New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-05-20
TIE WAR FOR The UNION.
FROM WASHINGTON.

command under h'ms mere are 'aii"ue ei"u0s |
Of rank from BrigsderGeneral 10 Fourth Cor |
voral, and Of course the declaration does not III
arate the exact post Of honor the late Vice. |
President is to I'll. l am not impatiently anxious
g. know, and even with benevolent friend 20 pay
esach-cost, do not think / would ride the length
Of the hypotenuse of Washington triangle to know
whether the improbable runner is true; If could /
be assured il was not l might venture on the !
travel, There is o class, and large one,
who, treating bilious colo with aniseseed, and
soDgestive fever with epson salts, hat every
such doubtful acquisition to the ranks OF
Me Union with exceeding JOY. To them 1t
IN premOnition Of patched-up unity,
amounting TO almost a promise. To me 1t is
simply the augury of straw, indicating from
which quarter the wind sets; in short supply
Of regularly constituted weathereOcks valuable
indeed in gathering hay crop, not from intrinsic
service, but ouly from the accidents OF de-
maDd. The late Vice Pre>ident and living SeDa-
Dor has not been in his later labors very dstin-
guished as a conservator of our Federal Com
pact, nor have his teachings and preachines been
very Immediately directed 10 the strength OF
Government Oh the establishment of order. II
he now discovers in the universal banding to-
gether of the North and broken line IN Ken
lucky, that subordinaton and not resistance is 20
be the post OF safety, it Will only add another TO
the many evidences Of q conception quick to
discover the tendencies Of public opinion, without
very mu b increasing our respect for his faith
and frnness of character. Major Breckinrldge-
We give hun his war appellatNe-has most suTe.
not been an unlucky or unfortunate man; we
certainly hope lie is not an unhappy one. With
fine figure and pleasing address, features which
our fair friends would pronounce handsome, aud
m elocution rather snowy than solid, he has a.
ways been in brisk demand on the political
Change, if / can be pardoDed for money
metaphor in treating Of the pure politicians OF
our eyentful day. But I do not think he has
been regarded as very great or very wise
statesman. II he has been silent for the last two
years on subjects upon which all other men have
been free spoken, it has been a retentiveness
which did not indicate either shrewdness or saga
city. No one will deny, whose sense of justice
is IN any degree acute, that Mr.. Jefferson DAVIS
And Mr.. Robert TOombs have been architects Of
ruin to the county, if not to themselves. Their
policy has been q bold and outspoken one. 1t
commands respect, if il does not challenge admi-
ration; but what shall we say, or how shall we
regard line of conduct which, secretive aud
stealtby has fed the flame of civil commotoD,
stimulated rebellion in one quarter and sOwn the
seeds of discord in soil loyal, if left to its
own suggestions Of patriotism and ITS devotion
t. the glory of our history. Where fidelity ends
and fasehoOd begins to our supreme law Is
nice question Of law and ethics but lie who
traserses the doubtful boundary places himself
surely under the suspicion Of cool support or
concealed opposition. With whole region
crowded with true men, add eager for the peril
there may be in this strife, We are not driven TO
seek dubious alliances or call TO support the
counsels or the aid of those who wil relax the
tone while in vindication, or level the high
ground on which the terms of adjustment
must be planted. The State of Ken
lucky has large claims to the love and
respect Of her associated States. She has
aDoble roll of great names, surmounted by one that
is illustrious in the prOudest catalogue of fame.
Many of her children are now where the flag is
planted bounding their patriotism BY the broad
limits Of nationality, aud not by the narrowed
bands Of State jurisdiction. If her representative
men are not of the stamp of her earlier periods,
We may regret the deprecated standard with a
just and temperate spirit Of comment There is
dust in her borders which, if sentent to any thing
but the Archangels trump, would now start, all
bloOdess and puseless as it is, to impetuous life,
with treason treading above, and conspiracy
whispering its plots even in the household of lis
name and lineage. In the emotions there it, trite
As the citation may be, but one step from the
sabine to the ridiculous. In the measure of Sem
atorial eninence there is spiral fight of stairs
between what has been and is now, in the men
who hold in possession the sovereignty of States
in the highest body of our jurisprudence. We
have, in and out Of army, ample materials
for successful war; We may well spare, there
fore, any exuberance Of joy over aceessions which
are ONLY delicate compliments to winning side
aud sad farewells to hopeless revolt.
There is q disposition to speculate somewhat
what may be the stand taken by the English
Ministry in our disturbed domestic relations.
While there is 10 expectation that they VIII give
any recognition to organized resistance taking
to itself the assumptions Of power, there is o sus-
plcion that the counter forces of cOtiOn-spnning
At Leeds and Manchester, and conscience with
the masters Of land aud labor, may seduce
to middle course Of policy not quite hostile TO
IA, and something more than neutral 10 them.
The field of experiment is dangerous, and Cab. |