Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-09-04

My Dear Sir: | received few days ago
your letter of the 18th, inviting me to attend
the grand mass meeting of 'the unconditional
Union men Of the state of Illinois, to be held
on the Sd of September, at Springfield. 1t
will not be in my power to attend the meet
ing, but its objects, as explained by you, have
my cordial sympathy.
The elections soon to be held will be of
more than usual Importance. They will
throw light on the great question how far it is
possible for free government, constituted in
its legislative and executive branches by pop
ular choice, to prosecute with vigor war
of considerable duration, and one which en-
tails heavy burdens on the community
As representative government is mainly
carried on by party organization, the great in
terestS Of the country, both in peace and war,
are too apt to become the arena. in which the
opposite parties strive for the mastery. CUES
tons in themselves of secondary importance
to the general welfare are often contested
with vehemenCe and passion, and that by men
OF ability and patriotism. working themselves
up to the belief that they are contending for
matters OF vital Importance. Within my ex-
perience the politics of the country have sue
cesSiyely turned upon four or five questions,
regarded at the time as of the greatest mo-
ment, but now utterly obsolete and forgotten.
These Improbable contests, while they last,
are the source OF great embarrassment to the
administration OF the general government for
the time being, which finds itself thwarted in
all its measures, however patriotic and bepe.
fetal their tendency, by indiscriminate oppo-
sition, aiming only at an electioneerng tri-
umph This is very serious evil even in
time of peace, greatly enhancing the difficult
mn h1r nf t,nl,I hia.l,l,
detrimental to the public interests.
In time of war the evil becomes one of tre-
mendous magnitude. The questions that then
present themselves are naturally more impor-
tant than ordinary political issues in times Of
peace, while every blow struck at the meas
ures OF the government, though designed only
to effect a change of administration, really
affords aid and comfort to the enemy. This
will be the case when the opposition to gov
ornamental measures is sincerely dictated by
honest difference of opinion. Nay, it will
even be the case when the opposition is d-
rected against measures papably mistaken,
either upon the grounds of principle or pol
icy.
No administration is free from error, and
if party spirit is allowed to prevail, its errors
will be severely criticized, usually exagger-
ated and often fercey denounced, till the at
tcntion of the country, instead of being fixed
on the great and main question on which
all good patriots are agreed, is turned to
side issues OF minor and often Fictitious inn
pOrtance.
In this way the administrator of the gov
eminent is weakened and embarrassed, and
the vigorous prosecution of the war, which
every patriotic citizen admits to be the para
mount object, is in some degree paralyzed. !
have doubted the policy Of some measures of
the administration, and have strongly disap-
proved others, but regarding the persons in
power for the time being as the constitution
al agents Of the people for carrying on the
government-considering the war which has
been forced upon us by the ambitious dema-
gogues Of the south as a question of national
life or death-that to have the doctrine of Sc
cession established at the mouth ofSthe rebel
cannon is simply to consign the country to
future of eternal border war, and to lay its
dishonorad fragments at the feet of foreign
powers-I cannot but think it unpatriotic to
attempt, for the sake of party triumph, to
make political capital Of the difficulties, or if
you please, the errors, unavodably incident
to the conduct of a war of such gigantic di-
mansions.
tits a pretty safe test, in cases of this kind,
to ask how the views and measures of party
are regarded by the common enemy. Apply
ing this test in the present case, nothing is
more certain than that the triumph at
the approaching elections of any party, or
ganized and operating for the pr ostration of
the administration, would be regarded with
unmingled satisfaction by the leaders of the
rebellion and their sympathizers abroad. In
deed, their last hope is in our divisions.
Candor requires me to add, that if it is the
duty of the good citizen to abstain from fac
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