The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-12-06
' r :.:;!!E|:;||lii|!!!!;;;'|| 4 4

To tia Ed r or u I1s&e Il
RsNtsy 81 lcishsl ~ q
away since tho sfeat sbattiS6f fassday wei
are now enabled to perceive tho Wstsrlee]
defeat we haxs -suatained. Power and pa
tropage have beaten Us at the polls; but
numbers can never beat facts, while we still
have ieft a fhs single eonscission sthssths1
principles of the Democratic party yet
stand, asthey sssrstosd( ssainst' fhe storm,
unshaken though UNDECIDED: Aud, Wthths|
assurance that struth crushed to earth will
rise again.. We must pick our saints and Try
again. While the object for which We hsye
labored issthe rsstoratiep Of the p piopp77 !
the salvation of the country-we must not
become weary in we'll doipgi bur, on the
contrary, with our views of the situation,
while sunk in humanity, we should rise in
devotion and patriotic effort with the great
ness of the emergency Il,
What, then, is our situation to-day, and
what can the Democratic party do in the
present emergency-whst are their responsi>
bilities7 1t might seem presumption in me
even to raise this question, bat Ifeel when.
our country is in danger every man VIII
has an interest in it has right TO speak
with no time to be lost-and, therefore, in
part from my position in the late political
canvass, venture to submit suggestion
upon what seems now to me the great
question for the present consideration and
determination of the Democratic party. 81
The issue upon which the Presidential
election turned was in fact not the true
one. The Chicago platform, and that of
General Mcclellan as stated in his letter,
though in fact substantially identical, were
not 80 accepted by the entire Democratic
party, while the Republican party repre-
sented both Is tending 70 disunion. The
Democratic partyswsrs sehargedby the Re-
publican leaders a. being disunionists-
| Intending by stcessa ton of hostilities" to
bring the war to . dishonerable close, in
the conclusion Of aldishonorahle peace, based
upon the independence of the Southern
Confsderacy-and the masses were made to
believe it. In Eains did Democrats argue
| and insist that they were indeed the only
true Unionists, their line of policy being
the only one that could effect thu, rsstora.
ton of the Union, while that Of the Re-
publcans could only lead to 6nal and per-
manent disunion. Nobody questioned that
if, as claimed by the Democratic party, the
South could BY their policy be brought
back to the Union, under the Constitution,
that policy would have been adopted in the
felection Of Mcclellan by an overwhelming
majority. But,the delnsion was suceessful,
and hence the result.
Are our prospects. better now that Mr..
Lincoln Is 70 elected than they were prior
to the electfon2 In my pnblished letter OF
July 10th I said: "The South have only,
like the President, to feel the military ne.
cessity' on their part, - q last resort, in
preference to subjugation by the North, to
lberate their slaves and put at least four
of them into their armies for every one
available at the North" In the Confeder>
ate Congress, just assembled, this subject
has been discussed; and in the message Of
President Davis he says "The subject 10
to be viewed by as, therefore, solely in the
light of policy and our social economy
When 80 regarded I must dissent from
those who advise general levy and armipg
of slaves for the duty of soldiers; but,
should the alternative ever BE- presented of
subjusation or Of employment Of the slave
as soldier, there seems no reason to doubt
what should be cur decision" He does not
think the necessity has yet come, but now
recommends training the "limitsd mum.
Der" cfforty thousand % "pioneers aud On
gineers," that they may form valuable
reserve force in case Of urgency" In the
letter referred to, also stated that, "lf the
abolition of slavery at the South has been
the main object of the present war policy
Of the President, 1t should have been coup.
led with proposition of separation, as with
voluntary emancipation on their part, separ-
alton and independence would thus Re
made certain. Does any body doubt this2
And, if so, then verify would DO upon US
the question Of union with slavery, or separ-
alton with "freedom;" and however abo,
litionists may feel on this qustion, doubt
not that the Confederates would prefer the
former. An article taken from the Rich,
mond Examiner, just copied into the pres>
of tue country generally, need only to bs
referred to In further confirmation of the
position herein presented. 1t says the free
election of Lincoln ought to convince every
sane mind in the land that our only reliance
is in resistance to the last extremity" and
argues at some length that it wonld effect
ually eradicate prevalent idea In the minds
Of The people that restoration of the old
Union would result from the election of Me-
Clellan. .a .a.
But my suggestion is this: Now that the
Democratic party have lost the election;
that they are without offices, or emolu-
ments' or the prospect of them; that they
are without charge of the Government. or
its responsibilities, and can in no event con
summate dishonorable peace, or weaken
the power or POSITION of our armies; that,
in short, they can have no motive in any
thing they may undertake or propose other
than to promote the best good of our com>