Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-07-02

There is no reason to suppose that the conduc
tors of the Tribune either believe in the restoration
of the Union or that they desire it. The war is
with them question of boundaries, or alternating
between this and question Of emancipation, when
they do not intermit both the one and the other to
sue for the best attainable peace. What they
thought about secession ut its outbreak may be
read in the following exposition, with which we
will conclude " "reminiscences" for the present.
1t is quoted from the Tribune of February 5,
1861:
Fear magnifes the secession movement into. wholly
undue proportions Ii trembles in its shoes though
secession were mailed giant, capable of spreading ruin
and death wherever it chose to tread. Fear cries,
skulk and hide turn aud flee, oh truth, honor, justice,
coDsistency for secession terrible secession approaches
Fall on your knees, propitate and pray abdcate and
succumb s ye potcal combinations called parties for
scesaet erble secessiop with his ordy strides and
his mailed hand threatens to overwhem and destroy
ALL Let us look at the monster thus suddenly held up
to US by the startled vision and bursting eyebas of sck
apprehension and try to measure its true proportions
"Savehodng States are departing from the American
Union. A number have gone. More going Let US
that all Of hem south of the Potomac and Of
the Mississippi river will go and form Independent
Confederacy We suppose nobody is able to doubt that
the power known the United States of America
able to enforce of ts IDEAS at least TO the proper
boundaries of the Confderacy And we suppose it
will not be questioned that If this power insists upon great
natural frontiers like the Potomac, the Ohio, and the
Mississippi it will find means to make it's determination
respected. But need not stand upon this pre-
sumption Let US admit that the United States will be
very liberal and forbeariDg toward the new organization
10 the matter of boundares and in every other way We
will start upon almost any kind of supposton for argu
ments sake, to show what secession is, and what it
promises
"Such, briefly sketched is the coming history of
4 shall tn m mod
to it's fatal embrace Instead therefore, of its being the
terrific pictured by u.many fright it is REAL
LY A RESULT NOT To BE SERIOUSLY DREADED. 1t may,
the contrary rather be- fairly regarded natural his
oric Development Of benfcen promise instead OF the
natural distorted hideouseaur-d movement which it is
believed to be by, the TIMID, sHoRTsIGHTED, CoMPRo-
Missing STATESMEN OF THE HOUR.
I" Let it be checked and hndered and stopped by the
natural operation of the Government in the exercise of It's
just functions in just that way and TO just that extent that
wise regard for the national safety and the future
onal development shall dictate. We shall thus 0poid
necessary collision oi the Seeding States and unite the
people of the Free States upon the ground of main
tanning those national advantages which, after the separa
ton, they will find essential to their security and
greatness We have heretofore often enough ntmaled
what those limitations should be-
"Secession" being, according to the Tribune Of
rather ga natural historic development of benef-
cent PROMISE" we can readily perceive why its
conductors have 50 sedulously and consistently
sought to forward the views" of the insurgents
and embarrass the Government. We might do SO
too, if we shared such opinions, but we would pre-
fer to do it men bravely fighting in the ranks of
Lee than as men piteously crying at the ap-
proach of his Invading host, if he conquer us
so be it."