New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-02-18

We print on another page letter from Mr.
ID. A. Mahony, editor of The Dubuque HcraIo
0owa), and late resident in Fort Lafayette,
ropelng certain imputatOns which he sup
poses to have been cast upon him by The
TRIBUNE. Having neither time nor room
for a long reply to bis screed, We must cen
be content with short one
/. We have cited Mr.. Mahony, among 9th
era. as living witness that large and lnfu-
entail portion of the Democratic party were
unqualifedly hostile to the War for tho Union
before as they have been since the Procla-
nation Of Freedom. Mr. Mahony's letter ful-
ly sustains our position.
g Mr.. NJ. soys he has been termed Sc
cessonist' in our columns, and impeaches that
designation as misapplied. In its more precise
meaning Of q champion of the right Of State
peacefully to secede from the Union, that term
does not apply to him; but in its popular and
well understood acceptation of one nfo synPa-
thi-es Nth the ReIcis nou rdrring on the Union
under N. banner Of Secession, it does apply 10
him; and that is just what was intended aud
generally understood
3. Mr.. NJ. quotes Mr.. Lincoln's distinct and
full affirmation of the Right of Revolution ns in
effect conceding the Right of Secession. Ditto,
a. to the Editor of THE TRIBUNE. Ii is a
sufficient answer to this to say that we who DO
affirm the Right of Revolution do no, concede
the Right Of Secession, while the Slaveholding
Rebels, who so s,outy proclaim the Right Of
Secession, utterly ignore the Right of peaceful
Revolution, insisting that East Tennessee and
West Virginia shall be integral portions Of
their Confedcracy, no matter what their peo-
pie may wish, or say. or vote. Tho right for
which they contend inhercs in STATES only. We
affirm q right anterior TO Gil States ana IL.
hcrcn. in every People.
4. Mr.. Mahony labors, in defiance Of notO-
rious facts, To make tile Federal Government
and ita supporters responsible for the War
now devastating this country. This War was
begun by the Rebels, in Selling BY force forts,
arsenals, nayy.yards, customhOuses, vessels,
arms, munitions, &c, which were the unques-
toned property Of The United States, captur-
ing Through trcachery), disarming, and parol-
ing the principal military force of the Union;
refusing to let the garrison Of Fort Sumter be
provisoned; and finally by bombarding and
reducing that fortress, thus plungng the coun-
try waptoDly into an abyss Of carnage and
civil war immediately after that challenge TO
mortal combat, the Confederate Secretary OF
War made n speech at Montgomery Chen
their capiial, in which lie declared that the
Confederate flag should wave over Washington
City within month. The Union was thus
bullied, driven, fouted, kicked into war By the
Confederate traitors; and he who now takes
their part, aud seeks to put the blame of the
collision on the Federal Administration, seems
to US as black Hearted traitor as the worst
of them. The Union was put on defense by
the Rebels, aud has since been fighting for lts
life. Surely, History will blast the memory OF
those who should be among that Unions de.
tenders, but choose TO pettilog the desperate
cause of its perjured and traitorous assaiants.