The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-04-17
Iinnnln's Pnlinu

The contradictions in the inaugural of the republican
president gradually receiving an Interpretation from
the policy he disposed to adopt. lie is probably
sincere personally in the profession of desire to pre-
serve peace, but that desire will control his policy only
far the preservation of the party which elected
him. from disntegration will permit lie was elevated
to Office by sectional organization-an organization
essentially hostile in theory and practice to the safety
of the social institutions customs and labor of fifteen
sovereign States OF the old cOnfederacy The sole prn-
Gpe of adhesion amongst the incongruous elements of
the republican party, hostility to savery-hosity
to slavery in the territories in the States and wherever
the legislation Of the federal government could affect
adversely that involuntary servude as the creature
municipal law, mig ht to have the protection of
the federal constitution within the limits of the free
States against the assaults of fanacism and sectional
prejudice, and be placed to their emphatic Ian
| guage, lin a certain course of ultimate extinction"
This bond OF union brought together for the success
| OF Lincoln, LIST, the more moderate republicans who
professed restrain slavery from the territories of the
United States; 3D. those who sought fellowship with this
party solely with the view of maintaining party sprem
acy in the free States; 3D. the extreme aboonsts who
abhorred the institution sinful under all circumstances
who pronounced association with the slave States "a
league with hell" and who were ready to destroy the
Union With all it, best interesto tolopata It.
when they possessed in respect to it. neither po-
litical authority moral responsibility No consde-
ration would have induced the aboitonists per Sc to
unite in the support of candidate not accepting the
naked issue of eternal hostility to slavery everywhere
and under all circumstances except the conviction of
the utter hopeessness of their own triumph as sepa
rate distinct party and the hope of ultimately abol-
tionizng those with whom they had for time formed
coalition.
Lincoln well aware of these antagonstic clements
and sought, by affecting the arts of the political trimmer
by preaching peace and war at the same breath-to
satisfy each of these discordant factions that he was
excellence, its president This was all very we'll, till
the acts of his administration must give the stamp of
sincerity insincerty to these professions At this
point, this political farce ought to have ended That
some one was certain to be cheated was obvious to
every man of dscernment, and probably no one was
better satisfied of this fact than Lincoln himself Surely
the extreme and moderate of his supporters could not
both be satisfied with his policy The very anagonism
of their expectations forbade the idea Hence the ne
cessity OF continuing the delusion and of protesting
determination to coercive measures in the holding
of the forts and the collection of the in the
seeded States while in fact the policy Of his admins
trati0n WILL from the force Of the circumstances sur
rounding it, be peaceful While issuing an order for
the evacuation OF fort Sumter Lincoln declares that
to be the result of military necessitvn If he
convince the coercionstS that whatever he does is
done from necessity, and not through spirit of con
cesson to rebelous States the intention may retain
them III the support of his administration while the
effect of this policy, without reference to intention viii
satisfy the moderate who are still patriotic enough
to prefer the destruction of party to that of country
Lincoln well urge, in his Defence that his
party have left him without the authority and the means
enforce their demands. They have passed no force
BILL authorizing him call for volunteers to retake the
surrendered forts-they have authorized no loans to
place the federal forces upon footng-they have
left him with all the responsibilities of the government
upon him. without the power to discharge them in a
at all adequate their expectations Like the
fly hopelessly entanged in the fatal spiders web he is
left struggle against the meshes of superior
and vigant foresight, until some military necessity
again forces abandonment of other advantages
Louisiana Monroe Tnteigencer