Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-12-15
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
CONDITIONS OF POLITICAL UNITY.

gard to the terms oil peace or the eonaluons o.
Union, resulting from his several proeIamations on
the subject Of slavery aud Of amnesty. While re-
sf6rmjpc tia! the Southern people "can at any
moment have peace simply BY laying down their
I arms and submitting to the national authority
iundaT the Constitution" he Immediately sub
Joined that
In presenting the abandonment aimed resistance 10
rue nson authority on the part OF tho insurgents as the
cpy indispensable condition TO ending the on the part
of me Government reract nothing heretofore said a. TO
slavery repeat the declaration made rear ago. that
while resn III M pEesent position shall not attempt
20 retract or modify emancipation proclamation,
shall TO slavery any person who s tree by the
terms of that proclamation or BY any act Of Congress
In the presence Of such declarations we ventured
The prediction that radical and q conservative"
supporters OF the President would be equally ss-
listed with his position, and would equally claim
that he has fully identified himself with them and
their views We felt sure that radicals would
bring the latter Of these declarations into promi-
lent relief while ignoring the former, and that
conservatives would give special prominence to the
former while ignoring the latter. Or, if each reeog
used the existence of both Of the correlated passages
We felt sure that the one party would resolve the
ambiguity of the Presidents declarations by ex-
planning away Of the passages, while the other
party would resolve the ambiguity by explaining
away the other passage Whatwe anticipated has
been sbundantly confirmed By the different inter
pEetations which the document has received from
tie Two wing. of the Republican army.
as the representative of the conservative wing
Of this party, we may select the subjoined ezposi-
tons of the message under this head by the New
York Timea. 1t says
The moat salient feature in the message is tho EN-
phsc declaration Of the President that he recognises but
single condition OF peace and that the return OF rebels
70 their allegiance He says They at any time have
peace simply by laying down their arms and submitting to
the national authority under the Constitution The Pre-
3ent neither insists upon looks for any stipulation in
advance in respect TO the abandonment Of slavery His
only claim il for abandonment Of armed resistance
This makes good precisely what We have contended
The true construction OF the famous mlssiye, To whom it
concern It puts beyond further dispute the Prefi
dsnts absolute Sins OF purpose and his determine
lion 10 MAINTAIN the war oiey on CONSTITUTIONAL basis
FOX constitutional ends is true that he takes occasion
here to repeat that be will not attempt either to reract
OF nodify line emancipation proclamation Yet in this LIE
10 perfectly consistent. That proclamation was d war
measure Authorized by tte power involved in the
duty prescribed TO the Executive by the Constitution
enforce the laws Is operative force must continue while
the Lasts When the ces,es, itself must
war Il can have further continuing effect
though the effect already contaminated Whatever the courts
may decide that TO be- cannot be undone and must remain
unchanged The President holds to the proclamation in
iust the right manner He treats it instrument Of
WAT, bat in way nterposes 1t against peace. he
bella get peace 81 any tina without touching IT. All
that required Of them is that they shal in good faith
5ow &c the Constitution"
On the other hand, the New York Tribune
which will be universally accepted as an exponent
Of the radical wing Of the Republican party inter
prets the message in precisely opposite sense.
ItayB:
For himself the PFesdent retfacts nothing he hkE
SD done in regard to slavery He w not reiract or
modify the emancipation proclamation nor will he
TO bondage human being freed by that proclaim
ton 5y sets of Congress He fsy, emphatcay that If
shs peope make such an executive duty they must
ind somebody else 10 perform it
Such are the important points the message and
hs most piOnt opponent Of Mr. Lincoln complain
hdt hi, policy has uncertainty about H. or that So not
thoroughly radical his iVGT1isH admTsr aoOud kG9e
= Peace by the submission conquest Of rebels and the
total abolition Of slarsrg, will be the determined purpose
II the Administration, The country has sanctioned
and will accept tie policy
In order 10 place the antogonistc views Of the
Two wings OF the Republican, party this subject
IN 6 clear light the Tribune in it, number Of Thurs
day last administers 10 the New York Times the
following Tebuke for its contradictory opinions on
subject Is to which " not even the most violent
opponent Of Mr.. Lincoln complain that his
policy has any uncertainty about it." 1t says
"Tks Times, which seek, always to carry water on
S shoulder strains the clear stream Of The Presidents
good Hud good faith through Stewards colander IN
This fashion.
La Illustration Of - hi. fashion it quotes the
same passage which is cited BY US above as q spe-
oimen If the comments Of conservative Repub
Gans.
a,We were not before aware that MI Seward kept
colander (Which it seems he sometimes lends to
his fTends) for the purpose Of sraning through it
TIE clear stream Of the Presidents good sense
and good faith" But, assuming the truth OF this
statement in IL it, parts, We should think that the
labor of the Times would excite commiseration in
The heart of its political confederate for, If the
stream of the Presidents good sense and good
faith" is Is clear" as the Tribune represents it,
TIE task Of "strainiDg" it through even the most
delicate Of " colnders" can serve only 10 revive
IN classical minds the unhappy fate Of the daughters
Of Dansus, in the old heather mythology, doomed
Is they were cyermorc to pour limped water into q
vessel full Of holos-Which was ever filing but
never filed.
AS the Times, however, ,upposes itself to have
retained 1T the bottom Of its colander q residuum