The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1861-07-18
The Presidents Message.

This document, so eargerly expected. is now be
fore the people. As a State paper, and literary
comnosition, it IS not equal TO the inaugural al
though in some parts, rivaling it in ambiguity.
So far as it urges Congress to raise men and mon
ey sufficient to repress the rebellion, are salts
fed with it. There is only one way to fight, and
that is vigorously The fact which it asserts that
notice was given to Governor Pickers that the gov
ernment only intended to provision Fort Sumptcr,
and would not throw men and ammunition into il
unless it attacked, or f4rrher notice given,
certainly places the Southern Confederacy in as
bad an attitude as possible.
The general discussion O. the right OF secession
might as well have been omitted from the message
1t evolves no principles, nor Lev lights; but
is a rehash of views which the people have long
since acquesced in. 1t, therefore. only serves to
vindicate the national character for unnecessarily
lorg speaking and writing.
The point made in the inaugural, that the fight
cannot last always, and that, "When, after much
loss on both sides, and no gain on cther.' he
Sighting shall cease, "the identical question rs to
terms ofintercourse are upon you" is abandoned
in the message. Ye, it is as true Eo.y as it was
then, and vastly more important Than elementary
essays upon the relations of the States to the gen
elTl government; for. while this declaration in no
manner initiates against suppression of the rebel
lion. it keeps before both sections of the country
the great truth that they are destined to be one na
tion and that peacaful adherence to the laws il
more certain manner of attaining rights than arm
ed rebellion.
We regret that the President has deemed it prop
er to allude to the declaration of independence of
some of the southern States us a text from which
to preach the UNIVERSAL equality of man. He say
upon this point:
sour advcrsareS have adODted some declara-
tons of independence, in which, unlike the good
old one penned bv Jefferson. they omit the words
ARE created equal Why7 They have adopted
a temporary national constitution, in the preamble
Of which. unlike our good old one signed by Wash
ington, they omit I'VE. the people, and substitute
I'VE, the deputies of the sovereign aud independent
States Why this deliberate pressing out of view
the rights of men and the authority OF the people
This is essentially peoples contest on the side of
the Union. Itis struggle for maintaining in the
world that from AMI substance of government
whose leading object is TO elevate the condition of
men, TO lift artificial weights from all shoulders
to clear the paths of laudable pursuit, and to af
ford all unfettered start and fair chance in the
race of life, yielding to partial and temporary de-
partures from necessity. This is the leading OBJ
ject ofthe government for whose existence We con
tend. l am most happy to believe that the plain
people understand and appreciate his "
In so far this language condemns the ignor
ing ofthe people by the Southern Confederacv, we
cordially endorse it as j1st. b,t what is mcnt hy
lifting "artfcial weights" from the shoulders of
menl Whose shoulders? Negroes, or white
men? Ifthe latter, cay amen, for ours is
government of white If the former, We
protest against it, because such is not the object Of
the govern ment. The President srys "aH men,"
This of course, includes blacks as well as whites.
Ifthey are thus comprehended in that same design
by government, it becomes very curious qucs-
ton what is meant by "astifcia weights" Is sla-
very one of them ? Is the general Inequality.
social and po iteal, of the negro one of them 7
We wish the President had not used this language.
! 1t is not happily constructed Is this to be impu
ted to carlessness of style, or to design We
hope to the former but, if to either, it certainly is
unfortunate.
1t is remarkable that the message in no man
ner lliudes to financial policy, and barely touch
es upon foreign affairs-the two really absorbing
points at the present time in the national situation.
We arc, therefore, ignorant of how the admins
tration propose to raise money, or of what our ex
act relations to France and England are. These
subject may. however, receive consideration in the
reports Of the Secretaries-the receipt of which
alone can determine the real policy of the admin
iStration
Some surprise is expressed at the enormous
am ount am ,un, s4OO 900 900. which the President
urges Cong raise for ". purposes 1t is
thought that this indicates a long war, and, there
fore, both the apprehen sions and the policy of
the administration.-Chicago Times.