Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-08-18

tone is that Of dsapproya of the ground taken BY the Pre-
sdeht a majority even OF Republican papers protes
against TIE Presidents making the abandonment Of slave
~ sane qua non to the return of the rebel States 10 hf
Union ms seems, is indicative of very sudden aid
very remarkable change ia public sentiment aud such
more attention than has yet received 1t is
Two monhs since the Republican press body, besides
ma OF the opposition urDals, calling upon on
erers 10 put final upon slavery aud the slave
Inc Constitution abolshug slavery forever throug
the country 1t generally conceded all haGds that
slavery was dead Even Mr.. Brooks tho member of
Congress from this city pronounced the institution
upc ana protested against its being made any longer
bone of contention
Nor were the loyal people of tho country alone this
view OF Inc subject The rebel emsares in Europe have
Tor months past taken every accession to impress upon
Their sympathzsrs abroad that slavery longer
a. an element into the contest. he rebel Semmes,
his hrst appearance in the streets If southampton after tho
SINKING o Tho Aabama, made haste To tue English
raoolt VINO Hooked around bin that slavery existed in
the South only in name And last not least, we have
the declaration Of JEFF Davis himself, made t. Edmund
kike, only three weeks ago last Sunday, that the
south were not fighting for slavery but for indepeu-
dence'
La view of these facts the sudden change Of opinion
az the NORTH as evnced in the prevailing ns upon
President Incolns letter to the Niagara Com
49, to say the least remarkable; and il is important
Know whether the loyal people of the country really
willing that the rebel States .held return To the Union
with slavery This question must ue cessariy form one Of
the chief Issues IN the next Presidential election well
AS IN all negotiations for peace which may be made in
the fuiure and Tor that every indication Of pubic
sentiment regarding will be watched with the deepest
Interest,"
The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser speaks as
follows on the same subject:
There is doubt but that the cardinal mistake Of The
Government was in permitting itself to be led almost in
sensiby and under mistaken idea of necessity to aban
don It's purely military assaults upon the domestic nsu
tons OF the South and to ADOPT emancipation as a policy
most every other error vii ch has been committed
tniny all the political troubles which have ensued have
been begotten directly Of that rat great error.
1t provoked if did not create, that bitter sentiment
OF Gppositon in the partisan press and among partisan
orators which, growing by what it fed upon, created
apparent II not real necessity for impressions aud
rests In due time and under the stimulus Of long baf
fled hope OF botDg out slavery very naturally brought
up the premature issue Of reconstruction and cted the
proclamation of amnesty and the attendant evil, which
followed in it's train Iheiuture status of the rebellous
States view of the emancipation proclamation the
dtons OF peace and the proposed amendment If the Fee
deral and State Constitution all the legitimate of
spring OF the fret great To which have alluded
Whatever might be opinions in regard To the merits
OF these questions, only say now, have
peatedy said before that they altogether premature
and mschevous They but to exasperse the con-
tending parties to divide public sentiment at the North
to foster partisan anmos les, and weaken the
of the by dvertng the people from the simple ISSUE
OF rebellion. IL entirely unnecessary tht tt
should have been made 1t great that it has
been done.
' But the people much at fault the Admins
trat0n Now that the mischief has been DONE the people
fast realizing the TACT snd undergoing awaken
his been done We trust that rulers will now the
into which they have been led and float back
their legitimate and true position, the tidal
which is flowing the land"