The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-02-03
The Returning

Why teas Apathy ~ xneMs
The New York Herd5l,tths mostyisor-
q war paper, and most Independent po
Hsioal paper in the cdhptfys ram.rks tina,
Regiments from the variogsr armies Of the
country are now arriving in that city and
in other cities of the North every fsw days
regiments of weather beaten, we'll season,
ed fellows, who have ostliyed she labors and
battles Of nearly three yeshrss Of war, and
who now, many of ttezn sse home for the
first time since theiraoriginal departure.
They are the men whom the country should
honor most of all It's snhs Their devotion
and valor have saved it on a dozen fields,
and now, with a full knowledge isf all the
hardships and perils Of soldiers life, they
have enlisted again to go out and Fight all
their battles over if need be. Yet they
are met with the greatest apathy. The
public receives them with cool indifference,
or not at all. In this city they are landed
At some one of the lower piers, pick their
way up Broadway between the hacks, lille.
into the Park Barrscks-and that is all.
They do not attract as much notice as one
of our militia regiments might on its way
to . tiger ball or a promenade concert. And
it appears to be the same in other places.
What does this mean2- Does it mean that
our people have lost their old enthusiastic
admiration for all that is honorable and
brave2 Does it mean that the spirit that
set the whole country ablsze at the assault
on Sumter has died out? No; but it means
that the people no. longer recognize these
men as their Representatives in q glorious
struggle. 1t is an omipous sign to the par
ty in power; for it means that the people
no longer consider the war a war for the
salvation of the country. The war, as
managed by the administration, has degene
rated to a strife about the niger. The
people sec this, and are disgusted at it.
They are a~ggrieved that, che struggle into
which they entered So heartily to sustain
the nation has been thus diverted by a
miserable faction. As was said in Congress
the other day, "the burdsn Of taxation that
the people are compelled to bear, and the
othe. miseries incidentrto. the war, have
but a poor recompense in the equality of
the negro" And this is & popular idea
"a -
an idea that becomes daily more and more
. popular conviction. tits this idea that
makes the people Indifferent to the soldiers,
and to the war; and that there is such an
idea abroad is the most ominous sign of
the present to the dominant party.
The people will uot-much longer sec the
best interests ofthe country thus sacrificed
to the niger. If as is now probable, the
republican party shall renominate Lincoln,
and the people. see before them another
four years of the niger, they will find their
remedy at the ballot box. Lincoln's nomi
nation by the republicans will organize a
new democratic party-a party that wiz,
have nc afiliation with the "peace'
and copperheads, but with 2 brr n..;on.l
platform on which the psor .na
or General McG,-T animate General Grant
other Of II. %llellan, and carry one or the
depcr -ese popular heroes to the Presi-
by an overwhelming vote. There
could be no question of the success Of such
aparty; and if it elected General McOlel-
Ian, Grant would be Gsneral-in.Ci.ef while
if it elected Grant, Mcclellan would be re-
stored to the position from which the radi-
Gals drove him. With a government thus
reorganized there would soon be an end
to the war, and the people would be troubled
no more with the niger, ~
Tho fall far. Man