The mountain Democrat., 1863-01-17

4
| With exnliek daasllisss - oon
r rUut.es, Ue- en-, A<sasS oDRSdiit 81
fullest assurances of Justi6s aad tq1
when they do come. fss In ~ j.
and challenge the rebel aathOsi1iSl b -
NIT such propositions - msy bspaaoS
upon to an unrestFictsd vote of the nou1'lS
ern States, IS he will, ct the samas o..
submit such propositions 10 . sots sftkaas
Of the Northern States, with the undor.
standing that il majority Of slave Snt6s
and majority of free States accept The
proposition, its conditions should be bind.
ing until ratified or superseded By the
States. SURRaes that the COnEedetite
authorities should >rsiect thiay ersA~ ~a-'-
Vxr pvOpOsitaoN, WS HARM 1SNSso ensue ~
the Northern cause. Such action vould
only leave them in q worse light before
the world, and the Government at W ash
ington in the better. The preliminaries
of such movement could be readily ar
ranged by commissioners selected for that
purpose. 81,
1t may be said that We are constantly
inviting the southern people to lay down
their arms and come back into the Union,
and this would seem to be conclusive
but it must not be forgotten that they re-
belled because, they say, the party now
in power at Washington, would not pat-
NIT them to enjoy, in peace, the real con-
ditions and covenants of that Union, md
there is no evidence that they would aAre
better now. Besides, he has studied hu-
man nature to poor purpose, who canaot
discover that unconditional submiasion.
snw . - = u
they will never come 30 long as they have
any means Of resistance. In the effort
to gain back even the masses, their pass
ions and pride, and selfrespect may be-
wisely considered. We must give ttIetA
some new ground, some pvsAe1t, r. not
complete and Substantial gnaennteesCh
fore We can expect them 20 entertain To
idea Of forSakiUg their present leadesAauA
embracing the old goveFnmeat. ~ ss,'r u
am fully aware Of the indignaIic1 ,A1d
even contempt, with which these sueEes-
tons will be perused by sOme ie beth
sections, bot care not are We not en-
gagged in an effort to re-estabiish sad
maintain the Union, and are not tho se-
ceded States to compose part Of that
Union! Then why not endeavor to res
cue them from destruction, and cultivate
good relations with them. l.
When the family Of States again exists
as heretofore, they must become 700P
brethren and our equals in every partSeu-
lar. What pleasure, then, can We have
in their destruction and humaiAtioDe II
there be any friends of the old Rag aWd
the old government within the seeded
States, they should cultivate the same
spirit towards the North. The abseat
element Of q substantial Union is frater.
nifty amongst the people, and that can
never be furnished by the sword. Again,
in the words Of Mr.. Lincoln, "there has
been much loss on both sides and no rain
on either" and the identical old question
rs to terms Of intercourse are upon us, ,and
we should seek 50 to adjust them Gs To-
Tc:StahEsh the Union upon an imperish.
able basis.
But. it may be asked, Is this Q war i6f
the Uniony They certainly profess n0s
thing else, ,and'I | attribute to them nothing
else. IL the war is not for the UnlON:
and is not directed with sole reference t6
that end, then II is the most stupendouS
fraud that has ever been practiced UPON
the world. We all know, however, that
many, very many of its partisans wiIfn6
be satisfied with that issue. It might 10
very important, therefore, to the saliva:
ton of the country, when the time for
reconstruction comes, if it ever should
come, to have the soundings on this point
taken in advance. should like exceed:
ingly to see . popular vote taken in the
North, especially in New England, BE-
tween the proposition to receive all thS
States back into the Union, on the terms
OF the Constitution, which makes the
States equals and alike sovereign, edEck
with the right to have such domestic in:
stitutions as it may choose; and prOp6-
sition to recognize the Southern Confede-
racy. 1t might be interesting as well aS
instructive, to unveil the hypocrisy Of d
certain school of politicians who have
clamored SO zealously about the-MSf for
the Union. 1t is painfully apparent that.
Notwithstanding this clamOr, they do not
intend that the Union shall exist hereiE
ter on the terms of the Constitution, IL It
is to embrace all the States. The ratio
Of slave representation, and the rendition
Of fugitive slaves, are features of the Con-
stitution which they condemn and abh0f;
Between the maintenance of these and
the recognition of the Southern Confede-
racy, many of them, in my Judgment
four to one, would prefer the lattef;-
Their aversion to these clauses Of the
Constitution was a primary cause of the
alienation and hostility of the South, and
fear they would not yield that aversion
now to render the Union what it once
was. Let Mr.. Lincoln try this question
if he would solve the problem Of the na-
tons imbrogliO.
Do not understand me that I would
yield the sword or any other means CAL
culated to render the Union what it was.
What mean is, that If the Union, and
that only, is the object the sword will
never find the belligerents in better
condition to consumnate that work thar
they are now, and that other agencies
should be promptly employed. Iyield 10
no man 10 devotion and loyalty to thS
Union IS it was. and to the prfncipie6 nf
government transmitted to Gs BY our e.
thers. The maintenance and Perpotua-
tion of these shxif be the object nearest
my heart, whether be in private orpub-
lie life. With much esteem, Iremain,
Yours truly,
WV. BIGLsn.
To S. D, ANDRRsoN. Eso.. Phil0delUhia.