Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-01-16
The Politics OF tho IHaE-sThe Posi-
btltties OF Psace--The PEoPOsitIonS

OF sfhOsRebe1b.
Prom thr CINCINNATI Commercial.
The idea that there is some method of
restoring the Uniou, other than that of
force of arms, has become so prevalent.
and is so without warrant in the condition
of the country, that we suppose it may be
fairly termed popular delusion. IL has
grown out of the weakly management of
the war by our authorities, civil and mill
tary, the unexpected magnitude of the task
of putting down the rebellion By military
force, and the gradual realization by the
people, of the horrors of war; and this
growth has been promoted by political op-
position to tue war, which, barely percept-
ible at first, has become noisy and obtru-
sive.
1t will not be disputed by any intelligent
observer, that there is no fact more promi.
nent in our politics than the vassalaEe of n
class of Northern politicians to the South.
Slavery. gave peculinrity, consistency and
power to Southern politics, and its extern
sion was sought, not because more land
was wanted for cultivation ty slave labor,
but TO increase the political power that
was associated with it. Hence the struggle
to make slave States out of Kansas aud
California. Hence the attempt to dictate
inadmissable tests of Democracy in the
Charleston Convention to the Northern men
of the party. Hence, the iucessant ag-
gression and unrnly disposition of the mi
nority section, and the war.
The Southern master class possessed two
kinds of PecAliar property: The chattel
slaves, and the political serts. Stephen A.
| Douglas, though an intense partisan, was
still more man and patriot, and by force
Of circumstances, foremost among which
| hIs rhnFaUIaP
the representative of the opposition of the
Northern Democracy to the mastery of the
party by the Southern aristocracy. This
opposition finally became an insurrection
within the party-6ut it WAS the insurrec-
| tion OF the majority. The demand of the
South THAT lsto say of the representatives
Of the Southern conspiraCy,) was that the
| General Government should be EMPLOYED
in the extension of slavery, or in other
words, the augmentation of their own DO.
litical power. They were as hasty as
they were resolute in this matter, because
they saw the overwhelming gro,rM of the
North.
They demanded the nbrogation of the
majority principle, because they we'll knew
it was impossible, for their section, without
artificial aid, to keep pace with the North.
| They were alarmed not less ut the revela-
llonS OF t0e census OF 1860 than at the re-
suit of the election of the same year De-
pending upon their political vassnls in the
North to prevent the application of militia.
~ coercion in their case, they coolly calcu-
lated and commenced revolution, the
leading idea of which Except with the
South Carolina school Of revolutionists)
WAS to break up the union and restore ii
upon cotton State basis, excluding New
England. They were disappointed in the
people Of the North. hecharm of South.
ern supremacy in the Democratic party
the yoke of the absolute vassalage of that
party to their section-had been broken al
Charleston. The people of the North, con
scious of their truth to the Constitution.
aud to all the obligations of good citizen.
ship, were indignant at the wautonuess of
the Southern insurgents in forcing war
upon the country, when, even if the Re-
publican Administration, coming into pow
er, had entertained unconstitutional pur.
poses, it would have been effectually check.
ed by the Judicial and Legislative branches
of the Government, the Supreme Court aud
both Houses 1of Congress being Conser.
vative."s
But, at length, it appears that the polit.
icat vassals of the South are proposing t
vindicate themselves. 1t is the purpose
doubtless Of many of them to give thetl
IT