Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-12-25
[FOr the IutoIligoncerI
Shall the Union he Maintained, at all
--ss Hazards! is..t

shall the Union he MatnIatMeu, at all
Hazards. iE.'
MeSsrs. EHtors:-I nm Union man I;
voted for John Bell, of Tennessee. dis
approve the principles of the Republican
party, and think them only less hurtful
than those of the Southern fre-caters-
Before God, l consider the two parties
equally guilty of our present calamities.
But it is now no time for recriminations,
or for discussing new theories of govern
ment, or reviving old ones. The great
question before the-country is, Shall the
Union be preserved at all hazards? l, for
one, am prepared to say that it SHALL
In order to do this, therefore, what should
be douc? In my humble opinion, the
best thing that could be done at this cr-
sis would be, for Abraham Lincoln to
speak out, and say, what he intends to do.
lit is .not5sutficient to have it obscureK in
tiinntcd that Senator Trumbull, or the
| Springfield Journal, is his mouthpicce,
and that tho dict0 Of one or the other is to
be taken as an Indication of his future
policy Not at all. This ishnOt mnnly
way of doing things. 1t looks rs if he
would leave q loop hole at which to
creep out, should circumstances, in his
opinion, render it necessary hereafter. If
abraham Lincoln is justly entitled to the
prove himself worthy of it by speaking
out ut once. Such a course is highly ne
cessary ut present, Itwould inspire con-
fdence. 1t would constrain thousands
who are meditating disuniou and rebellion
to look before they leap. 1t would enable
others who are now halting and wnvcring
to define their position and determine their
course of action, The effect of it would
be, am satisfied, to rally the great ma
jority of Union men to the SUPPORT of
Lincoln's administration; at least so far as
the maintenance of tue Union is concerned.
The people need to he assured that some
thing decisive is to he done; that the
! country is not to be permitted to go to
wreck under the miserable, imbccile poll
cyi inaugurated by President Buchanan.
II Mr.. Lincoln has policy let him dis
close it Mt once. If the tug of war is to
come let it be known now, that the coun-
| try may prepare for it. There is nothing
to be gained by temp6rizi,ig. IL onlY
renders treason and rebellion the more in
solent,' andalulls the friends Of the Union
I into false security. a@h "s1ef .
Especially is an outspoken policy on the
| part of Mr. Lincoln necessary for Westera
VlrginiA. 1t is necessary that she should
carly define her position in the appronch-
ing contlict-if conflict there is to 6c
No one can doubt what her course
will be if left to her own free and
unconstraiHcd choice But. delays are
dangerous. ..t Western Virginia, may be
constrained to take q position which
would. not be agreeable to her, In other
words, she may ,be, hitehed IN by military
foree, e, 10 the ear of King .ol,vn, while ali
her interests are4identir 4 mitHIths NortlI.l
Sirsa repent thatit is time, high time lf6T
Western NiFgiui8 to. defineph, opposition +
and5 nothiugs IWlll@contribute more to This
than f1fs "a titdhsm lincoln to speak K o,ut3t
once, without the Intervention of an ora