, 1861-08-05
THE AFRICAss NEWS.
EDg1ish Opinion of the Presidents
meaaaEe-

4AG 4V1GtA 4fE<GS VI u Qiy IL, uAS lNQ EH4+
torial articles based upon the Message Of Mr..
Lincoln. We quote: /
"President Lincoln's Message sets ut rest,
with the simplicity Of an unchangeable re-
solve, many idle rumors of a compromise be,
tween the sc-caled State rights Of = rebeliious
minority, ard the fundamental principles cf1
national Union and . national sovereignty
which Washington be4neathed to the people
Of the United States, IS teacredly obligatory
On al, as the smain pillar in the: edifce Of
resi- independence ss tie support Of tran
guilty ct home, and Of peace Abroad, Of safe
II Of property, of liberty itselE Is shat good
fabric Of 6elfTulfDg freedom to remain one
nation, or to be split up into as many musu-
ii destructive tyrannies as the terrorism Of
tue Of pretended right Of secession? Mr.
Lincoln shows that the malignant falacy of
the rebel leaders means nothing more OF les:,
thar The comple!e destruction os the natier.s1
Union. This was, in fact, the vary 'alroc0
agaznst which Washington pre.nbetica1iyy
message. And # the natir-aai JEn;o ~ III.
tyiou instead Of thi.teen States. ig nov ", 1 a.
sailed by a iat2l co-1hination Of internal enc
mics, go much more heinous il fhe so;,h.
asm. The Aessage Of the President plaipIy
treats the War-which leagne Of parricides
has provoked q struggle 5ar national ais.
e7ace.
s.H the national Government was unable to
,.-e T.. IL; 4sEst blow it i. now e position i'd
secure by energetic action the sympathy Of
foreign powers, with an inflexihle purpose to
maintain The Union undiminished and uninl-
paired. To make the contest short and deci.
siEe the President asks forlegal meaHs to take
thepeep1e, and to turn to the best account
those larish offerings Of blood and treasure
which almost perplex the discretion Of the Ex-
ecEtiFe. How faithfully Mr.. Lincoln trcade in
the footsteps Of the Founder of the Republic,
his Argument against the pretended sovereign.
ty of the several States bears witness, Il is
the corol1ary Of the emphatic and large dccla-
ratlons Of Washington himself. The yery
idea,' said Washington, sof the power and the
right Of the people to establish government
pre-5upposes tie duty Of all Individuals to obey
The established government Nothing Less
than 'an explicit and authentic act of the
whole people could change the Constitution
which ct 2oy time exists THE Sta1es.' aays
| Mr. Lincoln, staye their status in the Union,
and they have no other legal status THE
Union gaFe each Of then whatever indcpcnd-
encc and Liberty it has The plea Of State
Sovereignty, that is, Of disruption Of the Union,
is cheer rebellion. i It be b principle it is
tie principle Of disiEtegration, upon which
no government can poEsib1y endure;' if it he
a right 1t is the right Of 9 minority to repudi-
to secede from all the rest, It is the negation
hot only Of all national law, honor and duty.
but Of I'll national life.
sit tseems impossible that this plain unyar-
uiEhed speech Of the Republican President
should not sink deep into the hearts and con.
sense, Of any rererenee for the memory Of tae
great founder Of their liberties, Of uny hopes
Or interests beyond the passions or the appe-
tites oftho hour. And President Lincoln bears
proud and solemn witness that in truth the
plain people knoE- Reu Ekat -t-this is essensi-
a37x a Tpcr4e9c rnS$Est3 ha e1r ~;
chy deliberately press out Of view tfae rights
Of men and the authority cf The people,
! Their elections are held in military camps,
| their state papers arc eloquent on the rights
| struggle is felt to lie oue fer maintaining a
forn and substance Of government under
! which the condition Of the people has been
i elevated ard improved beyond example In the
| world. And this is how the largest army Of
! volunteers ever known, sad comprising regi-
(, Ments Of which eFcry common soldier is
! man OF high culture and attainments, has
! rushed to the standard of the Union. Ueo,ne
| Officers in the land and sea services have de-
serted their cofcrs they were the creatures Of
favor or Of fortune; Of the common soldiers
and SAILORS not one has failed for
moment In loyalty, e7en in tie face
j Of trascherous commanders. With such sup
! Peri ae this President Lincoln is prepared TO
!, prove that 'thcee Tho can fairly carry III elec-
ticn can slEo suppress q rebellion There ID
i rot free people, OF people aspiring to free
CON throughout the world much less is there
! that Is not concerned in the momentous
! crisis, Which the President of the United
States describes In the simplest words, as
| great lesson Of peace, teaching men that
! what they cannot take By e1 election neither
can they take b. war:' No lesson, it should
be remembered in Eng1and, can he more cua-
| than this.
The American civil war, then, is cues
| ton of extending the area Of slavery, OF re-
yiyinE he slave t5ade; tut it is nore than all
| this toI The New World and for The Old; il is
qu. .sGon, Indeed, CT peace, safety and
profperity,' nay, Of national existence, to
that American Union which the genius aad
| goodness Of Washington created for an ex-
ample: But for all free people it is q question of
~ and Justice. War tot such q causc though
; It be Gl7n Har, lnaJ perhaps without iupiety
!; be called
".God'E most perfect instrument
/ In working out q lurc intcrt.''
1.-THE real aim Of the secessiouists
create new ConfedeFacy, III which those
Southern politicians who 1sed to sit in high
places may still retain their power. Tie cause
cf secession is not that any Constitutional
right las been 1io:ated, but that the Southern
c1garehy has been forever oyerthEown. TIE
| gross treactery Ct The members Ct M1 Buch.
anan's Cabinet, has for tie time enabled this
dissatisfied olga, ebv to organize formidable
| TEbelicn; but it is the conviction OF the
| North that If the resi- opinions Of the South
could be asceltained, tha majority Of the
eouth would declare agaiust secession and in
fsycr Of the Union. II, therefore, Mr. Lincoln
and his Cabinet are correct in their vieEe. it
Is obyicus that the success Of the war depends,
not upon couquerirg or occupying the Bouth
eI1 States, but upon Temocing the incubus
which oyeraTes the citizens OF these States
By al impos1ng display Of military power. It
nay be that the aattcipatjons Of the North
ere mietaEen; but In the meaatime it must be
admitted that the measures which have been
tsken BY the Government at Washington are
well adapted for the purpose OF defeating the
Southern aIny in the fe1d, and enabling the
Enicn FATTY in tho South to assert ahel,
power.
't1f the Union is restored it can only ba by
force Of arms and to that end the two essen
la's u1e en- experienced commander at tht
Etad Of numerous and well appointe e9 army
| Although the treasonnb1e conduct Of SO man,
! Southern officers Of The United States NIGH
have served as aaEe apology toF the Waf Sec
1etary If he had distr1sted any officers from
| the South, still it Is to the credit Of Mr.. Lin
coins Administration that they ehonld hayt
Tetsincd Gen. Scott, Tirginian, ct the heal
of the Federal a.mY. To those who haye eve
seen that noble and gallant old man, it can b,
&c matter Of surprise that he should exercise
remarkable influence over both officers ani
men; and those who have watched his mill
| tafy career, ard observed bis capacities % ;
! scientific soldier, cen hare 70 difficulty in m
| de1standing why Mr. Lincoln and his Cabine
should place nnbounded confidence In his mil
S..A- lr3xr o11. - l..