The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1863-08-27

himself, and contains a plain exposition OF
the principles by which he will be guided
In the future prosecution of the war And
this, believe, is the reason why these rad
ical politicians here are so quiet. and do not
make any demonstrations They find that
in this letter the President comes out at
last, and fairly and squarely plants himself
upon their platform. They wished the war
in order that slavery in all the States might
be abolished; in order that the Southern
people might be either subiugated or en-
terminated; and il order that the estates of
the southern people might be confiscatea
and divided among the fanatics OF the
North. I'm this letter Of Mr.. Whiting
We are assured that the administration has
adopted this view, and will be guided in
its future action by these principles; that
the southern States now occupy no other
relation to the government than the rela-
lion of foreign countries with which we are
at war, and which we are determined to
conquer and subjugate; that the people of
the Southern States are no longer our fel-
low citizens, but that they stand in no 9TH
or relation towards us than that of public
enemies, whom it is the intention of the
government to conquer and subdue; and
that, after being conquered and subducd,
those States are to be ated as conquered
provinces, and the estates of the Southern
people arc to be confscated; above all, that
the Southern States are never to be read
mitted into the Union, never, until they
abolish slavery.
Finding, therefore, that the President
has adopted these views, and is shaping his
conduct according to them, the radical
politicians here find their object attained
and that they have nothing more to do ex-
ccpt to urge the President to embody a
declaration of these views in his next mes
sage to Congress, which he has readily
promised to do.
Here, then, is food for thought for the
people of the West. They were deluded in
to this war by the solemn declaration of
the administration that it was to be a war
for the Union. The repeated declarations
of the President, the Secretary of State.
and Congress, to this effect, are on record,
and can never be effaced The Secretary
of State went farther, and assured the
country that the condition of every human
being in the Southern States. after the war
should be the same that it was before the
war. These solemn pledges are now blown
to the winds like cobwebs The radical
republican members of the last Congress
passed measures which give to the Presi-
dent all the powers Of an eastern despot
which chan re the form of our government
from free republic to military dcspot-
ism; and the President has determined to
exercise these powers The matter is Sc
rious enough, and alarming enough. In all
probability the days of American liberty
are numbered. The freedom of elections in
some of the States is already taken away
How much longer will it be before it s ia
ken away in all Of them and a Burnside or
ii Schenck found for each State? Do the
people still delude themselves with the idea
that they will be allowed to hold another
Presidential election? DO they not see that
1t is i'll the power of the administration to
prevent that election from being held, or
rather TO have it held under bayonets, as
elections are now held in Kentucky and
Maryland and no one but republicans and
soldiers allowed to vote? And can it for
moment be supposed that the administra-
ton will refrain from the exercise of that
power?
There is another very serious matter in
relation to which the people ought to be
warned. The recent elections for men,
bers of Congress make it probable that
next House of Representatives in opposition
to the administration. 1t will be very
small majority, but still majority, and
they would have the power to elect the
Speaker, who would undoubtedly be Fer
nando Wood of New York. The admins
tration have taken means to prevent this.
When Congress assemblies, men will pre-
sent themselves from all the districts in
the Southern States now coupled by our
troops, and will claim to be Union men,
elected to Congress by the Union men in
those districts Arrangements have been
made to have such men sent from North
Carolina, Arkansas, Louisiana, the west
ern part of Tennessee, and Florida. These
men will really have been elected, but it
will be by an election held and controlled
by military force, and at which no one will
have been allowed to vote except tools of
the administration | need not say that