The national Republican., 1862-04-21
THE POLICY TO I'd PuRsunD II
REFEREnCE To THE sGckDED

with great csador and ability many Of the
questions connected with the proposition "
establish temporary territorial governments In
he seeded region.
Mr.. Beaman very wisely avoids any refer
ence 10 the slavery issue, which has no neces-
ssry or proper connection with the measure.
II It Is the national determination to destroy |
slavery at the South, that can be easily done |
done through the military arm. 1t is not
cessary to resort TO territorial organizations 10
order to accomplish that object nor would the
expedisncy ofsuch organisations be diminished
# slavery did not exist at all.
Undoubtedly II is the jealous apprehension
that this measure specially aimed at and speci
ally ieopardized slavery, which has created the
greater part Of the opposition to IT, and has
prevented Its fair consideration in quarters,
in which It might otherwise have been accept
able.
Mr.. Beaman cites the treatment by the Ad
ministration Of the case of Virginia, a. an &C
knowledgment Of the principle that State or.
ganizations are destroyed by treason and seces.
sion. Upon no other principle could the Pier
pont government established at Wheeling,
have been recognized. The old government,
with Governor Letcher at Its head, was extinct
by It's own act, and President Lincoln, in his
annual message, declared himself to be "boond
10 recognize and project, as being Vi-ginians,"
'he citizens who remained loyal.
In the instance of Virginia, II was deemed
best to permit these loyal citizens to frame a
State government, but Mr.. Beaman is Of the
opinion that there are some portions of the Sc
ceded region in which the proportion Of loyal
citizens is too small to make 1t safe TO pursue
this course Of policy.
Upon this point Mr.. Beaman says:
at is said that many loyal citizens still re-
side in the seeded districts, whose hearts con.
tinue to thrOb with affection for the Govern
ment of their fathers. ! do not deny the fact,
and yet the assumption must rest on assertion
and belief, rather than on proof. The evidence
is against 1t, particularly In the cotton States.
The hasty and apparently spontaneous action
of the masses, the obvious unanimity with
which the people flew TO arms, and the relent-
less hate which has marked their conduct, do
not Indicate n high degree of patriotism in the
infected territory. Nevertheless, concedlng,
"a do, the existence of loyal men, / admit and
by and under the Constitution. So much they
may demand on the plainest principles Of right,
justice, and humanity. But the very necessi
ties Of their condition furnish the strongest
arguments in support of the policy that advo
cate. They could not maintain order and the
| supremacy of the laws they could not keep
down insurrection in their own State; they
could not prevent 1t from joining hostile con.
federacy; they could not sustain and preserve
their government they cannot protect them.
selves; they are in minority In most o; the
districts, n very inconsiderable minority and
II the people generally are left to provide their
own government, 1t is obvious that the result
must be the progeny OF traitors and, without
| the aid of Government, established and con.
| trOlled by Federal authority, and officered by
| loyal and responsible men, such result can
| hardly be avoided.
| "Nor can you escape the threatened danger
by any general legislation by Congress that
stops short of the actual establishment and OIL
| cering Of Government. You may by statute
| declare the outlawry and disqualification Of
rebels, but practically that will avail you moth
| ing. Law that cannot be executed is rs no law
| and II Is only through the fundamentally Of
| territorial or provisional governments, estab
| lished by Congress, that you Can discriminate
and ferret nut the culpable. II left to them.
ventions; and NJ four ifths of them, more or
less, are disafected, II inevitably follews that
| traitors must reconstruct the Government and
| reOrganze society; and the entire pOlty Of the
/ SLAte must Dc tdlHteu Win tub virus OI tT6NhO0
| The State oficers and the members of Con
gress must Of course be representative men.
| The majority are not apt to select their rulers
| from he minority. Recent chastisement may
| induce u policy Of Discrimination, and n sh"w Of
repentance and obedience; but who of expert.
| ence, OF enlarged craftsmanship, can he de.
| ceived by such specous pretences? The same
| reasoning would, with an equal appearance of
| wisdom, open the prison doors Of every Jail
| and penitentary on the face of the earth. The
convicted horse,thief deplOres bis offence, not
| on account of its criminslity, but because of
| his detection. Perhaps there may be some
| localities in which tho loyal people, if once re-
| le Used from the chains uf despotism by which
| they are now so vigorously and tightly bound,
| would be competent to provide for their own
| security; but such cases are merely syceptive;
and on principle and ~ general rule, the
| Federal authority should intervene, not to dis
| franchise loyal men, but to establish and regu.
late government, because OF their inability to
govern themselves"
| Upon the necessity Of local government,
and upon the impropriety of continuing mill
tary government for any considerable periods
of time, Mr.. Beaman well observes:
Local laws and local officers will be found
| absolutely indispensable to the restoration and
| maintenance Of order and the welfare of the
people. Local laws and municipal officers are
found essential to the good government Of the
small District Of Columbia. The usual Federal
| bHCtTb, tuo hdTbutib WIN tnolT uoputlbs, tne
| United States Judges, the pOstmasters, revenue
officers, &C., all these will avail little in the vt.
tempt to control seven millions of people con
| taminated with treason, tainted with the vices
of anarchy, embittered with jealousy, and
smarting and writhing under the pain OF recen,
humiliation and defeat. He, II seems to me
knows little of the human heart, and studies
but carelessly the philosophy of human action
| rho believes that millions of traitors can be
prudenty left without government, or tha,
| they can be controlled with dsCency and order
| by the usual Federal officers. Local govern.
ment, with executive, legislative, and Judicial
| powers, will be positively Indispensable, not
only for the welfare Of the inhabitants, but for
the preservation of the authority of the United
States. Futile will be your effort TO colleo,
| taxes, vain will be your hope to distribute JUS
tice between individuals, and fruitess will
prove your labors to insure domestic tran
guilty, without the establishment of local
governments.
al know that the army, M 1t moves along,
may leave In its track military governors and
martial regulations. and that such course,
under special circumstapCes, may become n
necessity; but ! cannot believe that any man,
born under the American flag, who has given
the subject the slightest thought, can for \
| single moment entertain the design of estab-
fishing military governments, for any consider.
| able duration, over seven millions of native.
| born Americans. Such n scheme Ia incompati.
| BILE with the spirit Of our institutions. 1t Is
| anti-Repubcan, anti i.American Better far To
| disband your armies, stop the waste of trea
| sure, and stay the flow OF blood; better far to
| let hostilities cease, and acknowledge he indie