The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-12
THE CONSOLIDATION oE' ruu ugsov
PARTY.


IRON, h- rinss
President LiucouE appointment of Secretary
Chase TO the office naE. % uis own 10 rgfpons.
bility aud dignity, Hll, We trust mako an end
forever OF tho inuj.ou, distinction, iu tna Union
party, between the so.cl.lgd conservatives aud
the so-calcd radicals Mr. Lincoln has been
somewhat complained yl by enc portion of the
party, for suppJ ed conservative tend, lccs; Mr.
Chase, by another portion, for supposed radical
tendencies Itisuseless now to dispute whether
there was any just ground on either side for
these complaints.
Our own view is, that the terms conservative
and radical, as employed, really involved n,
essential difference Ot principle or purpose. The
questions rolacd rather To meh bod and to ume
OF action bHu 20 objects Aud ends. Mr. Lin
coin ha7 haan every whit as much opposed to
conSctnQ tho Institution of slavery, the great
cause OF this war, as Mr.. Chase, or any otngr man
III the county But hc has believed tna- Ne
steady prosecution Of thc war against the Re-
Oe!uou Wou,d9i observation-disclosures down tho
institution, and has avoided embarrassing tlH
progress Of tie war by oXtrancOug aud unncit
saiy gut.slayery acton. ~, DO
Lis Emancipation Proclamation dliug no
did or can operate, was a mlli.sud by ayerting
signed to weaken the Reho' a. our armies, in
its internal means Ofyuemains of slavery, Mr..
foreign inCTycnmcy Is such as Invariably to
their advancaG war work upon the institution.
conlL TO rcorganize itself, except on Free State
Jasis. The practical result of Mr.. Lincoln's
moderate course has been as fata' to slavery, so
far as II has been within oar reach, as could have
been the most extreme and summary plan that
could possibly be devised.
But even IT this is cOntroyertiblc, the fact tha.
Mr.. Lincoln has taken, in his message, the .
frmest ground fer a constitutional amendment
which shall abolish slavery throughout tue land ,
should put at rest all concern upon tue subject |
Surely there can be nc more radical treatment |
OF this curse than tuis complete CXCsiOn Of il At
single stroke. Not only Mr. Lincoln himself is |
committed to the turtberauCe Of this work, but /
the entire Union party, by its special recommen- /
GatOn in the Baltimore platform. We have no ,
where heard Of single murmur of dissC lt from |
any pGJson in the party. IL is unanimously |
accepted ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS thoroughly /
effective, yet universally satisfactory. IL renders
utterly absurd ali further attempts TO keep up the
distinction of conservatism br rddicalsm in the /
Union party, in reference to slavery.
Mr., Lincoln has shown that he so regards 1t, |
BY his making Mr. Chase Chiet Justice. He |
thereby burcs in oblivion al the past differences
In the party concerning slavery, and all the |
efforts which have been made to produce there |
from special connections and interests against |
him. II is calculated to knit the great parry OF |
this Union in new and frmer concord, and to |
prepare it tor the great civil work OF recOnstruc-
tion, which Will soon deyJlye upon it.
There has been no harder problem about the war
than the problem which is to follow the conclu.
sion of the wa; how soonest to reinspre loyal !
spirit In the Southern heart, and restore the nor
NAL working of our constitutional system
throughout the land.
The first step towards this has already been
determined upon. The absolute and tnal extnc-
tiOn of slavery by constitutional amendment
will make an end of what has been the chief hot
bed OF treason. Yet this il bat work of destrac-
tion. There must needs he measures and policies
positively regeneratiye. To settle upon such as
shall be most eiiicacious will tax the best wisdom
OF the party. Sngleness Of purpose and har-
monious spirit will be more than ever necessary.