Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-07-16
'Gbe Obio 6tatesnran
HON. REvERDY JOHNSON ON THE
CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY.

OONDAh4ON OC
Among the letters addressed to the meetlp,
: held at the Academy of Music, New York, OF
the 4sh, was one by Hon. Reverdy johnson, o
Baltimore, q statesman who, 1t will be recol
lected, was commissioned by the President Il
examine into the corruptlons at New Orleans
and who has been known as an unqualified
Union man. The following Is his letter:
BALTIMORE, July 2, 1863.
DEAR SiR-In the present condition of Mary
land, cannot accept the invitation with which
on behalf Of your association, you have favored
me, to unite with them In celebrating in youl
city the approaching anniversary of our Nation
al Independence. From want Of foresight thai
is as astonishing as ii is inexcusable, the soil o.
Maryland and Pennsylvania is now tsod by arm.
ed rebels, and all of their SONS are bound to
serve them to the best of their ability in orisis
WHICH ordinary wisdom on the part of our rulers
could have readily averted. But so il is. we
are suffering from the consequences of UNI exam.
Piled lmbeclity, and must do all that we can, az
patriotic men, to meet them. We must defeat
the foe, drive him back from whence he came, ae
to the relief OF the two States, aud the ioy and
gratitude OF every patriot In the country, was
done before by the gallant army of the Potomac
ledby Mcclellan, the only chief who, ae vet, has
showed himself equal TO their command. Ia no
former year has our national anniversary return,
ed when so many important issues were before
our people. The day itself, halloUed through.
ont the world by all lovers Of constitutional lib
erty, and revered for the great truths which were
then promulgated, will not, in the future, take
precedence, In human esteem, over the conduct
Of the men of the present day, II that shall be
marked by wisdom, frmness and patriotism -
The design of the patriots OF '76 was not merely
to renounce allegiance to England and declare
human rights, and by common efforts to main
tain both, but by union to establish and pre-
serve government Of regulated freedom that
would continue forever. The first object was
effected, and the last they hoped and believed
was accomplished. 1t will be our fault and
crime If that hope is frustrated. Let us, then,
on the return of the day Of the nations birth
resolve that as far as depends on u.s. il shall not
be defeated.
or all secular days, that is one "for examina-
tion and confession of faults" and this du,y ia
equally imperative upon those who are entrust,
| ed with the administration of the government.
They, too, with the people, ahsuld sincerely in
quire in what, If in anything, they have offend
ed or fallen short of duty. The result OF the
examination cannot bat prove more satisfactory
to the people than to their agents, With pat.
| riotism never before exceeded, the former have
almost prodigally lent themselves and their
wealth to the latter, to maintain the governmen
Properly used, and with policy which reAec.. !.
ing, patriotic men saw from the first was vi,al
to euccess, the rebellion would long since have
been terminated The war is peculiar one.
| On the part OF the Government there waa no
Constitutional ground or any other ground
worthy OF even moral appreciation, upon which
IL could be prosecuted, than the duty to restore
tho Union as it existed when tho rebellion com.
menced. To such restoration, the prot ection
Of the State governments and the people OF the
States, in all the rights, secured or Ie.erved by
the Constitution Of tue General Government,
was, and Continues to be absolutely necessary.
The Unitei States, as constituted by our fathers,
cannot exist without the existeBos Of the States.
To destroy the last, in single instance, 10 60
take away the very foundation on which the for.
mer rest, and eau only rest. interference with
the Institutions Of the one is a violation of the
guarantees, express and implied, of the other.
Power, mere physical power, may accomplish
the destruction of thete, and the States who
through the General Government accomplish il
may continue TO live, Jut it will not be the life
which the Constitution bestowed. To the ex.
tent that the destruction shall 20 will be the
destruction of the Union. The constitutional
freedom which our fathers designed for all will
at once be measurably destroyed, and prece.
dent established which will, sooner or later,
involve oil In ruin. That this opinion was gem
eral in the commencement of the war must be
known to all. '-a "a i-G.-s-t RI
Congress then, by solemn resolution, declared
1t; ana, as long as the sincerity Of the declara.
ton Was believed, and the government was seen
to act In the same spirit, victory crowned our
arms, and the Union feeling in the South, which
at tirst prevailed to o considerable extent, was
pure anu hopeful OF the defeat OF the rebellion.
This feeling is now, through the change of pol
icy, dying out, and soon, unless the original one
be resumed, will be wholly extinct. Oar rulers,
then, on the coming anniversary, should search
their own souls. 10 the privacy of their closets,
they should subject themeelves to IA honest,
scrutinizlng examination-abandon prejudices,
II they hnd them-drive 'out any mere party
feeling, II they discover it-blol ou! any views
to g presidential election Chat fruitful source
Of iorgetiulness OF national duLy), If they see
the slightest symptom OF the disease, aud re-
solve Oh devoting themselves to the one single,
patriotic purpose, which God and man alike ex,
pects OF them, the suppression OF the rebellion
and the restoration OF the Union, with all the
rights OF States and persons which it was 60
clearly designed to regard and protect. And
let lthem, az the eArlisss moment, make the
ayoWal. Let Them cause the glad tidings to be
ssns into every corner of the land, and Ehe Dor.
tentious clouds, now lowering aud thickenlng
over Us, will soon be dispessing, and confidence
taking the place OF dependency. Another du.
ty ON their part is equally clear, and almost as
important. Let them correct the faults, as far
as they can, in regard TO it which they have
committed, and OF which they must now be
conscious, and resolve TO commit 40 such in the
tuture.y tsaii La-ae.FJ ~
Let the President, who We are bound to be-
lieve intends we'll, remove from command all
unfit officers, whose stars on their shoulder
straps are not the reward of ekill and gallantry
on the field, bnt of party services. The army
is filed with Bligaaiers aud Mljor-G Generals, 90
say nothing Of otner oticers, so unfit, that the
President is unwilling TO assign them CON-
mands suited to their rask. With zach mate
rails no Commander in. Chief, whether Scott,
Mcclellan, or Halleck, can, insure success. .
However sklllfuly planned campaigns may be,
they must fail Twice recently, on the Rap
pahannock, two of the latter, from evident
want OF ability, led 10 slaughter thousands and
thousands Of az brave men as Green or WASH
ington ever led to vio.ory--men who, when led
by skillful chief, made the names OF South
Mountain, Antietam, and Mcclellan immortal.
The two eflicere alluded to--no doubt mo6t cal.