The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-07-26
Few Words i'm Reply to q Well.
Written Communication, Bearing
Respectable Signatures.


lion, and in which we also announced our
purpose of cordially sustaining the Admin
istration in this behalf.
The impression pervading the minds oil
these gentlemen in writing their communi.
cation is shown, perhaps; most concisely in
its closing paragraph; and they will, there
fore, pardon the seeming discourtesy involved
in an examination of the tai-end of their
paper first. They say:
For us, and we think we speak for the DEM
ocratic party, we are willing cheerfully to sink
and our country but we most firmly protest
against any union with, at least, the ultra
views of the Republican party.
To the bare sentiment expressed in this
extract, we can have no objection. 1t is
sound, conservative, patriotic. But we
must be pardoned for Directing to its neces-
sary, and, we presume, designed, inference.
The communication is in reply to our edito-
rial. The communication, thus responsive,
"protests against any union with, at least,
the ultra views of the Republican party"
The logical inference is, that we favored a
"unioD with the ultra views of the Repub-
lican party" Which, as it finds no founda-
ton in the editorial replied to, nor in any.
thing else we have ever said or written, we
will be excused for suggesting that it re-
fleets very little credit on the perception,
discretion, or fairness of the respectable
gentlemen whose names bolster the innu.
endo.
A fair, open difference exists between
these gentlemen and ourself in regard to the
propriety of compromise, or talk of COM
promise, during the continuance of this re-
bellion. Their policy is, when attacked by
ruffian, to edge in words of entreaty and
expostulation between his blows, and, by
thus influencing his moral sensibilities, to
induce him to cease bis assault and come to
an amicable understanding. Our policy is,
to knock the scoundrel down, and to keep
at knocking him down until he is satisfied
with that style of exercise, and acknowl-
edges it +; and after that, to do whatever
parleying the merits of the case may sug-
gest. Theirs is the theoretical Christian
plan ours is the practical Human>N Nature
plan. And, we believe in closing out this
affair in the natural Way,
The gist of their communication, howev.
er, is the assumption, and the arguments
and fears growing out of it, that the " Re-
publican party wages war to support the
Chicago platform +; to carry out their. views
as to the morality of slavery; to wipe out
what they call the blot and stigma upon our
country In response to this we say,that the
Republican party is not wagiDg this war. 1t
is a defensive war on the part of the Govern
ment of the United States to repel assaults
which threaten, and are designed to accom-.
plish, its destruction. 1t is not Republi-
can partizan war in fact or in pretence. 1t
is not in fact, because large majority of
those who have voluntarily entered the ser.
vice of the Government against the rebel,
lion, is composed Of men who have never
affiliated or sympathized with the Republi-
can party. 1t is not so in pretense. On
the contrary the acts and declarations of
President LINCOLN, who represents Repub,
licanism in a partizan sense, as be does the
Government officially, are all confrmatory
and protective of Southern rights-the
rights Of slavery as of all others. The first
words uttered by the President in his Inau-
gural Address were words designed and cal.
culated to allay and remove Southern ap,
prehensions on this very subject of slave
property rights. And since then, during
the whole progress of this rebellion, we.
know Of no words or act of his that can be
construed into an attack upon the rights.of
slavery, whether these rights are guaranteed
by sthe constitution or protected by the
laws. Wejudge the Republican party, not
by the declarations of the fanatics who form
an element of its organization, but by the
acts Of the man wnom it has placed at the
head of the Executive Department of the
Government /; and so judging, we feel bound
to say that in the conduct OF this rebellion
there has been nothing done or intimated in
derogation of the constitutional or legal
rights of slavery. Whatever else may be
said Of President LINCOLN, he has acquitted
himself, and thus acquitted his party, of the
charge made in the communication under
review.
These gentlemen say that unless satisfac-
tory explanations are made by the Govern
ment as to their motives in prosecuting this
war, they "are for ousting the present Ad.
minstration, and for acquiring the govern
ment, and carrying on the war on what they
n