The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1862-09-13
rur ERRORS OF THE PAST AND THE
- POLICY OF THE FUTURE.
cpEECH OF A. G.. WILDER,
DeIiyered in LeavenwOrth, Thursday
Evening, Aug. 2Sth, 1862.

FELLOW CITIZENS: This is so much the
ame of actistl and SO little Of talk, that the
f;cussion of public questions is made al
most impossible by the speed with which
lbey settle themselves. Events have their
oxn logic. When thing is accomplished,
done gone" in the expressive language of
he contraband, reasoning about its expedi-
ncy, or the contrary, is superseded, and
,cquescence is necessity. We have only
take the past as fixed stepping stone in
% the future-no stumbling block to the
TACTICAL man. but only a pavement to sus-
ain his going forward.
Two years ago the speakers in the canvass
len going on were on one side threatening
Us with the rebellion as the consequence of
The election we we're trying to make, and did
make we on our side were proving how alb
.urd and unjustfable, and therefore how
impossible, the rebellion would be- Here
in Kansas, at all events, and, think, in a
reat many other States, where they had
not got into the way of plain speaking as
much as we had, we meant to exercise our
right of advocating the cause and the men
whom we thought best, rebellion or no re-
billion. Well, we were mistaken.
The rebellion came.
That it came in spite of all sense and
eason is matter now of not the slightest
possible consequence. We have got the
sct to deal with. We have got to march
into the future over that, and the only ques-
ion that practical men care to hear talked
about much, is, suppose, how we are to
DO it, and how to march fastest.
Now, think it worth noticing, that the
irst mistake we made-our Administration
made it quite as much as anybody-and
Ebich has been the root out of which a
whole crop of subsequent mistakes and
flanders have sprung up, was that we re-
used to see what an enormous fact it was;
certainly we refused to own it. We had a
civil war on our hands and we called it a
mere riot. On the 10Th of April, 1861,
after the rebels had told us distinctly enough
hat there were seven States bent upon war,
and after they had beaten down and burnt
Fort Sumter by way of showing that they
we're in earnest, President Lincoln issued
bis proclamation declaring that the laws had
been for sometime opposed, and their execu-
ton obstructed in seven States, by combi-
nations too powerful to be suppressed by
The ordinary course of judicial proceedings,
IOr by the power vested in the Marshals, and
he commanded the persons composing the
Combinations aforesaid to dispense and retire
Peaceably to their homes. This is the way
a sheriff talks to mob, and not the tone in
which the executive of great nation pro-
claims war. True it was pretty big posse
hat he called for-75. 900 men-true, also,
hat only four days afterwards he declared
IA blockade of the whole southern coast, a
measure which belongs to war and to moth
ing but war. Nevertheless, in that very
document he talked of the rebels as the per-
sons engaged in these "DIsoRDERLY PRO-
CEEDINGs."
Was there ever such mild expression
used before about SO tremendous a fact?
Well, for a long time after this-after We
had aised armies, after we had fought bat
LtS, won some of them and been badly de-
tsated in others, we kept insisting-I am
not quite sure that we have got over it yet;
At all events, we are continually reminded
d it by Border State Congressman, and the
VaIandighams and those who abuse the
lame of Democrat by claiming it for them
|elyes-that the farthest thing from our
lOughts was the sUBJUGATIoN of any part
II the revolted country. Why, suyugation
the very object of war. 1t is as absurd
% speak of war that DOM mean subiugation,
Is it would be to call that religion which
tisclaimed carefully any intention of making
men better here or promoting their happi-
less hereafter. 1 have looked into the die
Aonary to see what there about that word
10 make it so very dreadful. l find that to
Subjugate means to subdue and bring under
he yoke of power; to conquer by force and
Compel to submit to the government or alb
solute control. The word comes from a
ashton the Romans had, when they had won
! battle, of making the prisoners march uu
tsr yoke by way of owning that they had
been effeotually beaten aud gave up. No
body now days cares about the repetition
Of such ceremony. We can get along
very we'll with the fact without the symbol.
cut if we are carrying on war without mean
ng to pursue it to the end of making the
rebels su5m,a absolutely to the rightful gov
eminent, then it is time we changed our
policy.
Here follows long and able discussion
Of the legal points involved in the questions
Of the day, which we should like to print,
but our limited space will not admit of it
We are compelled to pass over this impor-
hnt part of Mr.. Wilder's speech, and lay
Oeiore our readers the concluding para
sraphs.-ED. News.
But now is not the time to stay our hands
iom any capture that may distress the reb-
u.s. for the reason that loyal man may
lave the misfortune to share in the loss
here is but one kind of private property
on .. shore that is at all likely to be generally
liable to confscation, not for punishment,
out as means of ending the war. That
Is The cnntrahands A worl about these