Daily national Democrat., 1861-07-20
The President,s Message.

unnecessary distrust Of the Governmental
authorizes, in the minds Of men politically
opposed to those in power. We are sgre, for
our own part, that we have the cause Of the
country at heart enough TO prevent us from
writing word calculated to cool the patri-
otto ardor Of one single individual. The
message is written TO inform Congress, Off
cially, of the condition Of the country. Of the
progress Of the foul rebellion against the Ma
ton, and Of the acts none by the Executive
with view to checking it, and also to re-
commend such measures as are deemed neces-
sary to preserve the Union We think every
what the loyal people of the country have
thus far done, in response TO the call OF the
| Executive, and we believe the universal sen
lment, among all who do not wish treason
to conquer patriotism is, that the war should
be vigorously prosecuted, and the sight Of
our flag made terror to all its enemies SO
far as the President has in view the mante-
nance Of Federal authority, throughout the
lth-lli hll DlthIlD ti JUC lduuj ~ iuI, bp
National Democrat can refuse to support
him. IL is our boast that at least full pro-
portion Of Democrats are already in the field
in response to !he call for volunteers The
question Of what the foreign and domestic
policy of the Administration ought to be III
other respects, is a matter for future conside-
ration. In no case Whatever need rebellion
be rcsorted to, under our form of Govern
ment, for the redress of grievances, for the
peope-the source Of all power--do, every
four years, choose the men who are to
administer their Government What can
not be accomplished by voting, cannot be
won in battle. If the ballot box is &c
rule, then the minority must yield
If brute force is to rule, will not the result
be the same There may be revolutions
agaist crowned monarchs, and a great people
may bchead king but in government of
the pcoplc, against whom shall faction raise
its weapons? Against not only those who
poted themselves into power, bat also against
those loyal citizens who, though defeated at
the election, arc nevertheless content toabide
the decision. But this is DEPRESSION. We
were saying that the defense Of this Govern
ment against rcbclious war is entirely sep
crate and distinct from all other questions
We must all aid in preserving the country,
and then we can discuss MEASURES which come
up before the country. We are not sure
whether or not the President has acted upon
this plan. We hope some ofhis party organs
may enlightcn us as to the meaning Of the
following
Whoever, in any section, proposes
to abandon such Government, would
do well to consider in defense of what prin
cple it is that he docs it; what better he Is
likely TO get in its stead; whether the sub
| stituie will give, or be intended TO give, so
much of good to the people. There are some
roreshadowiug doubts on this subject.
Our adyersaries have adopted some dccla-
ration of independence, in which, unlike The
good old one penned by jefferson, they omit
the words, "All men are created equal They
have adopted q temporary National Cunsti-
tuition, in the preamble Of which, unlike oul
| good old one signed by Washington, they
omit eve, the people, and substitute wv e
the deputies Of the sovereign and III cp uden
5laiea' Why this deliberate pressing cNt O
view the rights Of men and the authority 0
the people? This is essentially a peoples con
test On the side of the world that forms
substance of government whose leading OBJ
ect is to clerate tie condition ofmCH, 10 Iii
artificial WcightS 1Iom all Shoa{acrs, 10 clca,
the paths ofiaudoJle pursuits Ior all, 10 a3ora
all an uHtcHcrc3 Siart and fair chaRcc IN Wt
race Of lie, yielding to the partial and tenn
porary departures from necessity. Ih{S Is
tie lcadiag object Of tie Government for
whose existence we contend. / am most
happy to believe that the plain people under
stand and appreciate this.
The words we have italicized are a serious
stumbling block to some. We have been
asked if they do not amount to declaration
that the Government ought to "elevate the
condition of negroes. "Io lift artificial
weights from ali shoulders, to clear the paths
of laudable pursuits for eli to afford all an
unfetlered start and fair chance in the race
of life" is language that it is difficult to show
does not include those persons who are now
! held to involuntary service in one section o
the Union. The conclusion Of the sentence
"yielding TO the partial and temporary de
parlures, from necessity, would seem tC
give some assurance that the President recog-
nizcs the impossibility of carrying out, uni
versally, the idea with which he sets out.
His views upon this subject are no justilica-
ton for rebellion but anti-slayery homilies,
if the above quotation was intended as one,
are not exactly calculated at this time to
strengthen the arm of the nation. We would
try and believe that he was only referring to
the tyranny rracticcd upon the masses OF
Southern white men, by their self-constituted
rulers, but he considers their case as a separ-
ate matter, and speaks Of che rights Of men
and "the authority Of the people" as two diff
fercnt subjects. We say this is no time to
bring up onti-slayery dogmas, and if the
President meant TO do it, he did harm, and
sunk the patriot in the partizOn. Again, the
message says, in another portion:
10 compromise the public service would
in this ease be crime Not that ccm-
promises are not often proper, but that no
popular Government can long survive q
marked precedent that those who carry an
election can only save the Government from
immediate destruction by giving up the rla1
point upon achich tie people gare the -elcc-
/ tion The people themselves, and not theii
servants can safely reverse their own DELHI
crate decisions As private citizen, the
Executive could not have consented that
these institutions should perish. Much less