Franklin Repository

Mr. John P. Reed, Sr., is an intelligent and respected citizen of Bedford. He is, we believe, a member of the bar and has tilled important official trusts. He has two sons--John, P. Jr., and Mengel by name--and it may be others, but these have earned for themselves a place in the records of justice. Not knowing to the contrary, we assume that Mr. Reed taught his sons, among other essential virtues, that all their manifold social, religious, and political rights are the fruits of our most beneficient system of government, and that they owe unfaltering devotion to its cause whenever its permanency or priceless principles of freedom are assailed by either foreign or domestic foes. But however faithfully he may have discharged this sacred parental duty, his sons proved faithless to his precepts, to themselves and to their own great inheritance. So far from following the dictates of patriotism when treason made causeless, wicked war to overthrow the government, and responding to the Nation's call in the hour of its deepest peril, Mengel embraced the first favorable opportunity to enlist in the traitors' ranks in 1863, aiming to add to the full measure of his country's woes, and thus served in perfidious, murderous war upon his own home and people. To this crime he was faithful until he was captured, as a prisoner of war and he was held as such until the bloody work of treason ended in discomfiture, when he proposed formally to resume his fidelity to the government by taking the oath of allegiance. The government in its boundless magnanimity permitted him to do so, and he returned to Bedford to enjoy the blessings of the institutions he had vainly sought to destroy, and to mingle with the people again whose sad bereavements he had aided to his utmost power, to shadow with fresh sorrows. A generous people at his home bore with his malignant perfidy to the free North that gave him birth, and the shameless insolence that made him seek the comforts of a home where he had once sought to mark the desolating track of treason's barbarous war. His brother, John P., inspired with hate for the free government under which he had been reared, fled to a foreign land avowedly to escape service in behalf of his imperiled country and the jurisdiction of its laws. When the National enrolment law passed Congress, or was about to pass, he journeyed to Canada, where he supposed that he could unreservedly fraternize with congenial rebels--plotting treason and death to his brethren. He entered an office for the study of law, and meant, as the sequel proves, to remain only until he could return home without danger of being required to aid in preserving the government under which he hoped to live and to which he nominally confessed allegiance. But, although in a distant land, he had forgotten that he had no abiding place, in the eye of the law of either Canada or the United States, other than in Bedford, and he was properly enrolled and drafted a conscript in the Union army. Of course he did not respond, as he had gone away for the purpose of escaping service in the cause of his country, and he quietly and smugly enjoyed British hospitality until our Congress disfranchised all deserters unless they should report within a given period. However much Mr. Jho. P. Reed, Jr. was willing to be called a Canadian when a draft was to be made, he was quite unwilling to be a Canadian in the sense that would prevent him from voting the Democratic ticket whenever an opportunity should offer, and he had his friends at once proceed to appeal to the Provost Marshal to allow him to put in a substitute. Captain Eyster refused; Gen. Hinks finally assented to it, and before he had furnished his substitute the war was manifestly about to close, and he was allowed to pay commutation. Being thus clear of the draft and the rebellion being so out at all fours that future drafts were altogether improbable, he, too, resumed his residence in Bedford.

It may be, as alleged, that both these young men behaved on all occasions with becoming reserve and propriety; but while perhaps ninety-nine hundredths of the citizens were disposed simply to treat their perfidy to the government with forbearance or silent contempt, there were a few whose ardor for the cause made them call things by their right names, even at the cost of disturbing the public peace. Among these was Mr. Jacob Crouse, who had acted as an Assistant Provost Marshal in that county, and had doubtless learned in the discharge of his official duties how mean a traitorous sympathizer may be. It is said that he would at times address Mr. Mengel Reed, the ex-rebel hero, as "Johnny Reb," and thus salute him on the street in presence of his companions. Had Mr. Reed retorted on Mr. Crouse by calling him a "Yank," it would have been equally just, but perhaps materially less offensive; and because Mr. Crouse would at times remind him of the companionship he had deliberately chosen and publicly persisted in for more than a year, he deemed it cause for offence. To be reminded of the truth, and of what he would doubtless boast in congenial circles, he felt to be a humiliation in Bedford, and altercation succeeded altercation between Crouse and the brothers Reed until finally the parties met on the street on Tuesday of last week, and Mr. Jho. P. Reed, Jr. shot Mr. Crouse dead.

