Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-12-03

POLITICAL ANTAGONISTS.

in the Border Slaveholding States, with compen-
saton to loyal owners we gave 1t our earnest anu
unhesitatiag support. When, at the opening OF
the last session Of the last Congress, he unfoided
at length tho relations of his proposition under this
head and gave it an extension and scope sufficient
10 embrace the subject of slavery in all the States;
and when, with the view of procuring for his pro-
icc place in the fundamental law of the land, he
urged upon the attention of Congress the proprie-
ty OF opening the way for an adhesion on the part
of all tie States to his bene icent plan for the re-
moval of slavery, we again gave to his views all
the support in our power, called aswe were to labor
against tue opposition of many among the Presi-
dents political adversaries, and the more depress-
ing lukewarmress of many among his professed
friends in this matter.
We favored this proposition for many reasons,
but chiefly because it seemed to offer plan for the
neaceful removal of an institution which, what
ever NAV be said in its favor in its legitimate
defence by theologians or politicians of certain
school, We shonld never have thought of creating
where it did not exist Accepting 1t as great
social fact, which, in the time Of mems ignorance,
had been allowed, under Providence, to ind
lodgment on this continent, we have uniformly
sought to deal with it practical men, called to
handle question involving passions and interests
which were ready any moment TO klndle into con-
suming flame by the very friction of adverse ideas
and asr rations Hence, in the discharge of our
function as public journalists, we have uniformly
felt 1t gu. day to oppose those schemes OF poi'i-
cal and sectional ambition which were initiated oy
Southern politicians in the peculiar interest OF
slavery and its extension, whether as exempllhed
in the annexation Ct Texas, the war upon Mexico,
the conquest and purchase of portion OF It's SOIL
the repeal of the Missouri compromise, the attempt
ed enforcement of the Lecompton constitution on
a reluctant people, or, lastly, the propagandsm OF
seditioQ under the name of secession Upon each
anG all of these issues we were found arrayed
against the men vino assumed to speak in behalf
OF " the South" and in the interest of slavery,
because, equally on grounds OF constitutional law
and of public expediency, We were compelled to
deny the rightfuluess and doubt the wisdom OF the
measures designated. p.
But. while illus resisting the projects Of a pro-
slavery anatcism at the South we never felt 1t our
duty 10 Join in the taunts and defiant recrimina-
tons which were constantly hurled at the whole
Southern e3pe BY the opponents of that fanati-
cisn which al the North was the natural compile
mcnt OF opposite form of phrenzy at the South.
Never was there better illustration of the pro-
grtss which is impressed society by antagonlstc
fyrc. sometimes tending in good direction and
sometimes in bad, than that which was afforded by
the gtsgonstic and yet cooperative tanalclsm' OF
the No1th and South in this matter of slavery
Each lived, and moved, and had its being In the
other. A Governor Adams in South Carolina
tina nked Gcd for the Abolitioniss as "the best
friends of the South" because they had enabled
the D!sunouists to fire the Southern heart by In
yocatiUns drawn from the threats OF mounting
zeslots A Wendell Phillips in Massachusetts,, at
time when lovers of their country were deploring
the advent of civil war, thanked God that He had
created General Beauregard; and instigated him
Gas though He had prompted the deed of shame)
TO fire on the flag of his country and thus light up
fame in the land which might consume slavery
by it's deyastations. Di,unionists joined hands
with Abolitonists in precipitating the great ca
lamity under which the nation groans to-day, and,
if nothing else weIe wanting to repel US from
sympathy with either it would be enough for US to
know tia, tEey both co-opcrated in preparing the
way for H. terrible CONFUSION, and both reJolced In
the ruin IT. cir hands had brought when they saw
the pillars Of our political edifce unseated by vio
lcnce from the firm base on which they had been
placed by the founders of the Republic. And
hence il is that, as lovers of the Union and defen
ders Of the Constitution We to-day feel called, In
sad retrospect Of the mschefs brought Gu the land
by these opposite forms of political agitation, to
shuu completely with each in their schemes OF
anarchic and revolutionary violence. UNFOLDING
the Constitution and the Laws against armed sedi-
tion at the South should be recreant to both if
we looked with complsccncy on projected measures
which contemplate nothing less than practical
and theoretical subversion Of our Government in
its form and genius, foreshadowed in the oblite
ration of State lines at the South and in the alb
sorption Of all local government over nearly half
he country in the NAV Of centralized political
and military dcspotism.
The National Government has its rights of
lust supremacy which must be maintained,
but maintained und II the Constitution, and by
means adopted in pursuance Of the Constitution.
On any other theory we should make ourselves
a. ,na treason which has the nm.