Indiana State sentinel., 1863-08-24
The Possibility of Restoring the Un-
fOa-skepublican View OF the Ones


The Possibility of Restoring the Un-
tton.
We copy the following article upon 1.-THE posi-
bility of restoring the Union" from the Spring
field Republican. the ablest Administration jour
nal in Massachusetts. The views expressed by
the Republican eminently worthy of consid-
Grafton, and significant, too, considering the
source from which they emanate:
William Whiting. solicitor of the War Depart
ment, has written letter TO the Union League
OF Philadelphia, in which be undoubtedly repre-
sents the theories prevailing at the war Office as
to tue proper treatment of the revolted States
and they are remarkable in being in exact oDpo
slton TO those frequently and distinctly declared
by the President and by Congress. It would
seem as it Secretary Stanton were at the head of
a little Government of his own--a sort of..imper-
um i0 imperic-and that it is not considered
tha; his department shall be in harmony with the
rest of the Administration, either in theory or
practice. Gov. johnson, of Tennessee, acting
un'ler authority from the President, has officially
assured the people Of that 81 te that he will issue
writs for the election of Legislature at the ear
liest practicable moment; that is, the
rebellion is 50 thoroughly put down in the State
by the military arm that general and free ballot
will be possible. aud as the people shall show a
disposition 10 return 10 the Union. We suppose
this declaration indicates the Presidents policy
and that Tennessee is not to be treated excep-
tionally, hut that The States now occupied by the
rebel ariuies will be permitted to return to the
Union In the same way whenever they are ready
But Mr.. Solicitor Whiting takes quite another
view of the matter He supposes that after the
power of the rebellion is broken. the people of
the South will hate the Government. and the
North as bitterly ever; that they will still be
traitors at heart. and seek TO get back into the
Union only to obtain the power they have failed
TO secure by fighting; that they will make State
laws excluding Northern men and free blacks,
destro, freedom of speech and of the press and
send back TO Congress the coOsprators vino have
brought civil war upon the country; and. finally
'the insanity OF State rights doctrines will be
nouTished and strens thenei BY admitting back a
conquered people as our equals. aud iis baneful
influence cannot be estimatedl" Mr. Whiting
therefore protests against allowing the Southern
States Ia came back into the Union until they
have changed their constitutions and abolished
slavery, and ne argues that the rebellion has
given us the right to treat these States AS Terri
tories aud re admit them only ON such conditions
as we may choose TO impose. Mr. Whiting sums
up his policy of reconstruction briefly as follows
ALLOW the inhabitants of conquered territory
to form themselves into States. only by adopting
constitutions such will forever all cause
OF COLLISION with the SLtteS, Oy excluding
slavery therefrom, Or continue military govern
the conquered district until there SD all
appear therein a sufficient number of loyal nhab-
itants to inrm republican government which by
guaranteeing freedom to all shall be in accord
with the true spirit of the Constitution of
the United States"
We state the two theories without at this time
discussing tkem. Whether the President or his
war Secretary is right, aud which is likely carry
n.
now question is the correctness of Solicitor
Writings assumption that the hostility of the
Southern people to the Union will continue after
the rebellion is crushed out. It may prove so
with the leaders. but all present indications 20 TO
show that the large majority Of the Southern
people will take kindly TO the Constitution and
the old flag again. that the war has taught them
to respect the Northern people, and has di-sipa
ted many of the political 6ctions by which they
we're educated 10 become rebels. The fraterniza-
ton OF Union and Confederate soldiers at Vicks
burg, Port Hudson aud elsewhere, so sincere and
hearty as To cause General surprise. is significant
in this direction. The readiness of large por-
ton OF the rebel prisoners TO take the oath of
allegiance and even eust IN the Union ranks
the universal complaints of the ebel papers that
the Southern people show II disposition to give up
their experiment aud talk about a return to the
Union; the splurSe of fal~ehooG and bad rhetoric
with which jeff. Davis attempts to counteract
that tendency--theSe. and maDy like facts, daily
reported and increasing ucon us. show the drift
of the Southern mind, and very far to remove
the fear, or hope, expressedby SplicitOr Whiting
that the Southern people will settle down into
sullen hostility to the Union after their defeat
making it necessary either tn exterminate
them absolutely or 10 wait until another genera
tion is born and reared. before the Union can be
restored.
The account by the correspondent of the New
York Times of the reception of Gen. Banks and
staff at Natchez, Mississippi. their way to
Vick>burg. is very striking and suggestive:
while at Natchez il impossible not to
mark the evident spirit of friendliness which
greeted u, and which is so different from what
we might be led to expeci FROM the teachings of
rebel leaders and their Northern sympathizers
The fact is that matters have gone so far now
that the people bordering the Mississippi river
wonld become glad TO see the old flag waving
undsturbed forever, and commence reunting the
bonds so rudey torn asunder by designing
knaves and politicians When came among
the upper classes. where animosity would be ex
pected to be most bitter, we found the feeling
still more remarkable. Not only at every house
they visited, dill Gen B INKS and his party receive
all that nnbOunded hospitality for which South
ern character is So respected, bnt in passing
among The various plantations. ladies on Their
piazzas ac'u1lly waved handkerchiefs at them.
The scenes and incidents now around US are of
character 20 warm the heart and nourIsh the hope
of every true patriot in the land They are of
the deepest significance; and | am glad that
among The party was a British consul and the
captain of French man Of war. who would both
do well to convey faithful impressions Of these
things to their respective governments"
To the same purport is the testimony of the
Memphis Bulletin. after conversing with leading
men from nearly all Of the seven original rebe
States. when il saws:
"'Tis useless 10 disguise the fact that the peo
pie OF the South are earnestly anxious that the
United STATES should make some proposal of
peace on the basis oi rest"raiion Of the Union.
Nor win they be sui' ed by the opinions, views
feelings of those who have lei them astrav The
newspapers 10 not represent the sentiments Of the
masses OF The South. On the contrary. they (the
newspaprrs> ignored. and their sentiments
cursed by large proportion Of the people. Our
informant has travelled through Alabama, Geor
gia and western North Carolina and has come to
the deliberate conclusion that the people ripe
for the restoration of the Union on anything like
an honorable basis"
correspondent of the Boston Traveller, at
Gen Meade's headquarters. writes:
within the last three days some twenty de-
serters have come Aithn our lines at this place,
including an Orderly Sergeant from Louisiana
regiment who says he resides within forty miles
of New Orleans and is desrons Of returning to
his home. He reports that large numbers of
Louisisuians watching for favorable oppor-
tnnity to desert. being anxious TO return to their
homes. Myinformant also saws that the news Of
the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson. and tte
opening Of the Mississippi. has greatly dsheart-
ened the Mississippi and Louisiana troops This
feeling of discomfort and despondency, he as
serts, is not confined to particular State regi
ments. but all save the Texans are discouraged
4 Ill