The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1868-12-18

How is is now? c0rFupting, corrod-
ing and destroying influences have
passed from your State halls aud your
municipal council chambers, to the
very heart Of your nation. And there
Influences are brought to bear which
are calculated to injGre, and deeply,
too. Moreover, is it not notorious as
the light OF n0ontide that men calling
themselves American citizens, put
themselves al auction on ali great cleo
tion days and the highest bidder al
ways secures the prize. Let that be
denied. Is there man in this land
that dare deny the statement, that you
buy men on great election occasions, as
sheep are bought in the shambIes?
We may think light Of these things,
but my brethren, as God lives they are
the canker-worms at the root Of the
tree, and they are eating at the vitals
of your nation, and presently the sight
will be awful to behold! tits Right
eousness that exalteth a nation" Do
YOU call that righteousness Can you
give it the name ofrighteousne5s, when
all the influences that are brought to
bear are Of an unrighteous character ?
Is it righteousness to 20 TO your halls
of legislation and induce men TO do a
thing that you could not by any posi-
bic means induce them to do other
wise except for money? Can you
make any calculations OF safety and
certainty upon the perpetuity Of the
glorious institutions of this great land,
if your citizens are purchasable arti-
cles in the market What confidence
do you place in the man whose man
hood can be bought, and vino will sell
himself for thirty pieces Of silver to
betray his nation into the hands, itmay
be, OF those who are the vilest Of the
vile! You cannot confde in him. He
is not to be trusted. If he would sell
himself to one man, he will sell him
self to another, If he viii! sell his man.
hood 10 one man for one purpose, he
Will sell his manhood to another set Of
men for an opposite purpose, or for any
purpose. If he is willing to barter in
this way. If you bring a little more
monaTchical money, little more aris-
tocratic money, a little more Republi-
can money, you can purchase him for
any purpose and he would a. readily
sell YOU and your interests to the Au-
tocrat Of Russia, or the Emperor Of
France, as he would sell hinselfto his
fell0w-citizens. This is not righteous
ness. This cannot eXalt. This must
disgrace.
Now then, / come to ask you, quiet
ly and calmly to-day, with things be-
fore y0u-r9r they are true, my breth-
rem. or else the whole press Of the coun-
try is one great lia-what shall We do?
Ii is true that money Is used in the
national halls Of legislation for the ae-
c0mplizhment Of personal or party
purposes! IT is true that money IS
used in your State legislative bodies
for the same end. 1t Is true that mon
ey goes into your municipalities and
your Council chambers, not for the
we8lof the community, not for thegOod
Of the citizens, but to fill up their own
wallets at your expense.
Ifthis be righteousness, then fare
well to the happiness and glory Of this
nation. What, / ask, must be the
future ofour country, unless there can
be brought to bear upon the judgments,
and the e0nscieacas aud tie hearts Of
the people an influence counteractiDg
all this evil which is now burning
and whitening that which once was 50
beautiful and grand. I Ianswer, breth-
ren. this question fearlessly before
God, by declaring that our future must
be the future Of all the republics that
have preceded us, unless We bout
ship, :" and change our course F.!
No nation can govern itself unless
the individual citizen governs himself.
Do not you sec how true this is? The
individual citizen that cannot govern
himself, who has not the manhood,
nor the fortitude, nor the courage, to
dash the burning cup Of liquid from
his lips. must be a drunkard. The
American citizen who has not man
hood nor honesty and uprightuess e
nough in him to spurn from lis pres
ence forever, those who woald offer 10
bribe him for his influence, Is not a
man: and if he cannot govern him
self he surely cannot govern a ma
ton. He can form no part Of that
natural compact with safety. Yoa