, 1864-07-29

of the United States, is from the pen of Amos
Kendall, an old and tried patriot-a relic of
that generation of great men that has passed
away. He was Postmaster General under Jack
sons Administration, and was esteemed by that
President. At the Commencement of the rebel
lion he took sides strongly for the war, was an
earnest supporter of the Administration, and
wrote a series of articles in its defense. This
letter deserves universal reading
Amos Kendall on the Crisis.
To all American Citizens 1cho long for a speedy
restoration Of Peace, Liberty and the Union;
In our last letter we presented Mr.. Lincoln on
his Inauguration, proclaiming to the people in
front of the Capitol, what he considered mis-
solemn duties nnnaaccr the oath which he vas
about tS5 take, faithfully to execute the office
of President of the United States" Then and
there he undertook to define the meaning of the
oath in its application to the state of things then
existing. Several States had organized tenn
porary government, and were making military
preparation for the purpose of maintaining their
independence. Virtually under oath President
Lincoln decided
~ have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to
Interfere with the institution of slavery in States
where it exists
81 believe hove no lawful right to do so.
81 have no inclination to do so.
THAT tae maintenance invioate of the rights
OF the States and especially the right of each
! State to order and control its own domestic in
stitutiOns according to its own judgment, exclu-
sively, is essential to that balance of power on
which the perfection and endurance of our po-
litical fabric depend
And with the same solemnity he declares
81 now reiterate these sentiments, and in do
ing so, only press upon the public attention
the most conctusive evidence of which the case is
susceptible, that the property, peace, and secu-
rity of no section are to be IN anyWise endangered
/ By the incoming administration.
| These declarations of the President had no eff
feet in checking the progress of secession. Ar
mics were formed in the South, Fort Sumter
was bombarded and captured. Washington it.
| self was in danger the Massacre in Baltimore
took place, the President called out first 75-
| 600 and then 300 900 men, and the North and
West were in flame of patriotic and military
ardor.
On the 4th of July, 1861, Congress met in
| special session at the call of the President The
war had already begun, and the President had
all the war power he has now; yet in his mes
| sage to Congress he reiterated the sentiments of
his Inaugural Address. In that document he
undertook to declare how the States whose peo-
pie had reyolted, would be treated when the re-
bellion should be suppressed.
''Lest there should be some uneasiness," said
he, sin the minds of candid men as to what is
to be the course of the Government towards the
Southern States after the rebellion shall have
been suppressed, the Executive deems it proper
to say, it will be his purpose then as ever, to be
guided by the Constitution and laws, and he
probably will have no different understanding
of the power and duties of the Federal Govern
ment relative to the rights of the States and the
people under the Constitution, than that ex-
pressed in his inaugural address. He desires
to preserve the Government that it may be adj
ministered as it was administered by the men
who made it. Loyal citizens everywhere have
right to claim this of them, and the Govern
ment has right to withhold or neglect it. ="
In the same message the President said:
''It may well be questioned whether there is
to-day majority of the legally qualified voters
of any State, except perhaps South Carolina,
in favor of disunion. There is much reason to
believe that the Union in the majority
in many if not in every one of the seeded
States"
And he concluded his message as follows
"In full view of his great responsibility, he
president lincoln has so far done what he
has deemed his duty. You congress will
now, according to your own judgment, perform
yours. He sincerely hopes that your views and
actions may accord with his as to assure all
faithful citizens who have been disturbed in
their rights, of certain and speedy restoration
to them under the Constitution and laws, and
having thus chosen our course without grille
and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust
in God and go forward without fear and with
manly hearts. "
Thus spoke President Lincoln, and Congress
almost unanimously responded to the President
by the adoption of the following resolution,
viz:
ResoIUed, That the present deplorable civil
war has been forced upon the country by the
disunionists of the Southern States, now in arms
against the constitutional Government, and in
arms around the capital; and in this national
| emergency Congress, banishing all feelings of
mere passion or resentment, will recollect only
its duty to the whole country, that this war is
not waged on their part in any spirit of oppres-
sion, or for any purpose of conquest or subju-
cation or purpose of overthrOwing interfer-
ing with the rights or established institutions of
those States, but to defend and maintain the su-
premacy of the Constitution, and to preserve
the Union, with all the dignity, equality and
rights of the several States unimpaired; and
that as soon as these objects are accomplished
the war ought to cease.
This resolution was adopted by a vote of 30
to in the Senate, and by III to two in the
House of Representatives, Upon these aSsur-
ances, nineteen-twentieths of the Democratic
party and the loyal men of the border States,
entered with enthusiasm into the war for the
]
stood ready to hail the approach of the Union
armies as friends and deliverers.
| Where stands the President now Where is
Congress? Has the Constitution changed p
| Has President Lincoln been absolved from his
! inaugural oath lave the members of Con
gress so far gotten theirs as to think themselves
as Omnipotent a British Parliament2 Why
is it that who stand the same ground
now as the President and Congress did in 1861,
are denounced as sympathizers, copperheads or
traitors? And why is it that the South is now
united and has become desperate and the North
divided and measurably discouraged?
We shall in another letter endeayor to answer
these questions.
] April IL, 1864. AMOS KENDALL.
Another letter from the same able writer will
appear in our next weeks issue.
The Eugene Retsew denies the allegations of
the Oregonian, that tie Democrats are sup
porting Fremont, and says;
'We despise Fremont, and believe him to be
one of the worst men in the whole land, but
we do give him the credit of not claiming to be
what he knows he is not, (honest) as Lincoln
does, and of boldly proclaiming his Negro
Equality doctrine, which Lincoln also approves,