Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-21
The West ana the war.

The Missouri Republican, of the 18th inst.
has review of the card of the traitor Ma.
honey, Published in the New York World
and asserting that the public sentiment OF
the West is utterly opposed 10 the contin.
uauce of the war. The Republican, after
stating the substance of Mahony's card
says:
Sir. MahOny is the editor of a paper
printed in the town of Dubuque-a paper
which was long excluded from the mails ON
account of distOyalty-and Que which has
consistently opposed the war from the start
hast fall, while under arrest, be obtained
partial Enforcement from his party in
the Third District of Iowa as candidate
tor Congress, bnt was beaten more than
thirty-six hundred votes, though he at tina,
time claimed to be IL Union man. We
have not recently seen any pretensious ON
his part that he now belongs in the cat
egory OF UniOnists, but would rather sun.
pose he Prides himself on being anything
else.
We shall not inquire into the claim Of
Dir. Mnhouy to represent the political sen
timents-of the Northwest. we can moi see
where he obtained the knowledge of the
popular tendencies of that section which
enables him to speak with such positive.
ness and, IN truth, do not believe the al
legged facts, on which his assertions are
based, to exist at all. Why is the West
opposed to the further prosecution Of the
war and In favor Of disunion, for the lro
as the case stNnds, are identical2 Mr..
Mahony says it because of the abolition
policy of tine Washington Administration.
| Now we agree-it would be useless to de-.
ny-that the West is thoroughly opposed
to many of the pct measures put forth at
the National Capital. But two wrongs do
not make one right. Mr.. Lincoln and
the whole Republican and Abolition
party have it not in their power, nv
any extravaganza or nonsense, to palliate
the gigantic "mistake" of the South or tn
render Union particle less desirable.
% the other hand, there is no evidence
that werc the present Administration Dem.
ocratlc OF even pro-slnVery, the leaders of
the rebellion would feel desire TO rg,nst,
TO their allegiance. They say that were n
white sheet of paper presented them " here.
on 10 write their own terms of fellowship
With the people Of the North, they Womb
take nothing but the unconditional recog.
milton OF the Southern Confederacy. They
the leaders, who, after all, control the
PeVPio " means OF their military desDOt.
lsm-were practically in the same hostility
e the Government before the EmancinS.
lion Proclamation was issued, before the
conhscattop bill was passed, before the flu
gttlve slave law was il. effect uuilitied, az
now, aud they demand no more now
than then. 1t is true, the ultra meas.
nFes of Republican par.isans. have
solidifed public seutiment at the
South to great extent against. the Ad.
minis'ra1ion, and perhaps rendered reunion
more difficulty but with those with whom
our armies have to deal chiefly, the oriqi-
nal secessiOnists, there is no proof that The
case would have been very far different
had the war continued under the couserva.
tive national policy adopted at.the begin
ming II Is no argument against the war
that some persons support it because they
believe 1t will result in the abolition 81
slavery Whatever side issues there NAV
be in the minds of different persons. the
contest is still one for Uuion, and prelemi.
nentiysO. We can only have Union nov
by vigorously prosecuting the. war, for Il
cease hostilitiSs, in the face of the lincoln,
promising demands OF the rebels, is simpl,
to consent to the disintegratiou of th,
country.
Il