New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-02-13
mR. LuNCOLN,s POLICY.


sue as President of the United States is plainly
indicated in his recent speech at Indianapolis,
and still more plainly in two remarkable articles
which appeared in The Springfield (Ill.) Journal
of last week, and which, as the French say,
were obviously inspired" by him, if not actually
written by his own hand. These articles have all
the characteristics of Mr.. Lincolns bold, direct,
and forcble style of thought and expression, and
strike at the heart of the subject, just as the ak
Of the railsptter would cleaye the heart of log,
rending and cutting through the toughest knots
of sophism and fallacy. They declare that COM
promise is not TO be thought of. They declare
that concession must be made, but must be made
by the South. That the Southern States
must concede that OURS is q Government proper
and not compact between States that State
cannot dissolve its connection with the Union at
will; that the Government has right to enforce
its laws and that il is the duty Of the GOrerHmsm
TO retqke from Southern traitors its stolen forts,
arsenals, sc. We want the South to cOncede
&" that after Abraham Lincoln has taken an oath
{" to support the Constitution Of the United
States, it is his duty to observe it. We want
" them to concede that the Seeding States have
violated the COnstitutiOn-that they are in re-
"bellion against the Federal Government, and that
at is the duty Of his GOrerHment 10 pat dO'on re-
"belliOn. We want them to cOncede that the
" taking of Federal forts and firing upon the Star
" of the West, are insults that should be atoned
"for. We ask them TO concede that Northern
" creditors have q right to sue for and collect
" their demands in Southern Courts. We ask
" them TO oOneede that Sarery is the creature Of
"local lau. In all this we do not ask the South
" to concede a single thing that is not demanded
"by the Constitution of the United States. Until
" they do concede all this, they ought not to ex-
"pect that the North has any concession TO
"make.'
After recapituating the outrages committed by
the rebels and their fragrant insults to the Ameri-
can flag, The Springfield Journal exclams;
away with compromises at an hour like this
" Let US first establish the fact that we have
" Governmental Government able to protect it.
4" self and punish treason. We should not talk
"abOut compromise while the flag Of the traitors
Z" floats over an American fort, and the flag of our
" country trails in the dust. Until that flag is
/" unfurl6d Outr MOultrie, and trery other stolen
/" fort, arsenal, euStom-hOaSe, and nary-yard-n-
"tH the lacs Of his Government are Obeyed and
its authority recognized, LET as neuer talk about
F." compromise. Let the stolen forts, arsenals, and
" navy-yards be restored to the rightful owner
tear down your rattlesnake and pelican flag, and
" run up the eyer-gloriOus stars and strpes-dis
" perse your traitorons mObs, and let every man
Fl" return to his duty. Then come to us with
u" your list of grievances, and whatever manhood,
" honor, or patriotism can yield, shall be fully
-" accorded"
DIR. Lncolns Administration, The Journal says
will fearlessly and faithfully perform its whole
duty; will execute all the laws, defend oil the
fortresses and recover all the property belong |
ing to the United States now in possession of
rebels This is not coercion, it is defense, it is
preservation. AS Mr.. Lincoln says in his Indian
apolis speech the marching of an army into |
South Carolina TO force her to submit would be |
coercion. I" But if the United States should |
" merely hold and retake its own forts and |
" other property, and collect the duties on for
" eign importatons, or even withhold the mails |
" from places where they were habitualy violated,
" coercion 7" Mr.. Lincoln is clearly right. 1t |
is not coercion to uphold the Union, maintain
the Constitution and enforce the laws. The |
President is bound by his oath to do these things.
He has no alternative. He cannot honoraby |
stand idly by, as Mr.. Buchanan has done, while
The Government is plundered and its flag in
suited. But be need not invade States or at
Tempt to coerce them into the Union. If they
prefer to remain outside they can do so. But
let us clearly understand what is meant by be-
ing out Of the Union.
Here, again, The Springfield Journal states the !