Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-08-20
A THEORY SELF-CONDEMNED BY IT'S
STATEMENT

VIM. Whiting, Esq, the Solicitor Of the War De-
ladelpbia," in exposition of the political situation
created by the progress of the war. In this pub
location Mr.. Whiting contends that the war be-
tween the Government and the insurgents has at
present reached such stage that, alike in law and
in fact, it has become " territorial OWL wa"
that is, as he adds, ca war by all persons situated
in the beligerent territory against tb, United
States" He says:
Whenever two nations at war; every subject Of
beigerent nation public enemy Of the other An in
dvidual may be personal FREUD and at the time
public enemy to the United States The law OF de-
fines international relations. When the civil in Anne
RIGA became territorial every citizen residing in the
beigerent districts became public enemy, irrespective
of his private sentim nts whether loyal dsloya friendly
hostile, Upionls Secessionist, guilty innocent
According to this logic, therefore, every citizen
and subject of the Southern Government, whether
loyal disloya, friendly or hostile, Unionist or
Secessionist, guilty or innocent, black or white,
bond or free, is to be held and treated public
enemy of the United States.
The rights of persons inhabiting the Seeded
States, and especially of such as are covered by
the Presidents emancipation edict, are thus COM
prehensively defned:
Each person nbabiting those secnns of the country
declared by the Pe,ident proclamation to be in reb ou
has the right to schat belongs TO public enemy and no
more He can have right toke any part Guv-
ernment That right does belong enemy Of the
county while he wsgug war after he bas been sub
dued public enemy has right to participate 10 or to
assume the Government of the United states only when
he has conquered the United States We find in this we'll
settled doctrine OF begerent law the solution of all qiss
tons n reiaon to State rights. After the nhabants Of
district have become ps'i'e ensms aey naUe no riMs
bsgeents only and have left to them only begerent
rights"
"Each person" inhabting these sections, says
Mr.. Whiting, has " the right to what belongs to a
public enemy, and no more" "Each person" in
cludcs, of course, the "loya blacks" equally with
the "loyal whites;;" for, in Mr.. Writings voca-
bulary, it makes no distinction to the rights of
person inhabitipg the "Seceded States" whether
they are "loyal or disloyal, friendly or hostile,
Unionist or Secessionist, guilty or innocent" and
of course there can be none created by the mere
accident Of their complexion.
But, while placing the black men Of the South
in the same category of "public enemies" with
the white men, Mr. Whiting, with ludicrous in
consistency which discloses the in6rmity of his
logic, very singularly maintains that, under the
emancipation proclamation, the slaves of the South
are, at one and the same time, "publc enemies "
ard loyal allies Of the Government, and holds
that the proclamation itself has established be-
tween the Government and its black public enemies
Of the South an rrepealabe covenant of friendship
and alliance To this purport he says:
Among the war measures sanctioned by the President
to which he bas, than pledged his sacred ho
nor and which Congress has enforced by solemu laws i
the liberation saves The Government has invited them
share the dangers the honor and the advantages Of
tanning the Unon and has pledged itself to the world for
"Whatever disasters may befa arms, whatever hu-
initiation may be in store for it is earnestly hoped that
be savej the unathopabe nfumy Of breaking the
nations faith with Europe and Nth cofored citizens and
slapes in The Union"
So, then, according to this logic, the colored
citizens and slaves in the Union" can be used in
terchangeaby to signify "public enemies" and
persons "invted to share the dangers, the honors,
and the advantages of sustaining the Union''
But this logic does not hold good as regards the
loyal whites. They are not taken into Mr.. Whit
ing's account.
1t is interesting to read in Mr.. Writings own
language the difficulties of the position" created
by his theory of the war. They are thus frankly
stated
Let us, then, epdesvor to appreciate the difficulties OF
our present position.
Of several subjects to which, were 1t now in my pow
err would ask your earnest attention. speak OF one
Only.
AS the success Of the Union cause shall become more
certain and apparent to the enemy in various localities
!hey will lay down and fighting Their bitter
and deep rooted hatred OF the Government and Oh all
men Who not ira tors and Of ali Southern who
are loyal will s remain interwoyen in every fibre of their
hearts, and will be made if possible uteuse by
humiliation Of conquest and subjec ion. The foot Of the
planted upon their proud Aecks will not sw ct
their empers aud their defiant aud treacherous
will seek revenge itset in murdcrs assassnaons and
MI under hand methods of venting spite which they dare
manifest by open and in driving of their Dor
iers all loyal men, To suppo,e that Union sentiment
will remain in any considerable number Of men smong
people who have strained every end made every
r6ce to destroy the Union indicates dishonesty insanity
or feebleness of intellect
The only comment we choose to offer on such a
theory, leading to such results shall be given in
the following words Of a member Of the present
Cabinet, who has assigned to Mr.. Whiting, with
out naming him, place among "the actual aidcrs
and abettors Of the Confederates." We quote
from letter Of Postmaster General Blair, address
cd to a New York committee who proposed to call