The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1863-01-24
Public affairs.
FE7hc Situation.

sentences by INIT, inuCndu, suSplclcn
or suggestion. They are precise anl
positive in their attitude of opposition
to the Union. \ year ago their enmity
was silence. They were conStructively
loyal. They were more anxious for a
vigorous prosecution Of the war than the
Republicans themselves. They were tol
/ hanging Jefferson Davis, aud every rebel
that was taken in arms, and when the
/ President restored Buokner and released
! the prva Gers, their indignation became
excessive aud nncontroilabic, a; what
/ was called a NANTES a ion Of weakness.
/ Now we have an earnes extended, and
to all appearances Il concerted plan of
opposition to he Union. The platform
of this Opposition party Is developed in
all its various forms, and we may briefly
sum its leading features III this manner
|. Opposition to all Il tcmpts to punish
treason, By arrcsting those who proclaim
reasonable scntincn $. >. Opposi ion
to the drat, 3. Attempts to dcmoral-
izc the army BY fomcnting spirit of
dissatisfaction and mutiny. +. y dcprc-
cia ion Of the currency BY weakening he
public faith, aud producing u distrus in
the minds Of those who buy and invcs.
>. Opposition to the coniscation Of rebel
! property; the emancipation of the slaves
Of rebels and the employment of
negroes in the army and navy. e. OPP
posi- ion to the revenue and tax laws. T..
| Propositions for armiStlcc aud the sus-
/ = 81, |
to the European Powers to mediate in
the affairs of The country. 9. pcnun-
citation of the Generals who make them
selves conspicuou, in the cause of libcr.
y, like Banks, Butler, and Hunter, and
Il dlsparagemcnt OF Generals who achieve
great military successes, like Rosccrans
aud Grant. 10. Constant an! malignant
assaults upon the Executive dcpartmcn S
of the Government, the Treasury. the
War, and the Navy. II. Attempts to
create revolutions by endcavoring to
array the Sta e and local au horitics
against the Government. H. \ con-
stan. repetition of the idea that the
destiny of the Middle and Yves crn
States is with he South, and that the
true policy of the future will he to sep
arate from New England and unite under
the Son hern Coufcdcracy. The opposi
tion to the Administration is based on
these principles. We nigh. illustrate
every position VIC have mentioned By an
abundance Of facts, but that is no
necessary. When men take this ground
the time for argument is passed. In
periods Of danger VIC expect atfcctionatc
confidence and support against
evil, and harmony Of sentiments. -
When the country is mcnaccd with de.
struction the duty of all men is to seek
It's salvation. That can only be done
| by seli-sacrltcing and unnurmurlng
effort. 1t is the nature of the coward
to complain and moan over what might
have been. 1t is the nature Of the
patriot 10 be generous and frank, to
makc allowance for the weakness of our
human ma urc, and to be indulgcnt to
those in authority when he sees that they
do all things possible for the general
welfare. There is nothing easier than
criticism, and if We are disposed to cavil
and find fault VIC shall find no glory in
the san--Do brightness in the moon-n0
beauty i'll natnrc-no fragrance in the
rose no life in human y, and no virtue
iii the soul. We can make earth a uni
vcrsal chaos-the ocean universal
grave, and the human heart universal sin
And it we take the Administration of
Mr.. Lincoln with the idea of assaiine
it, we shall see many things that we
| would have seen otherwise errors OF
judgment and errors of ncclec errors
that were consequent to the mighty
task it had under aiken. In the manage
men of the war we see defeats. and
delays, and victories with ungathcrcd
fruits. We see frauds on the part OF
those WHO received the nations bounty :
rcryersc and unnatural conduct on The
part of her most favored children
treachery, incompetence, ingratitude. -
We see these things with pain: VIC
regret that they have occurred, and
could we remedy them, We should gladly
do so. 1t may be that, had our own
Judgment been consulted in The begin
| hiHS, VIC Suoulu nave aNOiucu tnC mis-
takes we now deplore. But if we take
any single life whose his DRY is written
if we take our own lives. or any year in
our own persona! history, we shall find
them strewed wi promises unfuflllcd,
hopes destroyed, condolences broken,
mistakes of Judgment aud passion, great
ambitions not realized, good deeds for
gotten. This is the life of man, and tho
life of man is the life of nations. lie
would be coward who said that life was
nothing, because the shadows fell ovcl
at times !: because we stumbled and
halted. lie is coward to his coun ry
he is what men call traitor, who secs
nothing but gloom in the past, and prays
for death and anarchy in the fu ure.
We car see nothing but death and
anarchy in the future that the enemies
of the Administration are endeavorng to
fashion. We have not read, VIC have
not heard, single sentiment or sugges-
ton of these men that could bring com
fort to the true heart. They have done
all that depravity could suggest to make
this contest war of failure, grief, and
disaster. In the day of our disaster
they were silent in the day of our
calamity they were scornful when we
triumphcd they poisoned our joy !; when
we failed they derided us. Let us see
hot ]