We have not, at the time of this writing, any details of the fatal affray. It may be, as alleged by the Bedford Gazette, that the immediate provocation was all on the side of Crouse; that he was a quarrelsome bully who persistently provoked Mr. Reed without retaliation until words ended in blows and blows in the deadly bullet. Or it may be, as we have heard, that the conduct of the young Reeds was such as justified any loyal man in publicly resenting their traitorous sentiments and actions; that the shooting was deliberately determined upon under the advice of sympathizing friends, and that Mr. Reed practiced with his pistol assiduously before the fatal meeting so as to make sure of his victim. Of these allegations we have no opinion to express. All that we know is that they met; that the skulking conscript was armed while the loyal citizen was not, and the result was the death of the latter on the public street without a moment's warning. The Reed brothers are in custody and we leave them to the verdict of the jury of their country who shall be called to determine the measure of their guilt.

Whatever may be the determination of the law as to this fearful homicide, can any dispassionate and conscientious citizen doubt where rests the moral responsibility for the murder of Mr. Crouse? If men are educated to espouse the cause of their country's foes; to join their battalions; to wage war against their own homes, kinsmen and neighbors, and to flee the jurisdiction of the law to defy the Nation's call in its day of peril, and do these things with impunity, can it be wondered that it should engender the deepest depth of loathing and contempt to every loyal breast, and that it should even outstrip the bounds of prudence at times as unpunished traitors and sneaking, defaulting conscripts are met on the street-corners pluming themselves as men and citizens! Of such creatures some men will speak what all honest men think, and if breaches of the peace and homicides result there from, who must answer the bar of an enlightened and loyal people, and who at the bar of Him who shall judge all the living. Let each man see well for himself and his household that the blood of Jacob Crouse be not at his door, to cry for vengeance.

The Delegates elected in the several districts of Franklin County, to represent them in the Union County Convention, met in the Public School Building, King Street, Chambersburg, on Tuesday, August 8th, at 11 o'clock. The Convention was permanently organized by the election of the following officers:

President--D. O. Gehr, Chambersburg

Vice Presidents--R. P. McFarland, Mercersburg; C. T. Maclay, Green.

Secretaries--J. H. Clayton, Waynesboro; Jacob Pensinger, Antrim.

Antrim--John Ruthrsuff, Jacob Pensinger, John Osbaugh, Wm. H. Davison, Jacob Whitemore, Frederick Suivety, A. Imbrie, John Wilhelm, Jacob Shook.

Chambersburg, North Ward--D. O. Gehr, Wm. H. McDowell, M. A. Faltz, John Fisher.

South Ward--H. B. Davison, John Forbes, C. H. Gordon, John Stewart, John Rhodes.

Concord--A. B. Seibert, David Noel, W. G. Seibert.

Dry Run--Daniel Skinner, W. A. Mackey, David Beat.

Fayetteville--A. B. Wingert, C. A. Funk, John E. Crawford, Nathan Johnston, John M. P. Saider.

Greenvillage--Dr. C. T. Mackay, John Thompson, Jacob Glass.

Guilford--Geo. W. Immell, Wm. Vanderaw, William Ferguson, Abrm. Lehman.

Hamilton--J. C. Palmer, Jacob Crider, Benj. Huber.

Letterkenny--Jataes S. Slyder, Cyrus Keefer, S. K. Ladiman.

Loudon--Wm. Burgess, David Vanne, Wm. Newman.

Lurgan--John Saltzman, M. R. Skinner, Charles E. Maclay.

Mercersburg--Dr. R. S. Brownson, John McClellan, James Witherspoon, Christopher Metcalf.

Metal--W. S. Harris, Jacob Flickinger, John W. Skinner.

Orrstown--Francis Maclay, David Spencer, J. W. Montgomery.

Peters--Robert McKinney, R. P. M'Farland, James Patton.

Quincy--H. M. Jones, Col. J. G. Weistling, Henry Good, H. E. Wertz, Jacob B. Cook.

Southampton--W. M. Maine, Michael Crespler, Thos. E. Fuller.

