Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-04-28
The War.

First for the Union then for sUbjugaiion then Tor
determination and revenge then for the sake OF con-
tractors and because there was no way out Of the
muck Of blood and debt This Is the course the war
has taken It's origina,Ors to have had no aim,
but TO have 'run the machine" as best they could,
avoiding obstacles that could not be OyercOmetuFnng
Ihs way or that as the coast seemed clear and going
ahead wherever i. was possible TO do
At best this is but a shallow view Of the matter.
Doubtless the Cabinet Of Lincoln ieded to the force
of circumstances, gave up designs which had been
fondly cherished, and pushed onward as well they
could, though Lot in the way they wished In so do
ing they but followed the eqsmpe of men and nations
the world orsr. Young and youthful governments
start in their sanguine and fun Of vain eonGdenre
in their strength, lured by bright visions and H.
noring or despisDg the stumbling along she way
Neither the nor the other ul6s the destiny they
picu led for themselves. Toll and bend as they may It
the oar unseen hand is at the helm. The Yankee
natOs doubtless has failed in its anticipatons but hs
failure is greater than other nations have sustained
Nor have they been so amless in the matter and mari
ner Of the war many suppose. The great Of the
peOe, and the principal politicians have alike sustained
the war for this that purpOse-the Union to day,
subjugaton tomorrow, and so on Lincoln, nose Of
in the hands OF his suPerOrs has yielded easily 10
every impulse of the manipulating fingers of Seward
But Seward himself has been moulded by fingers
stronger than his own. Subtle and cowsrdly, he ias
bSwed ike the reed in the storm to the breath Of the
PoPulaee. Yet all the time both Lincoln and Seward
have been the unconscious puppets Of the power be
hind the throne.
What Is that poweIs Therecan be but one answer
II il aboEuOnism. Il the course Of The war from its
beginning TO the present hour be reviewed the conyc-
ton cannot escaped that aboEtonism originated it.
carried on directed it cOverty ard now controls it
entirely. And from the fall Of Sumter yea before that
abOlilOnism had welldehned aim in bringing on the
war in sustaining the war, in giving it certain drec-
ton ami in keeping it steadily toward the farseen goal
Depend upon it, there is a method in this madness.
Seward and Lincoln he, itatcd to make war. The Alb
chiffon Governors Of Line States came 10 Washington
in body aud demanded, hnperatively, that 10000
troops should be called out. The war being inaugu-
rated, the AbOlitiOuiss eagerly watched its progress,
and beirs in majority in the Senate took good care
that it should 90 neither too fast nor too far At one
time there danger that the Democrat, Mcclellan,
would sweep al things before hin. They divided his
command, traduced him, made war on him, until be
vent down in disgrace. They made Halleck, one Of
their numbers COmuauder-in-Chief and gave Hooker,
.aO,her AbOhtlOHi, charge of the army of the POtO
mac. All things being in readiness the Emancipation
PROCLAMATION issued and their prof1sEame in all its
length and breadth fully disclosed
They must have known that this Proclamation would
consolidate the South destroy the as hope of recon
s,ructiOn, and strengthen nightly the opposition party
At home For this they well prOpared. Congress
was In their hands At their biddag. Copercss voted
the President aulOcraic powers. The deed was done
the purse and sword were now in their hands: thew
we're ready for the issue come whea it might In what
form soeyer it could The revolutionary plans embo-
died in the Chicago platform had now zen consumma
ted all that remained to be done was to see that the
subverson OF the Constitution and the entire change Of
the organic form Of the Government. was successfully
accomplished
Here wa the danger. The people Of the Middle and
Eastern States with few exceptions were ready Cor an
Empire or in delsult Of that for a limited Monarchy
the people Of the Northwest were not. TIE malcon
tents Of Ohio Indiana and Illinois might possibly cca
ssee with the Democrats of the Atlantic States and
spoa the Well-aid scheme Of the AbOlitionists The
elections in New York mad gone adversely it was i'm
pOrant 10 control those in the New England States
The army kept quiescent and well in hand for more
Durposes than one. Soldiers had to be sent home to
vote or to influence refractory suragans with little
cold steel Il was imperatVsy important not to risk
.ov Of the great armies IN general engagement with
tbe rebels Since Nes Years day there has been no
general engagement
Nov We hear that the Union armies are to be kept
for defensive purposes only until next Fall when the
rebels win have been starved out aud the ranks thinned
bv rsfusals to re enlist have been filed The excuse is
sDecious The armies restrained from offensive oP-
eraons solely for the purpose Of being used at home
While shs eonserpdOn being mildly, moderately but