New-York daily tribune., 1862-11-12
PARTY sPIRlT.

On whatever different views of policy or oil
principle meu may have voted IN the recent cleo
tons. and however widely divergent may be their
first views of tho results as seen through the
lervor of gratiGed prejudice or Of party attach
ment-therc s, upon sober, second thought, but
one great sentiment animting every truly patri-
otic heart to-day; the wish 10 read, as II shall ap-
pear in the eyes of coming ages, diyested OF all
passion-coloring, all local distortions all carica-
ture of bisotry, interest, calumny fraud. the
page Of momentous historic import, just written,
and to translate by its aggregate meaning each
separate political action contributing syllable or
a letter to this great Edict of Time. We have
each pursued that course OF action consonant
with our moral and intellectual convictions; but
now that by tho exercise of our freedom we seem
10 have deserted our former positions, and to
have reached new conditions Of il not wholly
new element for, further political existence, We
anxiously grope for signs aud peer for signals in
the unaccustomed somewhere into which we feel
ourselves suddenly launched. Ii is not ignorance
of the practical future which appalls us; the usual
exercise Of life is TO penetrate what lies before US
by the threads of the present in our hands; and
the most patent practical lessons which the re-
cent elections have given to the Administration
urging it to a stiil moro decided policy, aud 10 q
more vigorous prosecution of the policy already
announced-haye been fully discussed and unani- /
from reycrses a better scheme Tor its guidance,
We trust to take care of itself, but the Future az
il is constituted by our (elcctoral) Institutions
their essential outgrowth, as congenital with the
very exercise OF tho elective lranchis,--ths il is
which spreads darkness over the coming and
the gone, and enfolds even The present with be.
widenng mist.
Here ls tho problem, as It first appears 4 /
vast nation rose up, two years ego, in its might /
aud, convinced that the executive authorities
which itself had ordained were proving false TO
the vital interests OF the country, hurled the
traitors out Of power, though such violent aud
persistent threats were made against the integrity
of It's lite, that it could not doubt their eventual
execution. Immediately upon this action, tho
menaced Acknowledgement took place. and the ma
ton became involved in tremendous struggle for
selfexistcnce Time goes on; the struggle, SO
far from abatng, grows fercer every day, and az
each new step brings new complications, external
aud internal, national, financial, military, aud
political. All this while hcre is ono point at
which may be dealt the Rebelon's death.blow.
but the people albeit they are willing TO pour out
blood and treasure with no more stint than if they
were making libations of crimson and yellow ,
wine, have certain prejudces which they cannot ,
against probing that single sore /
Slaughter il you will; il is but sacrifice. Spend .
rs you will; 1t IS for the gods. But touch not /
with sacrilcgous hand tlat tradition made holy by
ages. kucel in silence at the shrine OF Freedom;
breathe no prayer that even the demon OF Dcs.
potsm shall shudder to hear This bigotry pre-
walls TIL continued reyerses compel it to mitigate
It's rnncor, and at last the decisive measure is
adopted as sheer military necessity Ii is of
course more than ever necessary that the whole
nation should now rally generously aud as one
man, around the Administration that has dared,
for the contry's salvation, to assume 50 critical
responsibility. But when the matter il submitted
10 the adjudication of the balot-box-io the peo-
pic desert tho hehnsmGn and refuse To work the
ship though the ono has tOiled through a sleepl,ss
night aud the other is fast driving upon lee sands
Is tho case fairly stated There may bo ano- ;
nalies in public opinion, but public action is al
ways selfconsisient; must there then, not be in ,
such political paradox some ovor-statement,
ome link dropped out, some false comparison |
Alas for the timcs The only oyor-statement 10
N the side Of lenity tho only missing links are /
hose which would league us with deeper namy;
hc only false comparisons are those which might
imply CONSCIENTIOUS element in our recent ac-
ion. II is impossible to suppose nation fatty to
contradict itself within two years, unless some
tariling lilc-and-dcath exigency demand in the
lame of sclipresewation, IN equally sudden
'haugc Of pocyi but to cay that people would
,oer thus briefly into the very tcoh Of peril, that
would deliberately adopt course which guar
.nteod destruction Id 10 take ali reason from the
movements OF political history, and subject them
)uly " tao caprices Of cLaIce. IL otaey wOsds,