St. Thomas--B. Fohl, P. S. Hansler, Charles Gillan.

Sulpher Spring--J. E. Fagan, Wm. A. Shields, Benjamin Culbertson.

Washington--Wni. S. Amberson, J. F. Kurtz, E. W. Washabaugh, John Gehr, J. H. Clayton, Daniel Potter, Jacob Carbaugh.

Welsh Run--D. H. Martin, Capt. Robert Boyd, Sam'l Bowles.

Warren--Jon. H. Thomas, Joseph Fritz, Hezekiah Thomas.

On motion of Dr. R. S. Brownson the President appointed the following gentlemen as a committee to revise the mode of making nominations: Dr. R. S. Brownson, Wm. H. McDowell, Robert Boyd, Henry Good, Thomas E. Fuller.

The President announced the following gentlemen as a committee on resolutions: John E. Crawford, John Stewart, Wm. S. Amberson, David Spencer, John Ruthrauff.

On motion the Convention adjourned till one o'clock.

COLLECTION DISTRICT NO. 16--DIVISION NO. 7, CHAMBERSBURG AND GUILFORD

The Press of the 2d inst. says that from present indications there is no good reason to doubt that the oil business will speedily recover its wonted prosperity. Every one interested in the oil trade will readily recall the vicissitudes through which the trade has passed since its inception in 1859. In 1860 there were great flowing wells in Venango county--such as the Sherman and Noble Wells--which yielded from two to three thousand barrels per day. The oil became a drug in the market, and sold as low as twenty-five cents per barrel at the wells. As the uses of petroleum were rapidly discovered the article increased in demand and value, and speculation in lands became extensive, until in 1863 and 1864, it became almost a mania. Early in the spring of this year, disastrous freshets overflowed a greater part of the most valuable oil territory along the Allegheny river, which caused a great reduction in the yield by the filling of the wells with water. This put an end for the time to speculation, but the owners of the oil lands have not been idle. New wells have been struck almost daily on the various tributaries of the Allegheny, in Venango county, and the yield is now almost equal to the demand. Boring for oil and the transportation of the same has been a great expense to operators, from the scarcity of labor and high prices of everything. This will in some degree be remedied in a brief time, from the increase of labor now being furnished from the army. The cost of sinking wells will not be so great, and small capitalists will soon be enabled to enter the field. In fact, the indications are strong that we will have this summer and fall such an activity in the oil trade as we have never had before.

The receipts from Internal Revenue for July foot up $20,000,000. Estimated receipts for the next two months, $60,000,000.

After a few days' suspension of business consequent upon the death of the late Cahier of the Carlisle Deposit Bank it has again opened its doors, and is despatching business as formerly. Mr. J.P. Hassler, the former Assistant Cashier has been elected Cashier. This is a wise and just selection and one that will give universal satisfaction to the stock holders and patrons of the Bank.

The total amount of the acknowledged and registered public indebtedness on the 31st of May was $2,635,205,753, and it is now represented to be $2,757,253,275, or an increase of $122,047,522 during the last sixty-one days. The annual interest on the public debt, as it stood on the 31st ult., was $139,262,468, of which $64,521,837 is payable in coin, and $74,740,630 is payable in lawful money. The debt bearing no interest is $357,906,969. Balance in the Treasury, July 31, $116,739,932.56.

A dangerous counterfeit of the one-dollar treasury notes issued by the General Government has made its appearance. Excepting a few minor discrepancies, the spurious note is an exact fac similie of the bill. The general appearance of the bill is also very good. The green ink is of a somewhat lighter shade than that used on the genuine, and some parts of the note look scratched and blurred. The figures "1" on the scrollwork on the lower right corner of the note are printed in green; in the genuine they are white. The face of Chase, in the counterfeit, is badly executed, but otherwise the work is well done, and the note well calculated to deceive.

Counterfeit fives of the national banks, well executed, are in circulation. The color of the paper is a little paler than the genuine. They are, however, easily detected by observing the position of the letter "I" in the word "This" in the latter, reading "This note is secured by bonds of." The "T" in the genuine is over the left portion of the letter "i" in "United," while in the counterfeit it is farther to the left, over the middle of the "n" of the same word.