The New York herald., 1863-03-30

people at the ballot box In 1854. So impatient
are they for the public plunder now in the
hands Of the republican party that they are not
content TO await the result in the manner pro-
vidcd by the constitution. These copperheads
propose to resist by force the execution of the
laws Of Congress for the prosecution of the war.
The result Of course, would be confusion, an
archy and bloody strife in our midst, to say
nothing Of the inevitable loss of the Union
The path Of wisdom leads in q different direc
ton. Let no resistance be offered to the laws,
and let the constituted authorities be sustained
Ii public opinion be against these laws, so much
the worse for the party who enacted them, and
30 much the more certain is their overthrow in
the coming Presidential election. But if they
| are good laws they will be good when the con-
servatives come into power, and what is now
sauce for the democratic goose will then be
sauce for the republican gander. By the opera
ton of the laws now on the statute book, and
the precedents set by the Secretary Of War,
the abolitionists can be utterly squelched by
the conservative administration which will
be ushered into power by the vote Of the
people in the fall of next year. There is
no need, therefore, of offering any violent
resistance even to unconstitutional laws.
AS Mr.. Lincoln observed, he has given to hiIr
by Congress great powers on paper; but if
their exercise is not supported by the popular
will they will remain on the statute book q
dead letter.
The questions at issue between the conserva-
tives and destructives will be settled in due
time at the polls. But meantime it is essential
to the existence of the republic TO maintain
law and order, and united action and energetic
cooperation are necessary in order to the put
ting down of the rebellion; else we would soon
| have no republic and no spoils left to quarrel
about To enter into mortal combat with each
other now would be as foolish as for two fire
companies to waste their precious time in
fighting while great confagration was raging
in their view. If the iremen were not desti-
tute of common sense they would first COM
bine to subdue the enemy, and settle their diff
ferences afterwards. The true course, there
fore, for the conservatives Of all classes
| is to unite with all others who are
| willing and ready to extinguish the flames Of
insurrection; and if the party who elected Mr..
Lincoln falter In their duty TO the country,
either from incompetence or wilfully or from
malice prepense, they will be swept away by
the unanimous voice of the people, and the
place that knew them shall know them no
more. The responsibility now rests upon their
shoulders, and nothing ought to be done which
would give them an excuse to shift it upon
others. The longer the rope given them the
more rigidly will they be held to account here
after. If they fail to restore the Union while
they have the free use Of the most ample
means to.do 80, they are lost, and no human
power can save them from total extinction.
The Two Opposition Societies for the
OiMasion OF Useful Knowledge"
The schemes to which the copperhead and
abolition papers resort in order to make both
ends meet and take little longer lease of life
are at once curious and amusing The latest
and most transparent of these schemes is the
organization of societies avowedly "for the diff
fusion of useful political knowledge" but really
for the promotion of the circulation of the papers
whose editors or proprietors are, as our imma-
culate Aldermen say, Gin the ring" The cop
/
nal of Con,merce-frst adopted this idea, and
called meetings at Delmonico's, where the edi-
tors ate and drank enormously and the politi-
clans paid the bills. The abolition, negro-wor-
shipping papers-the Tribune, Times and Post
have now started an opposition concern called
''The Loyal Publication Society, and intend to
eclipse the other organization, the Original
Jacobs, completely. Already the circulars are
issued, the agents appointed. The only thing
now needed Is little money, and that is re-
spectfully requested from innocent people in
the shape of subscriptions.
The diffusioniss have repeatedly ex-
pressed the opinion that nothing is
more advantageous than useful know
ledge We quite agree with them The aboli-
tionists confidently assert that '.in their opinion
| no more efficient work can be done by loyal
citizens than the dissemination Of good and true
loyal reading matter among the people," We
believe that "more efficient work can be done
by loyal citizens" in conquering this rebellion;
but, with this exception we concur in the above
sentiment. The question is, however, what is
''useful knowledge" and "loyal reading?r
Here the doctors decidedly disagree. What the
diffusionists call ''useful knowledge" the aboli-
tionists term treason. What the abolitionists
call "loyal reading" the diffusionists stigmatize
as aid and comfort 10 the rebellion. This opens
wide field for discussion, and perplexes inno-
cent people amazingly. Fortunately the origi-
nators Of the opposition societies have very
simple rule in regard to this matter. "Useful
knowledge" according to the. .diffusionists, is
anything contained in the World, Express and
Journal Of Commerce "Loyal reading" accord
ing to the negro-worshippers, is anything con-
tanned in the Tribune, Times and Post. Conse-
quently the copperheads buy up and diffuse