Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-01-13

holds kha seilowing encouraging views IN refer
sncs to sEaira in lh.s sOuutry. While it nay
be permitted as to hope that LENcoLE msy fsil
to al up bis Arries, it Ia, nsvOrshelsss, the part
Of wisdoa % act upon the hypothesis that ho
will Be able 70 do sos
T5s message Of President Davis appeared in
pubIie ore day before that of President Lincoln,
Calm, candid, courageous, that of Mr.. Davis
rejects a srae pertr1i4 Of bis moral character,
and hat portrait ID thrown into sue relief side
BY aide with the sinister fessarss which look
from the message of Mr.. Lincoln in buster, Gun
nisg and timidity. The intellectual differences
marking these two State papers are equally re-
narkabIs. The dignity Of style, tha e~leaEness
Of narrative, the breadth Of view, tbs ferse 81
reasoning Of she one, distinguish it IS The pro-
duetioR Of g statesman while the other, IN It's
want Of anna conference, and psint, falls
below the powsrs Of an asteEnsy's eork. These
messages present, in fact, s. striking a contrast
Is that existing between the i've men BY whom
they have been sent down to Postsrisy, true
Illustrations Of the moral and intellectual quail
ties that stand confronting each other in tbs
opposing ranks Of the American revolution Of
1851.
Mr.. Lfuesln's ~uttsTAnces slwsys affect. you
will observe, the oraculsr. The startling an
n-0uncsnsst Of bis proposed amnesty, he intends
IS tas initiative Of a new policy. The terms Of
the offered pardon, he himself declares to be
those Of a mere fselss. SIT is not said,s quOth
his message, athai ether classiscatioHs or ether
terms viii never be included saying tAEt re-
construction viii be accepted if presented in q
specfae way. Il Is not said il viii never be ae-
esptsd IN any ether way" As ais OWE eem-
nsntatar, then, Mr.. Lincoln wishss his proeia-
nation to bs regsrdsd bat q general overture TO
the South for q Te~constructiep Of tho Union-a
measure which I anticipated in reviewing il
these dispatches the contingencies Of bis Posi-
ton 80 long ago Is last August
How far Is Mr. Lincoln pTspsred to 90 in Of
fseiag his proposal for rseonstructionf he
c0nssses indirectly some saalms ca the subject
of emancipation, and proposes to "mcdify ihe
confusion snd dsstitutioR which must attend all
classes By a total revolution Of labor through
cut whels States" The modification that be
thus suggests he would effect by holding the
creed psepls'' 70 labor uader amy reasonable
temporary Stale arrangement" Mr. Lincoln
prepared bis message, We thus sec, Ia e spirit Of
compromise, and Clearly fes At The the some
what tender on the subject Of sboiisa.
The proclamation eff freedom" vas, ke says,
pat fortA for the purpose Of aiding IN suppress
sing the rebellion Reconstruction cfsrirg a
better way 70 the sans end, shall thas way be
DISTRACTED by parysrso adherence to an expedi-
eney that will, in that event, hs7s oGtlivsd Its
usssf Certainly net. The penitsns 'rabal' is
offered in the message remission Of hs sias
against "Fho UHien, :: provided be swasrs te
abide By ssd faithfully support ali tAe Hagransly
unconstitutional laws Of Congress against sla
very, and Mr. Lizeoln's equally unconstitutional
proclamation Of rssdsm"-"se long and 50
far as net no3i6ed OF declared sOid by the su-
prsne court" Tia term Of obsdienes to those
0ufrsges on the fundamental law Of "the Union''
is thus Indicated with the gnnning wink Ct !
country attorney 10 t5e centric Cenfederate, as
ons4hat = mere molten in court viii assuredly
cut sAort. 81. should be observed" says Mr.
Lincoln, "shas this part Of tas oath IS subject
to the modifying and abTsgsttag power Of legis
lGsieR and EHPrsTs judicial dso;siSs."
freedom Of the slave appears on the surface
sfks Jaaas-faeed message te be a foregons con.
cluslon in Nr. Lineolu's scheme Of Feconssrue,
ton. Yet 10, strangely enough, remarks ths
TO aBazdsa his P-rscIsmatisa now would be moi
only to ~reliEquish a lever Of power, bat wseld
also be a cruel and astonishing breach Of faith
BY M. LfaeslE it would certainly be %. Pres
idsals may, however be, according to his OWE
remark. obtained in thoGsands from even the
rank sad 6le of The United States army. q
may ada he says zen this point that whsle Ire
masA insmy present position I shall not stteEnP.
to retrscs or medify the emancipation Proclsna
ton nor shall I return to slavery any person
was is free BY the tsrnas Of that proclamation
or BY sEy Of the acts Of Congress-" BE thus
tells the Abeliionists that during bis reign the
Constitution shall continue diseRthronsdi bat,
while 81 the same time giving the rspentans reb-
els 10 undsFstAnd thsI be viii not rsmais in the
way Of recoastruotitn offers them in The mean
time, ths immediate possession Of theiE slaves
under any r~easoRsals temporary state arrange
msnt, and permanent possession Of them under
the swsrd Of the Saprenae Court!
Why dess Mr.. Lincoln select the present mo
Essat for Altering this sovereign paTdonf A
thanksgiving in his churches does surely not
cheat kim into the belief that be hes gained, in
late movements, any vsFy decided advantages ia
sae field. At Charleston bis general acknowl
edges, virtually, a Total failure. Beyond the
Mississippi the tide of fortune has SGT decidedly
against his armies. Ia Virginia bic troops meve
forward sfssr the fashion Of Nor.hsn sWsgger;
and, when offered battle, skaIked to e place Of
safety under the eover Of night. Near Chats
noogs some Of his EsgieHs haze just succeeded,
Al great losss in inb and life, il saving them
1elyes from starvation; and at Knoxville, by 4
fertanats succession Of events, others Of then
have had a very narrow escape from capture,
The Hilary Situation presents, therefore, no
Northern triumph in explsnssion Of the pahli
esiisn st this time Of the Presidents overture
for reconstruction. Why, then, does he select
tais tinef
In August last I showed in this esrrssPon-
dsnee thst tie dimensions ofthe Federal armies
bad commenced very decidedly to decline. The
facts presented and the deductions made OF that
Enb Get DO not require to be repeated al length
butt msy DO well to remark now that enc hears
no more Of the great srmie sthsAsightssa months,
ago, Bwarned Ike iocusis on 81 sides Of this
Confederacy-of McClsIlan's,Iof McDowelps,
Of S'gsls. Of Bsaks, Of Shields, Of Ailroy's,
Of Boseerans', OF Grants, etc, etc. They have
slmast Al melted sway. The historian Of things
here has nov to deal with he movements of
bat tive great Federal srmiss-shat of Grant and
49,. 49,. - f5,a &c. = -