Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-09-07
A Cuthollo opinion of the War.

Catholic Opinion OF the War.
The New York papers of the 4th cou-
tain n highly interesting correspondence
between the Bishop of Charleston. S. c.,
and Archbishop Hughes, of New York, on
the war. We have only room for an ex-
tract or two from the letter of Archbishop
Hughes:
lam an advocate for the sovereignty Of
every State in the Union within the limits
recognized and approved of by its own
representative authority when the consti-
tuition was agreed upon. AS consequence,
| hold tina: South Carolina has no State
interfere with the internal affairs
of Massachusetts. And, rs a further con-
sequence, that Massachusetts has no right
TO interfere with South Carolina, or its do
nestle and civil affairs, rs one of the SOW
ereign States of this now threatened Union.
But the constitution having been formed BY
the common consent of nll the sovereign
parties engaged in tho framework and ap-
proval thereof, maintain that no State has
Il right to sccede, except in the manner
provided for in the document itself.
The government originally agreed upon
by all the States has lasted during peri
od of between seventy and eighty years.
During this time its executive administrn-
ton was enjoyed by the South for fifty
two years. No Northern President has ev-
er been reelected Washington, Jclfer-
son, Madison, Monroe and jackson have
each discharged that Office for term OF
eight years. The conclusion is, then that
out of seventy or eighty years of the ad-
ministration of our government fifty-two
years have eucured to our patriotic men of
the South. This fact involves the poten-
lialities and powers of the government us
having been exercised by supremacy ON
the part of the South. The navy, the arr
my, the incumbents of the Supreme Court,
were not ignorant of or iusensible to this
fact. Now, put it to your candor to say
whether, after such history of the ad-
ministration of our country, the South
might not have tolerated the occupancy OF
the presidential chair by tie present in-
cumbent, who, with his Northern prcdeces.
sors in that office, could hardly expect to
survive officially the ordinary four years
of Northern supreme magistrate?
You say that President Lincoln was
elected by black republicans in tue North
am enclined to think that be was indi.
rectly or negatively elected by democrats
North and South The black republicans
presented one candidate, and, in order TO
defeat his election, the democrats North
and South presented three. If the latter
had selected only one candidate, it is prob
able that the black republicans, as you call
them, would have been found as minus hG6
eHtes But when the democrats distributed
their votes, apparently with view of rem
dering them inefficient, then, of course,
the one man of choice was elected over
the three candidates aud competitors that
kaA Ta1.s in N.it oh,
other, and in the aggregate all against him
alone. That he was constitutionalIy elect
ed under these circumstances is not denied
either in the South or iuthe North Then,
if so elected, he is the Chief Magistrate of
all the United States of America, and by
his very oath of office, is bound by their
own common consent to see that neither
Maine, on the Northwest, or Texas, on the
Southwest, shall be permitted to over
throw the original federal compact agreed
upon in the Constitution of this Govern
ment. If States shall be allowed, in tue
face Of that Federal Constitution, to kick
over the traces of common union, as
agreed upon in the primitive days of our
Government, then it is difficult to see why
counties and townships and villages may
not be at liberty to do the same thing just
as often as the freak or fancy TO do so may
oe shall have come upon them.
The word '9peace" is becoming more or
less familiar here in the North. Ina crisis
like this it is not, in my opinion, expressive
of sound principle or safe policy. Its
meaning changes the basis and the Issue of
this melancholy war. If changed it will
be a war, not between the South and the
North, geographically considered, but
war between the two great political parties
that divide, the country. Instead of this
partisan hostility wise patriots should rival
each other in restoring or preserving the
Union as one nation, its prosperity and the
protection and happiness of its entire peo-