Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-04-23


especially identical in their capacities for good ev
administration that it is very clear this revolution
naugurated to get rid of any existing grievance yran
nca authority resulting from the Constitution of the Uni
ted States
We left then, to seek in the administration Of the
Government the Of the differences which, it sup
posed could only be satisfactorily adjusted by dissolution
Of the Union
Upon this point might remark passing that it would
take strong of wrongs inflicted by the admins
tra,ion of Government whose administration is change
able at brief periods the act Of the people themselves
and always under the control of popular representation
which the whole nation has voice. it would BE- necessary
to make very strong of continued and perseverng
oppression, through such administration to justify
to the terrible process Of relief found in civil war;
When ask the question, g Has the South been i'm
pe.d to adopt this extreme remedy of revolution by
calling tyranny pracsed upon it through years of unmt
gated suffering by the oppressive temper of the majority
exhibited in constant Of hostile admir- istraOn ~
have TO this inquiry the fact that from TIE
It'll of March 1885, until the 4th of March, 1861 the ad-
miDstration Of public affairs has been almost wholly in
Southern hands. We have had during that period fifteen
Presidents Of which nine native Southern men, three
natives of New England, two of New York, and of
Pennsylvania of those VIII ch not natives of The Slave
States three Democrats, of whom the South was
to boast Northern with 81 uthern princi-
pes and distinctly chosen and elected by Southern
influence; of the remaining three two Wings disn-
gushd for their equitable administration and irreproach
able performance of their duty in which they received the
efficient support Of the whole Wing party Of the South
The only President in all that space Of seventywo years.
who might be plausiby charged with Northern bias
his administration the elder Adams, the companion of
Washington, and the incumbent of the Presidential Office
E,rh utnn fhac oft ha Isat
DO also remarked that from the 4th Of March 1901, when
it may be said that parties became dtnctvey organized
down the 4th Of March, 1861 period Of sixty year
the Government administered by Southern Presidents
for ioyoae years and by Presidents born in the Free
States nineteen During the whole Of this latter pc.
Rod of sixty years the representation 10 both Houses Of
Congress be noted for preponderance Of Southern
influence in the control Of the policy Of Government main
tanned, in part through the numerical strength If the
Southern vote and still decisively by the party pre-
Elections of the Democratic members.
1t is vain therefore, in the view Of these facts to sup
pose that this rebellion pretend to any usable
arising out Of the ordinary legitimate and habtual admin
stration of the Government.
Where them shall seek for that bead-ro of wrongs,
which the enlightened justice Of mankind in this age de-
mands from every peope who mediate
against established authority What is the
which may be rghtfuy pleaded in tbs great forum of
tona Judgment still more, before the awful tribunal Of
Heaven for this dreadful assault upon the social order
yea upon the very existence OF the grandest and most
prosperous OF Commonwealth
Even to this day, have clear and intelgibe
proclamation of the real motives which mpelled this out
break Speculation both here and in Europe gropes bndy
through Of conjectures to make plausible theory
for this extraordinary phenomenon Prizes offered for
essay to explain it, TIE gravest and the ghest
assigned to it, II is the terrible plague spot Of slavery
it is tho trivial discomfort of incompatible temper; it s
cial tariffs navigation laws; unequal distribution
opatrcnsge disappointed ambton provincial antpatbies;
"guod honines tot senitnt a." Why is there not some
solemn and earnest State paper put FORTH in decent
spect for the opinions of mankind which shall solve these
douhts7 We have had than one ostentatous at
tempt Of this kind but they all fail to the dignity Of
an excuse. They do not agree with each other. They
present consistent specific statement Of injuries inhict
ed upon the South by the Government to which the whole
people in revolt refer their defence for taking up
arms, which sensible men might not be ashamed to
justfable motive for revolution.
We find it harl to reconcile the Inauguration Of rebel
lion Of such magnitude this, with estimate Of
the nsuciency Of the for it, aud previous
knowledge Of the repecabity both in character and in
egeBce, Of many Of the individuals concerned in getting
it up We make every allowance CIR pride and preudce,
for ambition exctsby of temper for extravaganza
of political theory and all the other uenees which may
disturb honest judgment but there sii remains the
probenwby did men Of ordinary ability and forethoueht
to say nothing Of Of larger scope, enter upon an adj
venture Of such fearful import ths7 The question has
often been aske have they presented any grievance which
dissolution Of the Union would remove 10 fact not make
worse1 The nadeqnacy Of the reasons given for the IN
sament of this momentous struggle woui compel US to
ive il we did not from own observation OF events,
know it before that the ostensbe not the real
ones and that we seek elsewhere for the true expo
son Of the movement.
We feel surprise at the rapid spread Of the rebellion
through the South after il set foot However
much we may lament the width and tenscty Of its grasp
and the fatal alteration into which it has drawn many
estimabe persons amongst whom recognise friends we
shall think Of with regret cannot but regard their
detection the natural sequence Of the great primal
wrong which brought them into such temptation and
shall abandon the hope that the facility Of
yielding which carried them astrsy will be equally apt
when the occasion may serve to bring them back have
limited in former letter at the category 10 which they