New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-05-05
THE REAL QUESTION.

THE REAL QUESTION.
Nations have their distempers, ike individuals.
In some cases the disease is chronic, in others
acute. The one fingers long, the other is swift
and sharp. Nations have persisted Of them both
Aud Nations haze subdued them both, and re-
ioced in fresh strength and beauty when their
constitutional stamina and vital energy suflced
to conquer the morbid influences which assailed
them from within or from without. We need not
cite cases, for history is but the record of the
struggles, successful or abortige, of bodies poll
tic with maadies which sought their lives.
This Nation is now in the very crisis of a dis
order which is to test its power of life, whether
it is TO flourish in growing health and strength
or to 90 down into the sepulchre Of dead com.
monweaths. For il must be remembered that
modern science has demonstrated that what we
call disease is not supernatural visitation
coming upon us from above or from below, but an
endeayOr of Nature to cure the achings and heal
the agonies which ignorance or neglect, or yio-
lation of eternal laws have brought upon us.
Rightly viewed, blessing and not bale is the gift
it brings US.
1t is true that that we are suffering under an
acute attack, superyening upon chronic dis
temper; but this is a common instance in the
pathology of nations. Almost all violent national
outbreaks have had their origin in some long
established condition either OF good or eyil-cf
liberty or of despotism-which occasions an as
| sault upon it by its antagOnstic opposite-and
the nation proceeds onward to glory or to decay
according as the one or the other Of the con
! fcting principles prevails. That the Commissions
which now possess the land have their origin
and impulse in the peculiar institutions of the
Seeding States is fact which no one pretends
to DENY. Even Mr. Dickinson, who has never
been suspected by the North, nor accused by the
South of any moral or political luminosity TO
those Institutions, demonstrates the fact and ar
CUES from it the cure ia manner which wonld
be considered fanatica if urged by us. But it Is
not necessary to examine into the character OF
those institutions Whether negro Slavery be
blessing OF q curse to the negro and to the mas
ter or not, there can be no question that il is
the tie which binds together one Of the most
compact and desperate Oligarchies that the world
has ever seem 1t has also educated that olgar
cby into habits of mastership which make domi-
nation, in whatever sphere it acts, necessity OF
its existence. AS long as il was permitted to
! govern the whole country directly or indirectly,
! it was content TO let the government of tie
country 90 on in its established shape. But
when the people had seen fit to elect President
TO please themselves, though the Olighrchy had
no pretense of complaint of any invasion of Its
Constitutional rights, Of any danger to them,
il burst forth into open rebellion, resolute that
il would have no part in government III which
its controlling supremacy had been successfully
disputed
Hence tho United States find themselves, for
the first time in their history, face to face with
treason on the largest scae-cOnirOnted with the
most utterly unproyoked rebellion that the mind
of man could well imagine. As far as the Rebels
are concerned, the Government is absolutely and
perfectly In tie right. The only fault that can
be Justly urged against it is that it has carried
magnaDimity aud patience toward them to the
very verge of apparent pusllanimity, and endan-
pered its character for courage and political Wis
dom at home and abroad. Never since evil gov
ernments we're first gathered, were rebels treated
with such ienty and forbearance. Never before
in the history of mankind has the government of
a nation conducted itself with such moderation
and indulgence to traitors with arms in their
hands guilty of every outrage upon public and prl-
yate property and on the rights OF citizens, that
ever disgraced a revolt against righ'ul authority
We do not now complain of this. We can I'M
derstand the difficulties and embarrassments which
encOmpassed President Lincoln and his Cabinet In
their uncertainty as to how far the country was
ready to sustain them in measures of strong sup
preston and condign punishment. As events have
gone thus far, if the conduct of Mr.. Lincoln has
been tho result of deliberate foretbOught, it's
wisdom has been justified by events. His for
bearance has left the Rebels without excuse in
the eyes of the whole world Ills waiting till they
had struck the frat blow in ,'e harbor Of Charles
ton afforded him precisely tbs just moment to stir
every heart in the North as with the sound of
trumpet, by the words Of his proclamation. His
prompt blockade of the Southern ports upon JEFF
fsrson Dayiss running az tho black dag, and bis