Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-04-21
From the Philadolphia American.



If before the southern traitors bad com
mitted SO many outrageous insults and
| aggressioos against the national govern.
meat thu regular Democratic. party had
thrown its weight 10 favor of u peaceful
separation between north and south, its
| course might have admitted of apology or
texteouHttoaS ou the plea OF hGmanitY.-
But alter the rebels had lrampled on the
flag aud fred on our vessels, laid their
caPaciOus hands on every kind of public
property, mOltreating northern people
found within he slave States, and murder
ing many loyal citizens who adhered to
their old allegiance, surely 10 these aggra-
gated wrongs might have been found sutfi-
cient reason for espousiDg tue cause of ma
tioual unity and lending hearty support
tOfLhe general government.
When, too, Mr.. Lincoln and his Cabinet
hat surveyed the whole field, and bad de-.
ilberately decided against dismemoerment
as the worst of all possible caIamilies,
were they not fairly edtlLlUd to the conf.
deuce aud aid OF every patriot Can any
sane man believe that they would have un
necessarily encountered the gIgan ic aud
perilOus task of snppressiug this great re
beilion2 They knew well the desperation
OF these scouspirators-men rendered insane
by intense devotion 10 the cause Of human
SlnNCIy huu rIlkeIy 10 Elsh everything 10
the effort to enthrone5 it as the parHmoun ut
power on this continent. II was crisis
in the nations history never before paral.
leled. Tue decision of tue present Admin
istration to resist tue rebellion aud preserve
the republic was sanctioned by "a large
majority of the people. Hundreds OF
thousands rushed forward to offer their
lives tor cause so just aud glorious-
Millions of dollars flowed forth ia private
contributions hundreds OF millions were
voted By the peoples Representatives,, and
there WAS u most enthusiastic display Ut
disiuterested patriotism.
Hereiwas the opportunity tor Democrats
to ennOble their party, and place it sill
higher In the nationaI esteem; and many
thousands embraced 1t most generously,
adding their voices to those which were
cheering the Nati0Bal leaders, and march
tiugt to those fields of combat whereon the
traitors arrayed themselves 10 battle. But
truth com pels the admission that such was
not the course adopted by the heads OF that
party. Alter the die had baen cast, and
the contest fully entered on, those recreant
Democrats basely violated their faith To the
nation, and IRON ihatd day 10 this have been
giving aidAnd comfort to the common eue-
my By y'factious opposition. to every effec-
tive -and saiatary measure which promises
IIorWehken 2tne rebellion, ny Hiltthchttnn
without cause, and malignant hostility to
theilOyal authorities, they have impeded
our progress towards . happy consumma-
tton Oflhe Conflict. aud protrAoted the war
tar beyond any Reasonable calculations.
And yet, Notwithstanding all this dead
weight, bow much has besn done to re.
store to the republic its alieuatsd territory?
The whole valley OF the Mississippi iso1rs
once more. Scarcely rebel State remains
90 which the Uuion ensign has not some
where been planted and retained The
southeru coast is effectively blockaded, the
enemy = supplies have been woinily dtmin- :
ishsd, and ne seems on the point OF ex.
haustio0. Our armies are closing aro1nd
| him under the leadership of victorious
/ General, and there is a we'll founded expec-
titalion of the most a1yplcions results-is.
sues that may decide the great conflict in
/ a very brief period of Tins, aud leave the
/ republic undivided and indisisible. -
4 : IL ia at such moment rs this that these
4 ,pestiIent marplots, who seem resolved that
in some way or other; the republic shall
Idle, come forward With propositions 10 give
Imp the contest, aud bow in iEnomiDious
submission 70 the horde Of traitors vRbo
sit ~ Richmond aud d6U themselves q
Il EgoVernment. Gould any base snGservien-
icy go beyond such low aud UNNECESSARY
4 bumiiiationq Had our Rfrniss beeh dtipen
6ht .76f louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and
Miss5uriS bad we yieldsd batk our foothoid
lin NOtthSFn. Georgia add iAtabsma, ts.
J. llinquishing Tennessee and Kentucky as our