New-York daily tribune., 1861-05-16
snAM VNIONsSu.

We rather Ike an Orlguhi, hncouP'o'in'hb
Secessionist. True he is traitor, but he is
not hypocrte. His father before him was
doubtless a Nullifer. His grandfather fought the
Federal Constitution with all his might, denounc-
ing il as consolidation" aDd complete an
initiation of the States, which il sGpcrseded by
a central despotism. True, this ia not strictly
cons sistent with the grandson's theory TINT any
State is at perfect liberty to secede at pleasure;
but consistency is not the quality which has
won for the Secessionist our especial regard.
Wrong headed as he is-as wrong as can be
we believe tho fellow means what he says, and,
wherever mis- logic halts be h ready to re-
enforce it with his revolver.
But the sham Unionist-the chap who pretends
that be was for Union until President Lincoln
resolved on " Coercion "-is a creature to be
loathed. He is a nuisance to be abated-a cheat
TO be pilloricd-a detected humbug, the bare
contemplation OF which must excite even his own
disgust For do but consider the material facts:
All through the Presidential canvass, this puG-
ball yaunted himself q conservative, whose watch
ward was "Ihe Union, the Constitution, and
80 the enforcement OF the Laws" lie couldn't
conscientiously act with either the Republican or
the Democratic party, because neither was for
the Union Internationally last, and all the
time-bnt each loved something else beSids if not
before il. So he stood by himself and, through
the distraction of the rival parties secured the
votes of Virginia Kentucky and Tennessee for
John Bell and Edward Everett.
Mr. Lincoln was duly elected President-so
John C.. Breckinridge officially declared, as pre-
aiding officer of the two Houses of CoDgress,
assembled to count the votes and proclaim the
result. In due time, he was formally naugurated.
From that moment he was entitled to be re-
spected aud obeyed President by every citizen
of the United States, but most emphatcally by
those who proclaimed themselves, par eIeeHeace,
Union men. He was entitled 10 be obeyed as
thoroughly as Washington Jefferson, Jackson and
TAYLOR were-neither of them for his own sake,
but oil for the sake Of the country.
On his accession to Office, Mr. Lincoln found
nearly half the sea-cOasi, with its harbors, ports
of entry. forts, nayy-yarda, and arsenals, ia the
hands of a rival and hostile authority, which had
acquired them partly by armed force, partly by
lagrant treachery. This hostile authority had
seized the money in the sub-treasuries of the
Union, the arms and munitions in ts forts aud
arsenas, the vessels in it, ports, aud concerted
them TO its own uses. II was then closely in
ycsting one Of the Federal fortresscs, which it
had not vet been able to take, and formidaby
threatening another; while 1t had through trea-
son disarmed part of the largo Federal iorco
stationed in Texas for the defense Of that State,
and was on the point Of capturing the residue,
having already obtained possession of most of its
arms and munitions 1t had stopped the collec-
ton of Federal Revenue on our entire Gulf
aud good part Of our Atlantic c0ast, had
established a new tariff Of its own, aud was
coolly collecting revenue on those coasts and
applying it to its own ends, which were openly,
ostentatiousy hostile to the territorial integrity
and substantive existence of the United States.
History will blame the new Administration
that il seemed to yield passive, negative assent
TO this state of things for even an hour. 1t had
no business, no right to do so. The Proclaim
ton which il postponed for six weeks should
have been prepared beforehand, and issued the
very day OF its accession to power. To relieve
the bcleaguered forts and vindicste the authority
of the Union in the rebellious States was work
of time. the Government having been treacher
ously disarmed and disabled by the late Cabinet;
but the Proclamation Of April 18th ought to
have appeared on the morning Of March 9Th,
and been promptly followed up by the most
decisive action.