Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-01-18

cd resistance 10 laws by declaring that the col
dition Of war removes all constitutional r
atralnts. They call about the national capit
hordes of unprincipled men, who fnd In Il
wreck Of their country the opportunity to gra
ify avsrice or ambition, or personal or politics
resentments. This theory makes the passlo
and ambition of an administration antagonist
to the interests and happiness of the people.
makes the restoration of peace the abdicatio
of more than regal authority in the hands
those to whom is confded the government {
our country. .
OF the same nature is the recent Proclams
ready signed an act OF Congress- which assert
that the slaves Of those 10 rebellion are confii
cate. The sele effect of this Proclamation
therefore, is to declare the emancipation Q
slaves of those who are not In rebellion, an
who are therefore loyal citizens. II Is an OF
traordinary deduction from the alleged wa
power, that the forfeiture Of the right of Ioya
oitizens, and bringing upon them the same pun
ishment imposed upon insurgents, is calculate,
to advance the success of the war, to upholt
the Constitution, aud restore the Union. Th,
class of loyal citizens who, above ell others
are entitled to the protection Of the govern
ment, are those who have remained true to th,
flag of our country. And yet the sole force o
this proclaim alton is directed against shem
May not this measure, go clearly impolitic, un
just and unconstitutional, and which IL calcu
lated to create so many barriers to the rest0ra
tion OF the Union, be misconstrued by the worlt
as an abandonment Of the hope or the purpose
OF restoring it--a result 10 which the State Of
New York Is unslterably opposed, and which
will be effectually resisted.
We must not only support the Constitution 0!
the United States and maintain the rights oi
the States, but We must restore our Union as Il
Was before the outbreak Of the war. The az
sertion that this war was the unavoidable re-
suit Of slavery is not only erroneous, but Il hae
led to disastrous policy in Its prosecution. Ths
opinion that elavery must be abolished to re-
store the Union creates an antagonism between
the free and the slave States which ought moi
to exist. If 1t is true that slavery must bs
abolished by the force of federal govern
ment; that the South must be held In military
subection; that four millions of negroes mus
for many years be under the direct manage
ment OF authorities at Washington at the pub
lie expense; then indeed we must endure the
waste of our armies In the field, further drains
upon our population, and still greater burdens
OF debt. We must convert our government
into military despotism. The mischievoul
opinion that in this contest the North must sub
iugate and destroy the South to save our Union
has weakened the hopes of our citizens si
home and destroyed confidence 10 our success
abroad r......
THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN STATES.
II is suggestive fact, affordlng instruction
and hope for the future, that the theories which
have exercised an evil influence on our nstiona
politics did not originate In what may be called
the heart OF the Union, among the intimate arlt
well acquainted populations OF the Central ant
Western States, where the States permitting anI
forbidding slavery are In actual contact, nor il
the portions traversed by the great East anf
West lines of commerce and Intercourse. The,
have been developed almost entirely In two SEQ
tions Comparatively isolated by position, tradi
tions, end peculiar habits Of thought, and leas
connected with the more homogeneous mass o.
our people, There have been extreme Northeri
views and extreme Southern views; but also,th,
more broader and more. tolerant views of tn,
more populous Central and ,Weatern States
These extend on both sldes Of that undulatina
boundary between "slave'n,r and "iree', s sates
which 10 not line Of opposing opinions but O
intermingling interests. Their plains are In
terlocked by oonfuent rivers, and not iiyidet
by mountain ranges. These States are q le
gion Of harmonizing views and sympathiea.-
They are not only bound together by peculiar
interests, but also by strong reasons for resist
ing division on that boundary; which woult
make them frontier States, which would replace
their cordial intercourse by hostile relatonshipe
and throw upon them all the greatest and shafu
est evils of separation. Thus, while they d
not share the passions and preudices of thos
extreme States which strove TO enlist them il
the contest, they have motives of the highes
interest 10 restore the old order of things, an
of the gravest apprehension from separation
This war blights and destroys the hopes an
the happiness of this region, while the section
whose passions and interests kindled is or
mainly remote from the terrible suffering |
has caused,
The Western and Central States enlisted warm
ly in war for the Union and Constitution. Tn
Northern tier of "slave States" (except easl
ern vlrglnis,) earnestly supported the govern
ment In Ito policy while II was consistent wit
this purpose, which was known as the "borde
State policy" Both the administration an
Congress then declared their sole purpose to b
to restore the Union and maintain the Constl
tuition. When the administration abandone
this policy and took up the views Of exsrem
Northern States, 1t lost, at the late elections
nearly all the political support which the Cen
tral aud Western States afforded In lhe election
Of 1860 and 1861. .l 8 q
When the North cannot hold the Souther
States in subsection without destroying tn
principles Of our government, the great Centre
and Western States can control the two el
.remes. They viii not accept the views
either ss safe guides In the conduct of publ
affairs. This 10 shown BY the political histor
Of our country during the past four year
| When IL was believed that the late Administrt
ton was controlled by the views Of the Gu
States, It lost its power in the Central and We
tern region. The opposing party, to gain put
lie support, were obliged to repel, by assurances
and resolutions, the charge that they would II
terfere With slavery 10 the States, and they d,
nounced as unjust the imputation that they hel
the views of the abolitioniats Of the extren
Northern section. Without these pledges th,
could not have gained political power. 81.
| When the Gulf States seeded, the centrl
slave States, by large msjorities, refused 10
with them. They soughs to avoid war and
vision by the Peace Conference held In Was
lington. Unfortunately the dominant leaders
the party which had succeeded at the electi,
OF 1860, overlooking the fact that this Was do
lby the vote Of about i,s00, 600 against dyid
Opposition Of about 300, 600, rejected all tern
OF lcomTomiss and coRcilisaon as inconsiste
with the results Of the election, and attempt,
20 govern and control an sgitated and convuls
country strictly BY the opinions and sentimen
lof o minority. ~ sas : 4M
\ The outbreak Of the war involved our who
country In its excltements. The States OF D,
aware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri, a
the Western paEs Of vRginla, adhered to 4
Union. The purpose then avoWed BY the A