The New York herald., 1863-11-23

~
n connection with the slavery question. Mean
lime. sssordlag 10 the Tribuss. /" the attention
~ tbe President. Of the more prominent mem
hers o. tse csblnes. and OF other gentlemen
~ho-e coUa.els are valued. has been largely
given sf late" 10 this monentous subject 1t
hsFthcf appears that The precise course TO be
adopted u not yrs determined that several
tbeorics claim the Presidents ear but that
rsceat uiiersnoes Of the President. and in
sirtctioas approved by him. 10 recently COM
mi~slosed representatives. OF tbe government in
district. OF the South now In our possession.
leave no doubt hat the policy Of the admins
traiioa 10 Perml aoae q The vagrsat States 10
come back vita slave constitution Is fred"
and that {" the present DISCUSSION relate, TO the
~ays and mesas Of calculating tbi. result
These positive declarations we will assume.
are not made without some authority; and thus
tbs subject becomes tho most important issue
oftbe day. In an editorial which we submitted
20 oar readers IN yesterdays HsaALD We gave
them, from ths lights before as, the eonse-
qoraoes Of the war, actual Aai probable. In
reference 10 the institution Of slavery. From
thus presented, the reader will have perceived
that, while the prOlongation Of the war must in
evitably bring about the extinction Of slavery
| Il will almost as certainly involve this most de-
plorable cou-equcaces 10 both races throughout
the South. Which alternative Il IL the part
Of wisdom 10 sdopi--,hai or the destruction OF
the social aai Industrial Institutions Of the re-
belliou. States. in order to reiore them to tho
Unina OF the policy OF saving their industry
aud their people white and black a. FAR a.
possible, in the worl, Of restoration. The ques-
ton needs no answer; Zoe the declared para
mount purpose OF the war i not the reduction
Of the rebelious States 10 chaos. but their res
cue from the destructive gripe Of the rebellion.
Let gs suppose that, under the manipula-
tions Of the administration, all the rebelliou.
| States are restored. aud each With new State
constitution declaring slavery abolished within
its borders. We shall have gained the aboli-
| ton ultimatum; but how long will this millen-
ninm OF universal emancipation last Re-
stored to the Union. South Carolina, Georgia
and the other States concernea will have the
undoabtcd right 10 re-esiablish tomorrow the
| abolished to-day. Restored 10 the Uaiou, they
may each call another State convention. revise
their state constitutions aud provide therein,
| or by law that after specified time all free
! negroes found within their borders shall be sold
as slaves The States. each Tor itself can only
be restrained from this absolute State control
over the institution by a revision Of the con.
stitudon of the United States. This Is the only
legitimate way in which this scheme Of compul-
sorry Southern emancipation can be made cifec-
tive; and the federal constitution must nrsi he
changed to suit the purpose; for the experiment
may fail IL delayed until the seeded States are
reinvested with the right to vote upon the ques-
ton.
We contend, however, that the federal gov
ernmeut has no right TO abolish the local insii-
tutions even OF the rebellious States. The war
~ssw1~ Is no pgaiast those States. but
! against the armdW f6ltes therein Of rebellious
conspiracy. In the prosecution Of this war
shareholders aud slavery must abide by the
usagcs and casualties Of war But. with the
| suppression OF the armed forces of the rebel.
lion the States concerned are. de J,ve al once
restored to their State rights Ia the Union.
We cannot abandon this ground without falling
into Senator Summers revolutionary theory,
that the war has abolished the rebelious States,
that they have ceased to exist and that all the
cppntry covered by them will be, when recon-
qhered. in the condition of some new territory,
inhabited only by savages, and added TO the
Union az the consequence of a successful In.
dian war.
We should regret to believe that Mr. Lincoln
| is drifting towards this monstrous theory Of
| Sumner. We cannot believe it. The views Of
| the President, as enuncated in his procams-
tiops. speeches, messages and letters, rest upon
| better foundation. We cannot be mistaken
in tue opinion that the Secretary of State spoke
by authority in suggesting TO the French gov
ernment the Congress of the United States as a
| joint convention always open to the revolted
States. The emancipation proclamation is de-
clared hpon its face to be nothing more than
military measure. IL does not assume to be bind.
| ing upon the government. II was thrown out
as a tub to the abolition whale, and has served
| it, purpose The slave States exempted from
| this proclamation are proceeding TO the work
OF emancipation, and will be the first to abolish
| slavery, while the States included in this de.
cree of freedom have only been made more
! desperate by il in the prosecution of the
| war. We earnestly admonish President Lin.
coin to stand fast TO those great land
marks which point TO the integrity Of the
uniou and 10 avoid those trescherous guides
who would lead him of into the broad road TO
Mexican anarchy.
OCR PLACES oF AmUsENENT.-We have in
New York and IFS suburbs over twenty places
OF amusement ln this list VIC do not include