Weekly national intelligencer., 1864-02-25
MR.. AMBRosEs LETTERS.
y LETTER VII.
X ELLION.

on from conviction that the stirring military events Oh
that period had too much excited tho public mind 10
allow patient reader. now resume my task, not
without some doubt that in the phrase OF the day. we
have got past the period of argument and VIII endure onS
the appeal 10 action
In the preceding letters had occasion to say much Oh
Secession and Revolution and to show the different cate
gores in which they respectively place the war waged oy
the South 1t requires great insight to perceive the
relation which these two ideas considered as motives OF
conduct have to the question of right and wrong IN
this ooDfict Ia that view they have notable sgnh-
csncs and stand very wide apart recur to them now
to make some remarks that point and TO note the alter
nate use the patsans of the South have made Of these
two topics as per aid of their project to destroy
the Union
BY the opporune use of both occasion favored they
have increased the popularity of their They weud
have failed if they had been compelled to present 1t to
their people sngy upon either of the two Neither Sc
alone revolution alone would have found that
undivided support which is essential to success In
that storm of excitement raised by their ches at the be-
ginning of the strife and in the furry of that vangorious,
and might say nsolent spirit of defiance that contempu-
dsparsgement of the North selfish, vulgar and
craven people, over whom they promised easy victory
and short war the Southern masses hurried along
into the rrevocable step of rebellion Few stopped to
weigh the excuse for such step, but listened with willing
ear to every pretex however false feeble in its us
cation which partisanship political bgory could sug-
gest The multitude incapable of any accurate or
conscientious opinion the subject; all were anxious to
take quick part in the coming fray, not doubling for
that the preordaned feat was to be accomplished
with little more expenditure of than the show of
force and staggering boast of certain triumph Thus
it that the instant exhibition of that martial
array which astoshed the world its magnitude and the
Ga 80. a1naaa
All that host that into the field aud that great
which stood behind it at home claimed the vndca-
ton of their conduct the other of these
tveeofen in the avowa of both They proessed seces-
son or revolution both quite Indifferent to the moral
responsibility inferred by either.
have observed many persons, whose previous educa-
ton and habit of opinion had committed them against the
doctrine of secession sezng with avdty upon what they
were glad to call right of revolution, too plainly
alvo to bring their easily satisfied conscences into
accord with their oregone resolve to embark in the rebel
lion They imagined they had found complete justi6ca'
ton in 80 wretched self deceit this for deed
porentous that of rendng their country into frag
ments They did not deign to question themselves whe-
ther their revolution bad single plea to redeem it from
the disgrace of immeasurabe crime 1t enough to
call it revolution" and thenceforth treason became
transmitted into virtue You very much mistaken,
quantance in Washington just after that famous nine
tsenh of April, speaking with exultaon of that bloody
scene in the streets OF Baltimore, in which citizen SOL
diers whilst peaceaby marching through in obedience to
law and in the Of honorable duty, fero
ciousy se upon and murderedthe young spokesman him.
self scarcely conceaDg his participation in the affair,
but describing it heroic exploit" you much mis-
tken when you call this riot No, sir; it rspos
ton Maryland does not for secession, she goes for
revolution All thought Of crime had of course, vanish
ei from his mind His heart full Of war. He was
ready to desoste every field Maryland and convert her
chef city into backened ruin Reyolution-wth what
excuse for it bad been installed The next step to
make it glorious with carnage
With such Hippsnt and silly casustry as this, how
many thousands have mbrued their hands IN the blood Of
their brethren
have seen others not quite bold enough 10 OUTAGE the
or;n;an Of the community n which they lived by an open
.vo,vs of parpose of revolutionthee being st some
prdent suspicion tina. the people of the neghoorhood
uara not vet maddened up the deuson Of believing in
th vrounv Of our free Government-who have gradually
aid into the doctrine Of secession as the only shift left
them Ia Uratfy love for political excitement and to fur
b pretext for Joining the ranks OF comrades who had
6rad their imagination with visions of honor and hopes OF
persona reward to be the PROSTATE body of
their bleeding country In such the feeble plea OF
secession-once called the peaceful process OF change
was held 10 Justify all that wild violence which preluded
an challenged the taken by the Government for
its own defence.
will not cay that there not large numbers Of per-
sons 10 the South who have given their aid to this destruc
tive war on more honest grounds II is not credible that
in conflict Of such momentous issues whole communities
should rush into with such earnest zeal srs the heart
OF the Southern States aud should pursue it with such
brave perseverance, through such experience Of suf
erinq and sacrifice, witness without being
t.ihed by very vivid conviction Of right and duty
We know well and depore too pognsny the fact that
in those ranks found many adorned with the best
qualities that ususy inspire respect and confidence.
Their armies and their councils ere full Of them. They
DO US srest injustice if they think nnssrrste either
their sincerity their personal worth. How joyousy
wond we welcome them back to that brotherhood which
they have 40 reckessy broken But all history
that the virtue Of strife not to be judged by the feryor
OF its champions by the earnsstne@ OF their convc
ons false principle, unhappiy, more potenty inyokes
the pas.onAte vindication Of mankind than true 1t
wages nereeT yar but, in the end is surest Of
throw When ii brought into conflict with the senti
ment Of society powerful as its own the very hazard
OF s assertion presents danger which converts t into
passion that 40 dsispers the mind to make reflection
hopeless Many good of The South have been swept
from their feet by this impulse ss by whriwind.
III very difficult 10 fpd the Of friendly approach
il rebellion like this to that GLASS OF men have just de-
scrbedmen who. with honest convictions, have fallen