Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-09-29

naturally "the law of violence" becomes the simple
and the sole policy Of the Administration in the
attempt to restore the authority of the Government
In the region from which that authority has been
expelled by an armed sedition. AS violence begets
violence, the growing evaporation of the war on
both sides has tended, in the words of Thucydides
describing the state Of the public mind in Greece
during the Peloponnesian civil war, "to assimi-
late mems temper to the situation in which they
are placed" As the insurreotion lives and moves
and has its being solely in the armed force on which
its civil authority depends, so our Administration
seems to have thought that the established Govern
ment of the Union, founded no less on the consent
OF the people than on law and order, could reas-
sert its legitimate sway simply by force of arms,
to be followed by confscation of property and
political disfranchisement. This seemed to be the
simplest mode of Saving the Union" and, in the
lack OF any higher craftsmanship than that which
proseeutes the war for the sake of reolaimng the
insurgent territory Of the South, policy has been
adopted which makes even the military reclamation
OF such territory tenfold more difficult to be ac-
complished by our gallant armies, while it leaves
no basis on which to hope for general reclamation
of the Southern population
The infatuation of such policy was clearly
perceived by the President before he had been
precipitated into it by the "pressure" of faction
and the pressure Of the events which he chose
rather to follow than to control Before the dust
and smoke OF the war had clouded his perceptions
he allowed the Secretary of State to interpret his
own thought, and the thought of all rational men
on this subject, in the following terms. We quote
from despatch of Mr. Seward to Mr.. Adams, our
Minister at London, under date of April 10, 1861,
only two days before the attack on Fort Sumter
The so,called Confederate States, in the opinion
OF the President are attempting what will prove a
physical impossibity Necessarily they build the struc
turs OF their new Government upon the same principle by
which tbey seek to destroy the Union namely the right
OF each individual member of the Conederacy to withdraw
from IT at pleasure and in peace A Government thus
constituted could neither attain the consolidation neces
ary Tor stability nor guaranty any engagements it might
make with creditors or other nations The movement
therefore, IN the opinion of the President tends directly
to anarchy in the Seeding States similar movements
in similar circumstances have already resulted in Spanish
America, and especially in Mexico He believes never.
theess that the citizens of those States well as the
citizens of the other States too intelligent conside
rate and wise to follow the leaders to that end
For these reasons he ,oouh be disposed reject car
dinGt dogma OF theirs, namely that the Federal Government
could not reduce the Seeding States to obedience bv con-
quest eosn ahongh he nere disposed TO question that pro-
position But in fact, As President ,oiiingly accepts il
as true Only an impsYoi dcspotic Government could
sngngas thoroughly disaSected and insHrrseonayy me
is Of all forms of government the perp one oheh IS most
untitled for such labor Happily however this is only
an imaginary defect The system has within itself ade-
firmness on the part of the Government n maintaining
and preserving the public institutions and property and
IN executing the laws where authority can be exercised
without wagng war; combined with such of JUS
uce moderation, and forbearance will dsarm reasoning
opposition, VIII be sufficient to the public safety
until returning reflection concurring with the fearful ex
Penence OF social evils the inevitable uits of faction
shall orng the recuant members cheerfuy back into the
famly, which, after ALL must prove their best and hap
pieei rs 1t undeniably their most natural home The
Constitution OF the United States provides for that return
py anthorzlng Congress, on application to be made by
certain majority OF the States, 10 assemble National
Convention IN which the organic law can if be- needul
Do revsed 80 as to remove all real obstacles reunion
go suitable to the habits of the people, aud so eminenty
conducive to the common safety and welfare"
Such were the philosophical views of the Ad-
minisration when standing at the threshold of this
mighty struggle. 1t is not the Chicago Conven-
ton but the President of the United States who
has proclaimed it as ca cardinal dogma" to the
world that "the Federal Government cannot re-
uuCc Utt ScCeutHy otuteS ~ OOcuteNce Cy cOnQneSC
1t is not the Chicago Convention but the President
of the United States who has officially declared
through his Secretary Of State that "only an i'm
peria or despotic government could subjugate tho
roughly disafccted and insurrcctionary members of
the State" 1t is not the Chicago Convention but
the President Of the United States who afirms that
+" this federal republican system of ours is of all
forms OF government the very one which is most
untitled for such labor" We do not recall these
declarations for the purpose of dissenting from
their truth. We believe they we're true when the
Administration first uttered them, and we believe
they are equally true to-day. Indeed they are de-
clarstions founded Sn the rreyersible laws of hu-
man nature in the sphere Of free and popular gov
ernment The Fedenl Government may we doubt
not, reduce the Seeded States to submission and
political dependency, but by mere force it cannot
reduce them "to obedience" Obedience in gov
ernment Of the people must be voluntary act,
,pringing from the consent of the popular will
The Federal Government, We doubt not, may sub
jugate thoroughly disaffocted and insurrectionsry
members Of the State, but in doing so we have the
Presidents authority for saying that il becomes
can imperial and despotic government"-no long.
er government built on the Constitution and the