF bankruptcy. We nlnsf not delude
ourselves. 1t viii require strong
standing army and probably more
thfn I1y0 hundred faffGFgEFs 81 ttofIafs
per annun to maintain the supremacy
OF negro governments after they are
established. The sum thus thrown
away would, if properly used. form a
sinking fund large enough to pay the
{ whole national debt in less than fifteen
/ years. 1t is vain to hope that negroes
( VIII maintain their aseendaRcy. them
/ selves. Without military power they
/ are wholly incapable Of holding in sub
/ lection the white people Of the South.
/ submit 70 the Judgment Of Congress
I whether the public credit may not be
I iDjuriOusly affected by a system Of
I measures like this. With orr debt and
I the vast private Interests which are
complicated with it, We cannot be too
/ cautious OF policy which might by
/ possibility impair the confidence Of
I the world in our Government That
confidence can ouly be retained by care
fully inculcating the principles Of jus
( tlce and honor on the popular mind
and by the most scFupul0us fidelity 10
all our engagements Of every sort.
I Any serious breach Of the organic law.
/ persisted in for a considerable time.
cannot but create fears for the stability
Of our Institutions. Habitual violation
OF prescribed rules, which We bind our
selves 10 observe, must demoTalize the
/, people; our only standard Of civil duty
being set at naught. the sheet-anchor
! OF our political morality i lost, and
the public conscience swings from its
m0OFlHgz and yields 10 every impulse
Of passion and interest. If we -epudi-
ate the Constitution. we viii not beck
pected to care much for mere pecuni-
AIRY obligations. The violation Of such
pledge as we made on the 22l day Of
July, 1851, viii assuredly diminish the
market value Of our other promises.
Besides, if we now acknowledge that
the national debt was created not 10
hold the States in the Union, a. the
taxpayers We're led TO suppose, but 10
expel them from it, and hand them ov-
er 70 be governed by negroes, the NOR
al duty 30 pay il may seem much less
clear. / say il may seem 50, for ! do
not admit that this or any ether argu-
ment in favor Of repudiatiOn can be en-
tertained a. sound. But its influence
On some classes Of uaig1s&s rsaas- -s---11 H.
I dPprehende1. me nnanciaf h0n0r 0f
q great commercial nation, largely in
debted, and with q republican form Of
government, Administered by agents
Of the popular choice, + "a thing Of such
delicate texture. and the destruction Of
il would be followed by such unspeaka-
( bic calamity, that every true patriot
must desire 20 avoid whatever might
expose il 70 the slightest danger. The
great interests Of the country require
immeiiatereieffr these eeBactuenfs.
Business ia the South l. paralyzad by
a sense Of general insecurity, By g ter
rOr Of conisCati0n, and the dread Of
negro supremacy. The Southern trade,
from which the North would have de-
rived 50 great profit under a govern
menl Of law. still langGiShes, and can
never be revived until it ceases 20 be
fettered by The arbitrary power which
makes all its operations unsafe. That
rich couutry-the richest in natural
resources the world ever saw, Is worse
than lost If il be not soon placed under
/ the protection Of a free Constitution
: Instead Of being as 1t ought TO be,
source OF wealth aud power, 1t VIII be
come an int0lerabie burden upon the
rest Of the nation. Another reason for
retracing our steps will doubtless be
seen BY Congress in the late manifesto
tions Of public opinion upon this sub
/ iect. We live in a country where the
! popular viii always enforces obedience
I TO itself sooner or later. 1t is in vain
To think Of opposing it with anything
short Of legal authority backed by ov-
( erwhelming force. 1t cannot have g.
caped your attention that from the day
on which Congress fairly and formally
/ presented the proposition 10 govern
{ the Southern States by military force,
with a view 10 the ultimate establish
ment OF negro supremacy, every eX-
preston Of the general sentiment has
been more or less adverse 70 it. The
affections Of this generation cannot be
detached from the institutions Of their
/ ancestors: their determination TO pre-
serve the inheritance Of free Govern
ment in their own hands, and trans
nit Il undivided and unimpairad 70
their own poSterity, l. too strong 70 be
successfully opposed. Livery weaker
passion viii disappear before that loYe
ofIiberty and law for which the Amerl-
& can people are distiug gaished above all
+ others in the world.
Duty Qf tie President.
i How far the duty of the President 10
( preserve, protect aud defend the Con
stitution requires him to 60 in oppos-
{ inc an unconstitutional act Of Congress,
+ Is a very serious and important ques-
ton on which l have delibeFated much
and felt extremely anxious 70 reach
prorer conclusion. Where al act has
4 been passed according to the forms Of
the Constitution by the supreme lcgis-
Z lative authority. and i regularly en-
rolled among the public statutes Of the
country, Executive resistance TO II, ts-
pociaily in times Of high party excite
ment. would be likely 10 produce VIC
( lent collision between the respective
adbereHts OF the two branches of the
( Government. This would De simply
civil war. and civil war must be rts0r-
/ ted 10 only as The last remedy for the
. worst Ofevils. Whatever might tend To
f provoke ii should be most carefully