Washington telegraph., 1864-11-30

to their accomplishment. Nor Will men have
the constancy to perseveTe in them to the end.
Had Cortez not burned lis ships behind him,
the conquest of Mexico. that most brilliant of
all the episodes of history, wcu1d doubtless
ave been failure
We have reason To congratulate ourselves
and the cause of human liberty throughout the
world, that the late elections throughout the
North have burnt the ships towards which the
timid and inconstant were ever looking back
ward as a means of escaps into some sort of
haven Of reconstructed Union after the
abandonment Of Southern Independence. That
is no longer possible. Their course with that
Of all serner and more euduring patriots must
of necessity be onward. We, too, have no al
ternatire so far as our future relations with the
North concerned. 1t is absolutely Liberty
or Death" or what amounts to the same. a de-
graduation worse than death.
Higher considerations even than those of Ma
tional safety urg ms onward. Upon the issue
OF this struggle dep nds the caus4 of Rrpubli-
can government with the whole human race.
The Southern Confederacy must b. a free rep
rescntatire government or there will be non
lett among the nations. and what is far worse.
no hope Of amy, any more in the world HUI
maHity:fortid. that these struggles for self u. "
ernme5lt should ever be renewed after SO signal
a tlilurei The wise and good Of all countries
aud ages, the who heretofore have in,uru-
rated revolutions, and in the worship of Liberty.
have derived inspiration and strength for the
loftiest deeds Of sacrifice, will shrink hereafter
from involving the people in such terrible car
mage for what vii! lave proven delusion -
the right OF self government No nation of
people will ever again have So auspicious -
time, or theater Of action for the experiment. u
ever be- wiser, bolder, more virtuous or far-sce-
ing than the people who laid the foundations OF
Republican government in the New World Ii
has failed throughout the whole Spanish Amer
lean portion Of the continent. Il is passing The
crisis here. The friends of humanity look ell
breathless With the failure of the government
of the Confederate States of America it Aili
become hopeless forever, and be no longer the
cause Of the lofticst virtu but the peIucious
incentive to rebellion il tlc hands OF the Cata-
lines Of the future.
Such and So great are the interests depending
on our courage and perseverance, affecting the
future of the world, and compared with whirh
our own petty lives, and fortunes. and personal
honor, sre but as dust i'll the balance
For the government which would necessarily
ensue upon the success OF Lincoln, would b.
far different from that free representative one,
established By the OLD Federal Union 1t Is
wholly incompatible with the genius of Ropub-
licansm to hold provinces or citizens in a state
Of suhjection. That requires standing armies
and vast irresponsible central power. The
United States, to accomplish it, must become
itself despotisrn under which civil liberty
would become extinct throughout both North
and South.
That such is the design of Lincoln and that
the large majority of the people Of the North
applaud that design is no longer dosbtful. Gil.
izens unfarorable 10 the ruling power, however
loyal to the Constitution aud laws would bo at
once disfranchiseI by arbitrary power Az
drew Johnson Military Governor Of Tennessee,
by an edict, prohibited all citizens from voting
who would not take IN oath, under which they
could not vote for any candidate uulayoraLle to
the administration.
The Mcclellan electors for that State remol-
sirated and appealed TO Lincoln against the
edic, of his satrap, humbIy setting ffor,h
their Willingness to take an oath of loyalty to
the Constitutions of the United State, and OF
the State of Tennessee. They We're received
with insult and their application treated with
contempt The people of the North. wish this
before them elected Lincoln President and
Johnson Vice President by overwhelming ma
jorities-thus sanetioning the destruction OF
the Constitution which afforded themselves
,hoir only guarantee of civil libarty--;keir only
shield against arbitrary power. Already Re
publicanism in its catholic sense, is dead al the
North, and with the conquest of the South, the
continued necessities OF power would unayoid-
ably establish despoiisIn of the most hAtsful
character--a despo;isn unreHeved by tho grand
historical associations and high dignisies Of old
established monarcAirs.
We believe the cause Of free self-goycrnment
amongst Intelligent people 10 be the cause OF
Right and Justice, and the best (thougl not the
only condition Of human progress and devel-
opmcnt. We bcleve it depends upon the sue
cess Of the South. Hence, believing also in
God aud his ultimate designs for human happi
ness, wc cannot doubt the result. There never
has been n moment since the war began when
the horrible idea has fitted across our mind
that we might fill. 1t siekens tho soul to con-
ceiye even of the depths of despair which such
& conviction would create. Events have con-
frned our faith. We would not wun;o.ly dc
ceive eur readers by disingenuou. sffeciaiion
of feelings which Go not entertain. We
believe in no such pious frauds, for no ultimate
good ever came Of any OF. them. We con;cui-
plate nothing but final success.
But to thosa whose hearts fail them, and
who cannot oxpcl the anguish Of the
doubt We have tt word to say If what
you fear should in the dark dispensations of
Providence prove to Be indeed our fate, LIT Us
abandon at once all prctences and hollow forms
OF salf government Latus then Danish the
dream Of the reality, for it leads to carrage and
sorrow. But we need not therefore become the
abjcct slaves of low mean domagogues, and
crazy fanatics. We need not become tho com
panions of freed slaves and niscecenators -
/ What have To hind crcb