The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-12-26

In common with a considerable portion
of the loyal people of the country, we hav,
sometimes INDUCED spirit of grumblng
at what we regarded the hardness Of the
Administration; disregardiDg the apostolic
injunction, we have not always " possessed
our souls in patience" The removal of FIRE.
mont, Butler and Hunter, and the continu-
ance Of Mcclellan in command, long after
his unfitness had been demonstrated-the
frequent changes and failures IN the army
of the Potomac. and the policy pursued to-
wards the Radicals of Missouri, has. we
confess, at times, not little ckafed US; yet
through all this we never for moment lost
our confidence in the honesty of Mr.. Lin
coin, or in his ability, if properly sustained,
in crushing out this unhoy rebellion. New
er was there a nation executive beset with
such multiplied difficulties as has surround
ed our Chief Magistrate. Succeeding an
administration whose energies had been ex
hausted in preparing the way for one of the
most gigantic rebellions the world ever saw
"a treasury depleted by the per6dy OF
traitors-our forts and arsenals in the pos
session Of conspirators, and our navy dis
persed to remote regions. Coming into
power with the nation thus emasculated he
was called upon to meet perfected revolu
ton of nine powerful states. marshalling an
array of half million of men, and having
the sympathy. If not the diiect aid, of a
large portion of the Peope in the loyal
states. Super added to these difficulties
was the ill-disguised unfriendly feelings of
the most powerful of foreign nations.
In view of all these things, there can be
no cause for repining. Instead, therefore,
of fretting because all our anticipations have
not been realized, let us rejoice that so
much has been accomplished. No other
nation on earth could have survived such a
shock. The recuperative energies of our
people, excited by the inspiring influence
of free institutions, have, amidst unparal-
leled difficulties, already deV eloped power
at the sight of which the despots of the
world are trembling.
Not only is the authority of the govern
ment being vindicated, but the great plague
spot of slavery will soon cease to stain our
national escutcheon.
How to dispose of the revolted States
after they may have been brought into sub
lection, is a question which has hitherto
perplexed the minds of our ablest states
men. To receive them as they were. |
would be to reestablish the slave power
and prepare the way towards repetition OF
the bloody scenes through which we are
passing. To admit them, upon terms, as
new States, would seem to conoede their
right and power to secede. Mr.. Lincoln we
believe has completely succeeded in untying
the Gordon knot; his plan is ingenious. yet
plain and simple. and for anything we can
perceive, altogether feasible. 1t leaves the
oyal people in the revolled States to revise
md remodel their Institutions and resume
heir position in the Uniou-not as new
States, but as renovated old ones.
The reconstruction proclamation of pres
dent Lincoln will. we predict, form an i'm
,ortant epoch in the history ofour country.
md its influence will be felt throughout
he civilized world.
p,