Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-10-15
MR.. SUMMERS ARGUMENT.

x The ri ader Of the eloquent speech delivered b.
Postmaster General Blair, at the meeting held a
Rockville on the 3lst ultimo, will remember tina
dennation of an article which appeared in thu
last number Of the Atlantic Monthly. He signal
lied the paper as having struck the keynote o.
revolution" is, the "sheer abolition Of State
| Constitutions in the region suffering under the
| rod of rebellion
Mr.. Blair held that I" the article in the Atlantic
Monthly may justly be quoted az the programme
of the movement. 1t presents" he adds, the
issue on which the Abolition party has resolved to
rest its hopes of setting up its domination in this
country" and to this programme" he placed in
opposition " that which is presented by PreSident
Lincoln"
1t is known to our readers that the article which
is thus arragned by member of the Presidents
Cabinet proceeds from Mr. Sumner, the distin-
guished Senator from Massachusetts. Mr. Blair
represents that there is grave dssidence between
the Senator and the President this point, and
that the former has directly arrayed himself against
the latter on a question Of fundamental policy in
the conduct of the war.
That there is direct sntagonsm between the
programme of Mr.. Sumner and that Of the
President will be denied by none. Indeed, Mr..
Sumner opens his article with strong protest
against the policy hitherto pursued by the Pr, ST.
dent in the civil management of the districts re-
claimed from the power Of the insurgents. He
arraigns that policy in the following terms:
-Four Military Governors have been already appointed
for Tennessee Tor South Carolina for North
Carolina and the other for Louisiana. 20 far knowD
the appointment Of each by simple letter from the
Secretary Of War But if this be done In four States
where is the limit 1t may be done in every rebel State
and il not every other State in the UnIon it will be
simply because the existence of valid State Government
excluded the exercise of this extraordinary power But
assuming that armies prevail, it will be done in
every rebel State, shall then have even Military Gov
ernors all deriving their authority from ruling
population amounting to upwards OF nine millions And
this imperaora DOMINION Indefinite in extent, will also
be indefinite 10 duration; for it, uuder the Constitution
and laws be proper to constitute such Governors it
clear that they may be continued without regard to time
for years, if you please, as Well as for weeks-and the
whole region which they are called to sway will be mill.
tary empire, with all the powers, executive legislative
and even judicial derived from one man 10 Washington
Talk Of the power Here it s with yeng
Talk of military rule. Here il s 10 the of Repub-
lic The bare statement OF this may put
guard We may we'll hesitate to organize single State
under military government, when we where such
step will lead II you approve one you must approve all
and the Nat onal Government may crystalline into mill
tary despotsm."
1t will be seen that, like every having strong
convictions of duty and independent views Of pub
lie policy, Mr.. Sumner does not oonstrue it to be
his function to accept in all things the initiative
of the Executive. He rejects, and properly re-
jects, the slavi,h dogma that an American citizen
in time Of war, any more than in time of peace,
is bound to support /" the Administration in all
its measures and in all its departments" and he
gives proof of the faith that is 10 him by impeach
ing an important part Of the political and military
conduct of the President.
We do not arragn him for thus opposing the
Administration in matter where he dssents, and
we are sure honestly dssents, from the course Of
the President. 1t is his right q citizen of the
United States to canvass all the measures Of the
President, and to bring them, as he does in this
article to the test of reason and expedency," as
he understands them. And his right under this
head is neither more nor less than that of every
other American freeman, however inferior the great
mass Of the Presidents countrymen may be to
Mr.. Sumner in the learning which they bring to
the investigation of such questions.
But, as on this question we sustain the policy Of
the President against the attacks Of Mr. Sumner,
we propose in few words to give some Of the
reasons why we feel it our duty to do So
The substance of the theory he advocates is stated
by Mr.. Sumner in the following terms
at 10 enough that for the time bring, and in the alb
Of loyal Government, they the Rebel States
can take part and perform function 10 The Union
that they cannot be recognised by the National Govern
ment TIE 10 plain There in these States
local functonaes bound by constitutional eaths, that
in fact there constitutional funconares and since
the State Government necessarily composed Of such
funetonsres, there be State Government. Thus
for instance South Carolina Pickens and HE associates
may call themselves the Governor and Lgssture and in
Governor and Legislature; but cannot recognise IN
such. Threfore to all preensiops in behalf Of State
Governments in the rebel States oppose the simple fact
that for the time being such Governments exist The
broad spaces once occupied by those Governments
now abandoned and vacated the whole rebs region
deprived # all local government lspses under the excu-
sVe jurisdiction OF Congress- precisely other
tory in other words the lifting Of the local govern
mrnts leaves the whole vast region without any other
government than Congress- unless the President should
undertake. to govern il by military power Starting
this proposition may sreD, especially to oil who believe
that there is divinity that doth hedge State hardly
be we'll founded In the Constitution t s simple and
natural while it affords easy and constitutional souou
| to our present emba rrassments"
! Now, we conceive that all that Mr. Sumner saw,
| about q State Governments" in the iusurOent dis