The New York herald., 1863-08-20

The Drafs Pssceeding QuietIy-The
Question that 10 Settled Now, and
the ouest1oa - be Settled Hereafter.
Yesterday the draft recommended In this
city, after being suspended for about five weeks.
Everything proceeded quietly. There is
military force In and around the city Of some
twenty thousand infantry and artillery, with
two thousand cavalry-ample guarantees, ono
would suppose, for she maintenance Of order.
But probably the judicious and sensible ordi-
nance of the Common Council has moro to do
with the preservation of the peace than the
presence of this large military force, or any
other cause whatever. The people know that
in spite of the silly cavilling Of the Mayor, the
ordinance will become law; for it will be
passed over his veto.
II the public tranquility depended on the
Mayor, or on the Governor or President, we
might we'll trenble for the safety of New York.
While Mr.. Opdyke quibblos and trifes on the
edge of volcano, Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Sey-
mour vie with each other in stirring up the
worst passions and laying the train for fear
full explosion. The Common Council, the true
guardians Of the city, by their practical good
sense, recognized the danger of the crisis, and
provided against it. On the contrary, the two
Roman Consuls-one backed up by the radical
cabal at Washington, and the other by tho Regen-
cy cabal at Albany-seem to have seized the oc-
casion as the opportunity ofprovoking civil war
at the North. They have written, and written,
and written again, inaammatory appeals we'll
calculated to lead to that result.
Why such an unfriendly spirit should be
shown in Washington to this city, and the Prssi-
dent should persevere in carrying out measure
which he knew to be SO odious to the people.
we ere at loss to discover, when it is recol-
lected that the merchants and bankers Of New
York, In the beginning Of the struggle with the
rebellion, came forward with one hundred
and fifty million dollars to sustain the govern
ment Had they not done so the war would
have, failed at it's very inception, and the admin
istration would have completely broken down.
1t seems to be strange mode Of requiting the
city now to wantonly risk its destruction for
mere idea not only Of no practica! value to the
government, but, on the contrary, highly inju-
rious to its true interests. We cannot account
for the folly. except from the fact that the
President and his Cabinet. who are believed to
consult the spirits as to the conduct and pros
poets of the war, under the auspices of Robert
Dale Owen, Judge Edmonds and Andrew jack
son Davis, were led astray by lying. deceitful
and malignant spirits, as they too often appear
to be.
AS question of law, aud order, and peace,
however, the draft may be considered as al
ready settled But as . political question it
remains open for solution. The dispute OF
Lincoln and Seymour will be carried into the
next Presidential election, and will form part of
the issue to be decided at the ballot box And
here, through the cunning Of the Regency,
Seymour appears to have got the windward
side Of Mr.. Lincoln and completely outgene-
rallied him; for there is no party in favor Of the
draft, and II is destined to become as unpopular
aud odious measure as the old Alien and Sc
dition law. That it il constitutional we have
no doubt; but all things that are lawful are
not expedient and there never was any neces-
sity for conscription. All the troops needed
could have been obtained through the Cover
nors Of the States, in the usual way But the
satanic radicals preferred q new and offensive
method, in order to assert their authority and
to provoke civil war in the loyal States, that
they might have an opportunity Of depriying
the conservatives OF their votes BY the opera
tion Of martial law. and thus forcibly retain for
another term the power which they have 80
badly abused in the present. But the Conscrip-
ton act Is a millstone around the neck Of the
administration which will be sure to drag 1.
down to political perdition.