Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-09-29
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1854
SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT.

vass, and all the signs portend that the struggle
will wax hotter and hotter as the decisive day of
the 9th Of November approaches The speakers and
organs Of the party which supports the pretensons
of Mr.. Lincoln to reelection, having little to
say in defence of these pretensions, expend the
most of their energy in calumnions imputations on
the loyalty of Gen. Mcclellan and of his support.
ers. Such SANDERS are well calculated to irritate
the sensibities and to sour tho patriotism of
Gen. McClellan's friends, unless they have pre-
sence of mind and discrimination of Judgment
which shall enable them with calmness and Justice
to distinguish between what is due to the Govern
ment and to the temporary incumbents of high Of
fetal place under that Government The obliga-
tion to support the Government is not impaired
by the incapacity or the misrule of any Admins
tration which for the time being may have direc-
tion of our affairs, and just as little is it impaired
by the wanton abuse which its principal supporters
level against its opponents. We have the autho-
rity Of the present Secretary of State for saying
that Gin this country, especially, it is habit not
only entirely consistent with the Constitution, but
even essential to its stability, to regard the Ad
ministration at any time existing as distinct and
separabe from the Government ITSELF and to can
vass the proceedings Of the one without the thought
of disloyalty to the other" And we have the still
higher authority of President Lincoln himself for
drawing distinction between the cause of the
President and the cause Of the country at any given
junoture. While Mr.. Lincoln was in Congress he
differed widely from President Polk a, to the right
fulness Of the war against Mexico, considered in its
origin and its Objects and the floor of the House
of Representatives he expressed his views in op-
position to the policy of the then existing Ad
ministration and he justified this opposition the
following grounds. Addressing the supporters Of
Mr.. Polk, who then used precisely the same shall
low arguments which are now used by the sup
porters Of Mr. Lincoln at the present day, Mr..
Lincoln then said (We quote from speech of
his delivered on the 9th of July, 184s, as found
in the Appendix TO the Congressional Globe, 1st
8 ession Of 30th Congress, p. 1,043:)
The distinction between the cause of the President in
beginning the war; the cause of the country after it
was begun distinction which you perceive To
you, the President and the country TO be all one.
You interested to distinction between them
and venture to suggest that possibly your interest clouds
you little We see the distinction, think, clearly
enough and friends who have fought 10 the war have
difficulty in seeing it Also"
In these few words Mr.. Lincoln has presented
very just analysis of our present political situation
There is to-day very evident distinction between
the cause of the President and the cause of the
country in the relations of each to the war To
the partisans of Mr.. Lincoln, the President and
the country seem to be all one, and we may ven-
ture on the authority of Mr.. Lincoln in the paral-
lei case of President Polk to suggest that possibly
the interests of the Presidents supporters may so
cloud their understandings that they cannot clearly
perceive what every body else perceives, and what
Mr.. Lincoln himself SO clearly perceived in the year
lS48. Certain it is that, as loyal supporters of
the cause of the country, bus as honest opponents
Of the of the President SO far as the latter is
not officially related to the temporary administra-
ton of the Government we can see this distinction,
and, adopting the words of Mr.. Lincoln, we may
add that " Our friends oho haze fought in The soar
haze no difficulty IN seeing Il ALSO"
1t is our duty to stand by the Government at
all times and in all events. 1t is our duty to
stand by tho Administration so far as it is the
temporary embodiment of that Government, and
to uphold it in the exercise Of all its constitutional
functions. That duty is as incumbent to-day on
those who, for political reasons, are the loyal op-
ponents Of the present Administration as on the
most thorough-going and jealous of its adherents.
No violence of faction, spirit of party betrayed
by the Administration, and no Misrepresentation
Of motives such as the supporters Of the Admins
tration habitually sscribe to their equally loyal
countrymen Of different political faith, must be
allowed by the latter to blind them to sense Of
their duty to the cause of the country in contra
distinction from the cause of the President. We
may not wage factious opposition to the Admin
istratiop, whatever may be its demerits or the in
justice of its partisans Indeed it is these very
demcrits and this very injustice which sufficiently
demonstrate the distinction between the cause of
the country and the cause of the Administration.
We do not make these reflections because we
have any apprehension that the supporters of Gen.
Mcclellan are in danger of forgetting or ignoring
their paramount obligations to the Government, or
their just and constitutional obligations to the
Administration ITSELF so long as it is clothed with
the functions Of the Government. We do not
think that the great body of the Opposition to the
Government can be Justly charged with remiss