Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-09-24

our paragraphs with the following com
ments
The Dayton Empire says
"The Abolition party has already, in two
years aud a half of its Administration Of the
Government cost the country three thousand /
millions Of public debt, and diminished the .
ranks Of industry to the extent Of million |
and halt of men--and yet that party per- |
sists in its ruiuous policy"
Well, Mr.. Empire, you must acknowledge |
on a second consideration that your ngures |
are pretty steep, but be that as il may, can you
tell us how much the Democratic party
through its Buchanan Administration has
cost the country How much money has
been expended and how many lives have been
lost by its imbeoility and treachery2 Had
that Administration did its duty when it had
the power, we would not now be engaged in a
war for national existence. That you know
very well. but you dare not say so, Tor il may
damage your party, an allegiance to which,
in your estimation, is always higher than al
legiance to the country that throws around
you a protecting arm Now for another ques
ton. How much has your party cost the
country by its avowed and open sympathy
with traitors in arms2 That sympathy, You
know very well has increased the expense,
both is money and men. of bringing back to
the Union your "erring brothers. That sym
patty has prolonged a war which you would
have us believe, has 'cost the country three
thousand millions Of public debt, and dimin-
ished the ranks of industry to the extent Of a
million and half of men," Figure on these
questions while and then give your readers
the result
The questions propoundcd by the Jour
nal are easily answered, yet they open be-
fore us wide and interesting field for re-
Aection. The responsibility for the inau-
guration of the existing war is sought to
be placed upon the BUCHANAN Admins
tration, and its continuance aud conse-
quent sacrifices OF blood and treasure are
attributed to the "avoWed and open sym
pathy" of the Democratic party "with
traitors in arms"
Now, we may not endorse Mr.. BUAHAN-
ANS entire Administration, yet we affirm
that it is gross perversion of history to
charge that Administration with the inau-
guration of this war or any of the conse-
quences which have resulted from it. His
tory clearly shows that when LINCOLN
was elected and the exciting issues which
eliminated in disunion were thrust upon
the country, Mr.. BuoHANAN, amid the new
and trying dangers which surrounded him,
did the utmost within the limits of his
Constitutional authority to quiet popular
agitation and preserve the Union. liz
may not have done all that some mer
wished him to do, yet he did all that tn,
nature of his office permitted. He did no
proceed at once, upon the Inauguration o
the Southern revolution, to blockade tn,
ports along the Southern coast nor to col
lect the revenue at Charleston and othe
similar points which were held by the in
surgents, because no law existed enabling
him to do so in the new and nexpecte
emergency which had arisen; and the yer
nature OF the Government he administere
forbade the coercion of sovereign States o.
at least, rendered it exceedingly impruden
He counseled peace and obedience to ii
Constitution and the laws, and appealed
Congress for such assistance as the Con
stitution empowered it to grant. III
"imbecility and treachery" of BUCHANAN
Administration, when compared with tn,
of LrNcoLN's, become the highest order
wisdom and the very perfection of goo
faith The Democratic party, throug
its BUCHANAN Administration" urged u
on the country that policy which, if adoI
ed, would most certainly have Oyerted
war for national existence" Secessi,
would have been quelched in its very birt
and the Union would have been restore
The Journal asks, "How much h
your Democratic) party cost the count
by its open and avowed sympathy vi
traitors in arms ?" We ask, how mu
has the Abolition party, through its Ii
COLIN Administration, cost the country
its open and avowed hostility to the @,
stitution and its wicked perversion o
war, ostensibly begun to restore the Uni
into war for the obliteration of st
Governments, the destruction Of the
mestic institutions of the South, and
establishment of centralized milit
despotism in America ? The people h