Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-08-18
OUR MILITARY BUDGET.
RECONSfRI-CTJoN

to estimate Mt their true value onIy the New
Iolk HerdlTS Geek and bull stories. alleging
shat Cabinet councils have been held to con-
slider terms of "reconstruc.'on,' readmission
Of so called seeded States into the Union,
&c, &c. They are simply idle rumors, appa-
Tently invented TO make up Tor a temporary
dearth of news. The time for the considera.
ton OF any such questions by this Government
mas not yet arrived. and what may be the COM
bination and complication of the circumstances
o be considered when it may arrive, are rs yet
ar beyond human ken.
The theory upon which the Government is
prosecuting the war is based ON the assumption
that the right TO secede, or, in other words, to
destroy the Government Of the United States,
has no existence either in constitutional law or
Justice. The rebel authorities are, therefore,
being dealt with wholly as rebels, and not IA
the representatives of a power on the earth-of
:, government. They must be disposed OF as
rebels-be placed beyond the possibility OF
Srorking further Observation-Disclosures the question
of "recons truction'' can properly be con-
sidered. We are not among those who perceive
~ that question the tram OF difficulties which
are anticipated by those who, sympathizing TO
a greater or less extent with the rebels, if not
with the rebellion. are grieving lest the Union
and Constitution may not be restored precisely
10 they were. Or, III other words, lest the
leaders of the rebellion may not be restored to
their former positions and status under the
Government, with their ideas of its character,
and their opportunities to destroy it ut will,
again as prevalent as when their conspiracy
Culminated-in the spring Of 1861. The rebel
lion has already utterly obliterated more or
less late popular readings OF the character and
provisions of the Government and Constitu-
ton as they Were the law Of nature, the neces-
sity of self preservation having overridden
iancied rights growing out of strained con-
structions of the written law through which
tts southern section OF the Union has been led
into its present situation.
No man will pretend that there is written
law for many OF the extraordinary things that
have been necessarily done, in the work Of
maintaining the authority OF the general gov
eminent and defending the liberties and rights
Of the people against the assaults of the armies
OF the olisarchy III Missouri, kentucky, Ten
nessee and elsewhere. How completely public
opinion justifies those acts Of necessity, invov-
ing as they do sweeping changes in the admin
istratiOn of the government where they have
occurred. is as evident in the positions now
held by the loyal in Missouri, as in the results
Of the recent election i'll kentucky. One, and
the most important change, is in the so prompt
popular adoption of the theory that no man
who hereafter adheres to the doctrine that al
iegialSe to the Federal Government, or the
Union, is not paramount TO any other allegiance
whatever claimed OF the citizen, is TO be recog-
nized as retaining rights of citizenship. The
necessary establishment of military governor
ships in States actually In rebellion, rs in
Tennessee, facilities the operation of this
change; SO that when pacific1ted sufficiently
Tor tho rainitiation OF civil government over
them, IL will be started on the right track
That is, so that the doctrine of secession and
the leaders who have used II 10 bring war and
desoiation upon their deluded followers will
hereafter be utterly powerless TO work evil.
Thus, none but the thoroughly loyal will bs
recognized as entitled 10 the elective franchise
As III Kentucky two weeks ago, and III Mis-
souri, long since, so in Tennessee, when that
State again votes as a State of the Mon, men
only who will accept the test Of loyalty will
vote and be elected TO office, men who regard
the preservation OF the Union as being para
mount TO any other possible interest in the
state. Men who viii not permit the fancied
interests OF numerically Insignificant class Of
the commuEity-thosc directly Interested in
slave pTopcrty-to as heretofore override all
the interests Of all the rest Of society As the
pre- tense OF justification OF the rrbe Hon. those in
Tennessee who are to complete at the polls the
rescue OF their own liberties from the armed
assaults Of the olIgarchy, viii surely. take due
care that none setting It's interests above those
q the rest OF the State again occupy high
places They VIII pxtingui-t them by hook or
Dy crook, rs surely as men will externi-
nate mad dogs, when the opportunity arrives,
lest they may thereafter work mischief: and
Thar, too, without being over-particular about
tar means resorted ~. In so doing they must
OF necessity irample under foot alleged conSti-
tutional rights, III order to secure other and far
more important ard valuable constitutional
rights, which, experience has proved, cannot
rest III safety so long there is Il possible
chance that they may D. a. the mercy OF the
interests or slave property
We see nothing 10 regret i'll this prospect be-
.ieying do that the problem of what
shall be done with the negroes IN the Border
States will work itsel: out with vastly less
irIuIy 10 society than the success OF the rebel
lien would have wrought III those States In.
deed, on the contrary, ara believers that
the lapse of Il single decade, or two at most.
will place the Border States, one and all, in
dustIialiy, numerically, IN point OF The develop
mfnt OF their resources OF all descriptions and
81 duedu oil
the condition 1T which those comm unities
wouid have arrived had not the war or some
other inierposiion OF Divine Power wrought
the sudden and unexpected changes that are
taking place.
Tie time for hopeful demonstration" will be
when the rebel oligarchc power is adequately
crushed, so that we can deal directly with the
people OF the South unineumbered by any
Stipulations with the leading cons pirators OF
the rebellion to leinstate them liz the same
positions 10 do mischief, as those they so sig
nally abused in the past. The most ordinary
precauton calls for the ex traction OF the fanss
of the snake that has bitten MS so severely.
We may not inappropriately here remind
the reader that tue present constitution Of
England il AN unwrittsn one; the cumulative
work OF many centuries; and that its most val
liable features have grown naturally from the
necessities OF the times in which they Were
adopted through the various eventful periods
of English history. And, further, that they
were all nominal encroachments upon So
called vested rights; the wrestling of Magma
Char.a by the barons from King John; tho
abolition or the feudal system; the SO recent