Smyrna times., 1862-10-23
The Politicians and the Country.

The honest and sober citizen will not fail
to remark that the politicians at the North
who strenuously supported the rebels when
they threatened to destroy the Government,
and who advised the people and the Gov
ernment to surrender to their threats, are
uow equally anxious about what they call
Constitutional rights, and a Constitutional
conduct of the war. They mean simply.
as every body knows, such conduct of the
war as will leave slavery untouched The
constitutional right of rebel to his life
they are willing to forego, but his Constitu-
tlonal right to his slave they insist upon pro-
tecting with an edifying ardor Now as
the right of citizen to his life is the chief
and most sacred of all his rights, why is it
that the politicians find it Constitutional
enough to kill him if in armed rebellion,
but tearfully unconstitutional to libcrate his
slaves whom he compels to aid him in his
rebellion?
Simply because these politicians are solely
anxious for the preservation of their party,
not of their country. They known that if
the rebellion is suppressed and slavery is
saved, they are sure of the political support
of the entire slave interest which controls
the South. And they equally know that if
the rebellion succeeds and the slave States
secede, they Ghe politicians) have political
capital upon which to begin the agitation
for reconstruction. But if, in the process
of suppression, slavery disappears, these
same gentlemen know that their political
ambition is forever defeated.
1t is not the welfare of the Union, nor
the Constitution, nor the country, which
inspires them, but their own political pre-
dorninace. When they thought it necessary
for the maintenance of that predominanct
to support those who threatened the Gov
ernment, and the Union, and the country
in case of the constitutional election of
President they did not like, they did no
hesitate to give that support, and thereby
to threaten the Government. Now. wher
they think that a truly earnest and constitu
tional conduct of the war, including eman
clpation, imperils their political future, they
do not hesitate to denOunce that conduct
Their sole interest is themselves. Thei
only care is their party
But the Government which they denounc
the Government which can not constitu
tionally be changed for two years and
half, has not taken a party ground. Loya
men OF all parties are in its honorcd emplo,
to-day. In too many cases it's desire to b
truly impartial and patriotic has caused tn
retention OF utterly unfit civil and militar
officers. The Government elected by
party has aimed only at the preservation q
the Union, and not at the perpetuty of tn
party. In the interest of the Union, of tn
! ! country and the Constitution, it has issue
military order of prospective emaucips
> ton.
In the interest of their party the poIt
clans denounce it. Which is dearest to til
= = sober citizen, to whatever party he ma
have belonged, the success of a party, {
J the salvation of the country? If fthe for1nt
, he will support the politicians. If the la
, ter, he will support with all his soul and a
: his strength, the Government constitution
ally elected s%<Ez