Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-08-09
The Radlcalism of Conservatism.
An Article for the Timts-Lst ever
Man Read It,


FROM the Nashville rTennJ Union.
One class OF t ssl the present civil
war Il rebellion; another class call II re.
goIuuon. Correctly speaking it is both
Is rsuoiunOH riiln rtJSiiion The pri.
Orily was with the rebellion II was begun
by the disloyal, but the loyal are oompell-
ed to convert II into revolution. Traitors
commenced the civil war and patriots will
end ii, It Is our duty to consult for tue
safety OF the Commonwealth. The high.
est duty which all branches Of the
government, aud all loyal people are
called on TO d0-a duty tar higher
er than any mere formula, or letter OF the
Constitution, because II involves the cor.
reetiOn OF an evil which, If successful, in
wolves the tall OF the Constitution, aud OF
the nation, and which the Constitution
could not anticipates to see that the Re-
public suffer no datriment. Alta time when
the life Of the nation is mrnaced by a
combination Of dangers Of the most for
mddble nature, 1t is q sure mark OF in-
competency aud imbecilily to hunt for
authority in the Constitution, to justify
a necessary act. The oecd5i9H makes hs
idp IN case gf imminent peril 10 cut out
ones flesh would be the act Of q mailman,
and contrary to tho laws Of health In n
sound body, hut it is prudence when one
10 bit by yenOmous serpent or mad
dog The salvation of the country Is II far
more important matter than the presetvh.
ton OF some rnle Of its Constitution. One
would suppose, to hear certain journalists
assert that, as this Isl a war for the ConsLi-
tuition, 1t is therefore absolutely necessary
| that il must in no instance violate the
| provisions OF that Constitution, that they
regard the rules which nation adopts for
| its convenience, Of more Importance TO its
/ citiEcus than their own national existence.
! These wranglers-iOr they Are nothing but
wrelched wranglers-insst that you must
/ nut your fuger on clause of the Consti.
tuition every time you fire cannon at the
rebels, to justify you In that act that you
must fortily yourself with decision of the
Supreme Court before you run traitor
through with your sword They would
let the nation die while they are hunting
up precedent; they would rather let
thirty millions OF people perish, aud with
them their Constitution, than TO see one
public net not In accordance with the pro-
visions Of the Constitution.
Lett not be supposed that we admit that
any act necessary to kill the rebellion and
save the nation, can be unconstitutional,
for the pervadiug principle, the intent, tue
very soul Of the constitution is the saliva.
ton OF the nation. The conservatism which
for tue cake Of preserving the mere letter,
would destroy the spirit Of the government,
is destructive and radical in fact, an ron
servntive in appearance only. ltisas II a
surgeon through anxiety 10 preserve the
form Of the human body, should refuse to
Amputate a hopeessIy shattered and gam
grened limb We eau conceive Of no doc
lriue so ruinons to the government as that
which denies war.power to an admiuis-
tration defending the government against
traitors who began their assault from van.
tage ground never occupied by traitors be
fore and seeks to delay its actions by re
strainiug il to tedious adherence to forms
at time when every hour may involve the
existence Of the nation when q brief de.
lay may snap the silver cord of free gov
ernment, and break the golden bowl Of
human liberty at the purest fountain that
ever slaked the thirst Of nations
Three millions Of slaves must be per.
milted TO feed the armies Of treason, and
do military service for them, by working
on their Notifications rather than one clause
Of the Constitution should be inlracted /;
and Mcclellan, and Haleck, and Pope, aud
Buell. must refuse to hear intelligence from
a fugitive slave, lest the Dred Scott de-
cision be iusulted. II these positions be
true, which are virtually announced from
day 10 day, BY the selfstyled conservater
press, as oracles which cannot be impeach-
ed, ws are surely the most absurd and pre-
poslerous nation that ever existed, and We
ought to consent to perish just out Of
respect 10 "the eternal fitness Of things"
for certainly such q helpless political
mons,rosity, with more heads than St
Johns Beast, and more hands than
mreus, aud more feet than centipede,
and yet as helpless as the famous frog
which had head on each end Of its
body, ought not to defend the eyes Of the
world any longer byitS unbounded preteu.
tions, its unlimited resources and its utter
impotency. Conservative philosophers
who have only witenough to know the po
teney Of names skilfully applied, call that
party whose sole thought at present is 10
serve the uation-preferring to take the
chances, if needs be, Of constructing a new
ship out Of the fragments which will float
ashore, rather than let the ship with all its
cargo and passengers 60 down to the bot
tom Of the de p-the conservatives call
these men Rddiedi, Agrarian, Jacobin,
Radical AboliiioniSt Black Republican,
these are some Of the polite spiihets which
these conservative theorists apply so lib
orally to their adversariss-we do not
mean the rebels, for rebel, according to
Governor wlekliiTe, 40 eminent eonserva.
tive, is far better than a loyal Republican.
Nov radical mtdni uprooiiHg, i,'trueiirs,Tsro
iuiionary; and taking these defuiticus, it
will occur TO all men Of plain common
sense whs call things and men BY their
right names, that The eoHSsrrdiires Of hi'
rebellion or rspoiuiioA, dys ths ror't radicals
tAs rOrld tre sar. Thepropositon proves