The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-03-21
The Policy of the Adm, nistr alton.

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LETTER RRoH "0ccAs1oNAL'-JoHN G. FOR
NEY
From III e Philadelphia Press, March
t.- WASHINGTON, March 7.
It gives me great pleasure to state that
the friends Of the Administration and the
war have at last agreed to such cOnsulta-
tons among themselves as cannot fail to
end in a cordial union upon the several
questions growing out of the success of our
arms. There is a general demand for a
"pOlicy ;" but the best policy is determi-
nation among the men WHO agree upon es.
sentiaIs to sacrifice details and non-ess
tials. This has been, or will be, attained
by frank and fearless interchange of
thought and opinion among them. If the
leaders of the Republican party will act up
to the spirit of the New York Evening
Post, as displayed in its article of the 9Th
instant, against the project of reducing the
conquered rebel States to Territories, and
in favor of the wholesome and impregnable
theory that the State organizations cannot
be obIiterated without destroying the Re-
public and sanctiIying Secession if they
tier of the restoration OF the rebel chiefs to
consequence at home, and less of the tri-
umph of gang of bad men, who yet SYM
pathise with Secession, and strive to hide
it by their professions of Democracy. The
Evening Post is one of the most influential
organs of the Republican party. 1t is
greatly trusted by the Republican leaders /;
and excels not only in the candor of its
views, but in its excellence as medium OF
genera! information. On the slavery ques-
tion its position is in the advance. Con-
Quoted by original Democrats, who sepa
rated from the Democracy when it was
evident that the organization had become
the mere instrument and slave of slavery,
the Post still retains many of the opinions
that made the Democracy powerful and
hCnored before it fell into the hands of the
slave Despotism. Among these is strict
construction of the Federal Constitution,
and such a regard for State rights as never
to allow the theory of Secession or nullif.
cation to ignore or dissolve that local sove.
reignty which is the basis of a lasting I'm.
ion. The following paragraph is taken
from tho article OF the Post. to which
bave referred
With this deep sense of the enormity of
treason. however, we cannot yet persuade
ourselves CT the justice or policy of the scheme
which proposes 10 distranchise the Seeding
States until such time as they shall be Of bet
ter mind. 1t proceeds, if we understand it,
upon the ground that those States. by the very
act Of ecession, have abrogated their func-
tions as States, and reverted 10 the condition
of Territories, in which condition they are to
be held and treated until again admitted as
States. But that is certainly not the theory on
which we have thus far conducted the war. In
the Presidents proclamation, and in all the
subsequent acts of the Government. Secession
has been regarded as the rebeious outbreak
of unlawful combinations of men, and not as a
deed having The least legal validity Or force.
Every act or ordinance OF Secession. being in
consistent with the fundamental law OF the
land, is null and void from the first. No State
convention, no legislative body, no popular
assem- bage of any kind has authority TO over
throw the general Constitution of the nation.
The relations of the States to each other and
to the Federal Government are created by
that instrument, and until that is destroyed
those relations remain the same, whatever
course any single State may see fit to pursue.
If State could, by an act of its own, annul
its own existence, then the doctrine Ct Seces.
sion is right, and We Of the North have been
N0iiiAS de"tuSp d pliHCiplS.
Although the policy marked cut by the
Post will be hotly opposed by some Of its
party friends, / am firm in the belief that it
viii meet the sanction Of decided MAORI.
ty of botn branches of Congress.
You will notice that the legislature of
Maryland has passed most stringent trea-
son bill against all the disaffected men in
that State. A similar law will be enacted
10 Kentucky. Such remedies will go far to
smooth the way for Thorough action on the
part Of Congress, and add another reason to
those already existing in favor OF a union OF
all loyal men. If the Border States strike
their own traitors hard and heavy bows
there will be little difficulty in persuadng
Congress to follow the example.
The Presidents message meets with gen
eral approval. 1t will 60 forth to cur own
people, as we'll as to the Old World as au
authoritative assurance that the A dminis.
tration is not blind to its practical duties on
the subject OF slavery.