The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-12-07

nave 10 t!iS Vi IpttS
held by the insurgents, instead OF putting
in force by proclamation the law of Con
gress enacted at the late session for closing
the ports also
Obeying the dictates Of prudedce as well
rs the obligations of law, instead OF trin
scending | have adhered to the act of
Congress to confscate property used for
insurrectionary purposes. If a new law
upon the same subject shall be proposed,
its propriety will be duly considered The
Union must be preserved, and hence all
indispensable means muat be employed.
We shall not be in haste to determine
what radical and extreme measures, which
may reach the loyal as well as the dis!oyai,
are indispensable. The inauger,l address
at the beginning of the administration, and
the message to Congress at the late special
session, were both mainly devoted TO the
domestic controversy out of which the in
surrection and consequent wal have prun.
Nothing now occrrs TO add or subtract to
or from the principles or general purposes
stated and expressed in those documents
The last ray Of hope for preserving the
Union peacebly, expired at the assault upon
Fort Sumter, snd general review OF what
has occurred since may not be Improbable.
What was painfully uncertain then Is
much better defined and more distinct ROW,
and the progress of events is plainly In the
right direction The insurgents confidently
claimed a strong support from north OF
Mason and Dixons line, and the friends OF
the Union were not free from apprehension
on this point. This, however, was soon
settled defnately, and on the right side.
South of the line, noble little Delaware
led off, right from the first
Maryland was made to seem galnst the
Union. Our soldiers We're assaulted,
bridges were burned, and railroads torn up
within her limits, and we were many days,
at one time, without the ability to bring a
single regiment over her soil to the capital.
Now her bridges and railroads are repaired
and opened to the Government. She
already gives seven regiments to the Union
and none to the enemy, and her people. at
4 regular election, have sustained the
Union by iarr-o m2;S::. =, an,' larger
aggregate vote than they ever before gave
to any candidate or any question.
Kentucky, too, for some time in doubt
is now decidedly, and, | think, unchange-
ably ranged on the side of the Union
Missouri is comparatively quiet, and,
believe cannot again be overrun by the
insurgents. These three States of Mary
land Kentucky and Missouri, neither of
which would promise a single soldier at
first, have now an aggregate of not less
than 10000 in the field for the Union,
while, of their citizens, not more than a
third in number are among the insurgents,
ard they of doubtful whereabouts and
existence.
After somewhat bloody struggle of
months, winter closes on the Union people
of Western Virginia, leaving them masters
of their own country. An insurgent force
of about 800, for months dominating the
Il, Ttrrfr l,a
counties of Accomac and Northampton
and known as the Eastern Shore of Vir- |
ginia, together with some contiguous parts |
OF Maryland, have laid down their arms.
and the people there have renewed their /
allegiance to, and accepted the protection |
of, the old flag This leaves no armed .
instruction north of the Potomac or east /
of the Chesapeake
Also, we have obtained footing at each /
of the Isolated points On the Southern
coast, Of Hatteras, Port Royal, Tvbee I.
Island, near Savannah, and Ship Island, /
and likewise have some general accounts
of popular movements i'll behalf of the
Union in North Carolina and Tennessee.
These Things demonstrate that the cause
OF the Union is advancing steadily
southwark
Since your last adjournment Lieutenant
General Scott has retired from the head of .
the army. During his long life the nation |
has not been unmindful OF his merit. vet /
on caiiing to mind how faithfully, ably .
and brilliantly he has served the country.
from time far back in our history. when /
few OF the now living had been born, and |
thence forward continually, cannot but |
think we are still his debtor / submit. /
therefore, for Your consideration what /
further mark Of recognition is due to him,
and TO ourselves as a grateful people.
With the retirement Of Gen. Scott came I
the executive duty of appointing in his
stead Generalin Chief OF the army. 1t
is gratifying that neither in council nor
country was there, SO far as know, any
difference of opinion as to the proper
person to be selected. The retiring Chief
repeatedly expressed his Judgment in
favor Of General Mcclellan for the posi-
ton. And i'll this the Nation seemed to
give an unanymous concurrence. The
designation of General Mcclellan is. there
fore, IN g considerable degree, the selection
OF the country as we'll as of the Executive
and hence there Is better reason to hone
there Will be given him the confidence and
cordial support, thus by fair implication
promised, and without which he cannot.
with so full efficiency, serve the country.
1t has been said that one bad General is
better than two good ones and the saving
Is true IT taken to mean no more than
that an army Is better directed by q single
mind, though inferior, than by two supe-
rior ones at variance and cross PURPOSES
AMI the same IS true in all Joint opera-
tons. wherein those engaged can have
none but common end in view. and can
differ only as 70 the choice OF means. In
o storm at sea, no one on board can wish
the ship to sink, and yet, not unfeeduent-
iy. 81 go down together, because too many
Will direct, and no single mind can be
allowed to control
1t continues to dcyelope that the insur
rection is largely if not exclusively war
upon the first principles of popular
gOvernment-the rights of the people
Conclusive evidence of this is found in the
most grave and maturely considered doc
uments, as well as the general tone of the
insurgents. In these documents we find
the abiding enmity of the existing right
of suffrage-the denial to the people of
all to participate in the election of public
officers, except the Legislative body
advocated with labored arguments to prove
that large control of the Government in
the people is the source of all political
evil. Monarchy itself is sometimes limited
at as a possible refuge from the power of
the people. In my present position |
could scarcely be justified were / to omit
raising a warning against this approach of ;
returning despoiism. 1t is not needed.
nor fitting here, that general argument
should be made in favor of popular
Institutions, but there is one point, with its
connections, not So hackneyed as most
Others, to which ask brief attention.
1t is the effort to place capital on an equal
footing with, if not above, so far in the
structure OF Government IL is available
only IN connection with Capital that :
nobody iat0rS unless "a,