Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-09-08
AN URGENT CALL.

| The Hon. ISAAC N. ARNOLD, a Republican
Representative in the present Congress from the
State of Illinois, has just addressed letter to the
editor of the New York Times, in which he ap-
pears to take very despondiDg view Of the poll
tical situation far as the prospects Of his party
arc concerned After expressing the opinion that
/" there has never been, since the first gun was
fred on Sumter, an hour SO full of peril to liberty
| and Union as the present." and after rebuking
"the apathy and indifference, grumbIing and i'm
patience" which exist in the Republican ranks, as
also the blindness Of those who suppose that the
Republicans are to win an easy victory, he pro-
ceeds to say:
Friends of the Union and lovers of liberty, in Gods
name, awake the is lost Contrast our cond-
ton now with the party which in 1856 shouted Free
Speech Free Press, Free Soil, and Fremont Contrast
the Union party of to day with that of the Republican
party Of 1860 when, from Maine to Kansas we were all
Wide Awakes and wide awake, and filed with en-
ergy and zeal for Lincoln and liberty.
Contrast the columns of the DID, saunch. sound Even
ing Post in August 1885, aud August 1860 with it's CO.
iumns in 1864 Then was energy ZEAL vigor, heart
son IN ths csuse ,eu mot toIat rad there
| nOto. &s #taf.rrig aa
q How the New York Tribune used to thunder and
tighten from the to the lakes What is doing to-
day Why does the keen salsdn scmitar of Raymond so
long rest and rust in its sheath Where Henry VIII
and Charles Sumner7 Where Chase, and Beeche
| and Hamln, and Crimes and John Sherman, AMI Trum-
BULL and the hosts of popular leaders who were aceu
toned to popular feeling and guide popular Judg
ment7 Why hare many Achilles retired to their tents
Where is saunch old Ben Wndel Alas that truth
compes to say it, giving aid and encouragement to the
enemy tell the bertyovng loyal sts of the Union it is
the hour Of need TIE time for vigorous action has come
The times require nerp backbone and staunch and deter
mined backing up of the administration"
We give to Mr. Arnold the full benefit he doubt
less hopes to derive from the widest possible dis
semination of his imploring cry for help in this
hour of need," but, without wishing in any way to
increase or to allay the fears of which he is the
subject, have simply to suggest that there is an
easy explanation Of the "apathy, indifference,
grumblng, and impatience" which he signalizes
in the Republican ranks. And as such mental
states do not supervene on parties, any more than
individuals, without cause, we venture the gen.
eral observation that they not to be removed by
merely calling public attention to the fact of
their existence The "contras" in the "condi-
tion" of the party which, as Mr. Arnold recalls,
in 1856 "shouted free speech, free press, free
soil, and Fremont" is indeed most marked, but
the Contrast" between its "conditions" at the
two periods is no greater than the contrast that
exists between the measures for which it is
now shouting as compared with the inspiring
battle-cries of tho former date. Instead of "frec
speesh," as proclaimed in 1856, we now have the
enjoyment of this right subject, charge of abus-
ing its privileges, to trial before military commits
sions, while members of Congress are threatened
with expulsion for words spoken in debate. In
stead of a free press" we have seen respectable
newspapers temporarily suppressed BY military au-
thority for innocently publishing forged paper.
Instead of I" free soil, We have martial law ex-
tended over whole States and districts of territory,
while all civil government in one place has been
voted out Of existence, at the dictaton of mill
tary commander, without the pretence of mill
tary necessity, simply In order that the COM
mander's will may be made the supreme law.
Instead of the Fremont" of 1856, we have this
same Republican leader now deliberately affirming,
in view of the course of the Administration during
the last three years, that "for the first time since
'76 the question OF constitutional liberty has been
brought directly before the people for their serious
consideration and vote" The contrast iu the
"condition" Of tho Republican party of 1856 and
VI buc Sduc parry IhC Pieoch1 40 "ho'SioiS
no greater than the disparity of its principles and
practices is sufficient to explain.
La like manner, the I" contrast" between the
apathetc " Union party of to-day with that Of the
Republican party of 1860, when, from Maine to
Kansas, its members were all 'wide-awakes,'"
may be quite as great as Mr. Arnold conceives, but
it is not greater than any one should expect who
considers the depressions and disappointments and
burdens under which the advocates Of Mr.. Lin
coins re election must labor, as compared with the
brilliant hopes by which his supporters were ami
mated in 1860. Mr.. Arnold himself seems to be
fully aware Of this fact for in the course Of his
letter he says:
"The friends Of the Government have very difficult po
sion This gigantic with slavery has brought debt
taxation hardship sacrifice, suffering and misery all
the land"
Men may endure all these evils" debt, taxa
tion, hardship, sacrifice, suffering, and misery all
over the land'-so long as such evils must be
borne as tho price of loyal adherence to the con-
stituted authorities Of the country but the people
Of these United States would be unlike any other
people on the face Of the globe if any considerable
portion of them we're enthusiastic to-day as they
were in 1860 in the support of party whose ad-
A I.