New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-20

uo,st;va within its limits, anu unuor suoSo
,hs State must be reconstructed. in such man
mar A, not to peril the existence Of the Re-
public.
The third or middle theory regards the State
a. still rghtfully existing, either actively or
passvely, though its recognized authorities and
great majority Of those who formerly cOn't-
tuted its body polite have plunged desperately
into treason, and are now resisting by arms
the Federal authority and trying to divide and
subyert tho Union. The Rebel majority OF its
people have BY treason forfeited all political
power; the loyal minority. though but hand
full, have succeeded to the lapsed inheritance
and became by right the State. and are TO Dc
recognized and treated accordingly by Tue
Federal Government, and all loyal States ana
and their citizens. According to this theory
Mr.. +. II. P;erpont is now the rightiui UoV-
ernor OF the entire State Of Virginia, Messrs.
Garlic and Wiley Senators therefrom and tho
Wheeling Legislature fully entitled to mako
laws for the tide-watsr Counties and the val
leys of the James, RappahannOck, and Shen-
andoah.
Now, this theory has certain obvious con-
yeniences, and where considerable portion
of Rebel State il decidedly and thoroughly
loyal-as is the case with Western Virginia
and East Tenncssee--it may for time work
smoothly. But its difficulties, and dangers,
though less obvious and immediate, will be
found in practice most serious. Let us take
South Carolina for their illustration, and sup
pose the Rebel forces utterly driven out or
dispersed, no Secession flag flying, no dlsloyal
authority Of any kind asserted; the great body
Of the Whites sullenly passive at their several
homes, and an attempt inaugurated under
Federal auspices, TO organize the loyal state
Of South Carolina consisting OF scattered
handful of non.rebels, by whom and from
whom is 10 be- chosen the new Governor,
Legislature, Judiciary, and MeDbers OF Con
gres,.
The first difficulty to be encountered is this
This new government will derive all Tia
strength and power from the Federal authority,
but will add nothing thereto. Nay thsy will
be for more obnoxious and odIous 10 the Rebel
minority than would functionsries who held
directly aud ayowedly by Federal appointment
Proclaim Gen. Hunter or Com. Dupont
Provisional Governor Of South Carolina, and
the regiments batteries and gunbosts. on which
his authority reposed, must command respect
which would be mort reluctantly and grudg
ngly accorded to Governor and Legislature
constituted by the handful Of social nobodies,
who would venture at once to declsfe for the
Union. few of them CaronaDs by birth, and
all necessarily Of the "mud-sill' formation.
These would be regarded by the yanquished,
but By no means concilIated. Rebel aristocracy
as up.tart cowboys aud beggars on hor'cbacs'
aud their rule loathed as the last extreme OF
insult and degradation. Their authority would
inevitably be bounded by the range of the
Federal cannon.
II the Federal Government were ready to
recognize all the loyalists OF South Carolina rs
rehtful citizens of that State and integers Of her
political fabric, iha; woald bras,,y nlter u-
Great Britain or France holding our position
would thu, cut the gordiau kuot which our I'm
gers tumble over without beginning 10 unite.
A simple Military Order recognizing tho col
ored lslf OF resident sonth Coru'iniaus a.
entitled to all the rights OF manhood,
and prescribing the mode Of asserting aud eG-
ercisiug those rights, would very soon develop
a loyai South Carolina which could be frosted
To stand alone. For that, however, neither
the Executive nor Congress il yet pre-
psred. 80 SO must for time stumble on as
we may. We viii cot dognatize; but We SEQ
clearly that the attempt to constitute Loyal
within Rebel State, leaving out both the aris-
tocracy and the mud-sills,' viii prove fail
urs Refusing 10 enfrancbl,e tue loyal Blacks,
the Union must for an indefinite period rule
the disloyal majority OF Whites by the strong
arm; and eyery attempt TO escape or disguise
this alternative viii prove costly, irritating,
perilous snd Intellectual. Ard if It involve the
protection and perpeination of Slavery in the
reyolted states by Federal authority aud bay
.net,, il will prove exceedingly distasteiul TO
worry large proportion of the people Of the loyal
States