Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-09-22
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
rHr CHANGE IN THE OBJECT OF THE WAR

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rHr CHANGE IN THE OBJECT OF THE WAR.
The Springfield Mass Republican, in reprint
ing the admirable and patriotic letter oil General
McClelle- signi 4ag LIS acceptance OF the chlcaso
Democratic nomination, accompanies ~ wi'n some
ref ctions which, unlike those CT many among us
political confederates, are obviously marked by
candor and respect for truth aahaeg az
II has been said that corporations have no souls,
and :, cent indications sufficiently prove that
newspapers have conscience, else the public
sense would not be shocked by such falsifcations
a. receive currency from not few of the Republ-
can journals in their comments on the nomination
of Mcclellan and Pendleton. We are very glad
to see that our Massachusetts, contemporary, in re-
spect for public decency and at the same time in
the full persuasion that honesty is the best policy
takes occasion to rebuke such of its political allies
as have made themselves the conduts of the vilest
SANDERS against those gentlemen. In an article
under the very pertinent and blunt title of "The
True Issue and No Lying," it reads to them the
following admonidon: " t.s
"Let us have fair contest Let us and stand to
the real issue The Union is not poor to need
lies fol ts support and lies will not help 1t. Gan Nc
Clean offered his services to the rebels MI Pen
dl.u did against supplies for the thank
God that he voted and the Republican presses that
are retrang these and other flsehoodB and ogaes
only damaging their and giving substantial
the enemy. Shame them that they have little
appreciation OF the strength and dignity of their and
s"A Confidence IN the sense and patriotism Of the
people"
The animadversions of the Springfield Repubh-
can on the nomination of Gen. Mcclellan, or on
his letter Of acceptance, therefore entitled to
respectful hearing, which nobody would think of
giving to the reckless accusations of less respect
able journals. And it is for this reason that We,
take note of the following criticism of that paper
on the letter of Gen. Mcclellan accepting the Chi
cage nomination. 1t says: ag.
There is one other just criticism to be made upon Gen.
McClelans letter. by implication though not BY direct
assertion sanctions the SANDER that the present Admin
trst has changed the object of the that tits
no longer solely for the preservat Of the and
that The has oversepped the limits of the Con-
ST tuition and laws done violence the rights of ind
viduas and States We deny those charges altogether;
whatever Of the Government has had any such result
II has been accidental and unnlentional
If it be I" SANDER" to charge that the Admin
istraton has changed the object Of the war, it is
an offence which many conscientious people CON-
NIT every day without being at all aware that they
are bearing false witness against their neighbors
We certainly have made this charge, not only by
"implication," but by "direct assertion !" and we
have not only made it, but proved it, as we sup
pose, again and again. If our respected contem-
porary satisfy US that we are mistaken on this
point we will not only retract the charge and ten
der our tumble apologies in the premises, but,
still more, we will agree to join it in the support
of Mr. Lincoln for reelection to the Presidency,
moderate as may be our comparative estimate of
the ability he brings to the performance Of the du-
ties of that high and dignifed and ezsctng office.
As We never make charge which we do not at
al times hold ourselves ready to substantate, we
will in the briefest possible terms suggest to the
Springfield Republican few Of the criteria by
which we think it can satisfy its mind on this SUBJ
ject, if there be any doubt in the matter, of which
we were not before aware, IS we had supposed that
all occasion for doubt or cavl in the premises had
been removed by recent events and declarations
What the avowed object Of the war in the be-
ginning was we all know. In his FIRST message to
Congress, called to meet in extraordinary session
on the 4th of July, 1851 President Lincoln clear
ly defined its object and end when he held the
following language:
Leaf there be unessiness in the minds Of candid
what s TO be the course the Government to-
wards the 81 uthern States after the rebellion shall have
been suppressed tie Executive deems it proper to il
viii be bis purpose then 10 be guided By the Con
stu ION snd me tdacs aud that he probably will have
orent understanding Of the powers and duties OF the
Federal Government relatively TO the rights of the States
the people under the Constitution than th az
in The inaugural address He desires to preserve the Go
verrment hat it may be administered for ALL as loas
admins cred b the nho made Loual citizen, en- m
lheTt hare The Tgh 10 claim his Of their and
the Government has no Iigh 10 tottold or neplea n IL
not percoived that IN Giving it, i. any coercion
any Conquest or any snbuRaton, any iust sense az
those terms.
Interpreting the spirit Of this declaration. the
venerable ,nd patriotic Crittenden, on the 22d of
July, 1862, introduced in the House Of Repre.cn-
tatives the following resolution
"ResOlcsd That the present deporable civil war has
been forced upon the country by the disuDonss AZ the
South'ru States. in sgans the Constitutional
national emergency Congress- bamsbcg all feeling of mere
passion ard resentment will recoect only s DUTY To the
whole country that this waQed on their mart
IN any prt OF oppression tor purpose of
or purpose OF overthrowng or interferpc
with he rights or established institutions of tbse States
Dot 10 defend and maintain the supremacy of the onst
tuition ana 10 preserve the Union with eli the dioa;tv
equality, and rights Of the several States unim "a "a
mat as soon as these fleets accompl; nd ~ sr
out TO cease" sheo lne "ar
: lhe resolution, we need ,ot saw. wa, sdopted
~ the almost unanimou', vote of the Hou,e-only