New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-14
Il HE PRESS" RKCONsTBUCTION
THE PREsIDENT's SPEECH.

tOrbore till yesterday to comment on the PreSi-
dents Speech Of Tuesday evening, and then
treated it rather as a partisan manifesto than as
It's theme and its character demanded. Thus,
The Daily Nems Aouts the Presidents palpably
just and pertinent observation that Rec6nstruc.
ton is fraught with great practical difficulties,
cooly saying: -.. g......r-
"His Excellency falls here into mistake of both
law and fact Mr. Jefferson Davis and the Confederate
Congress OF the sOyeregntes OF the
will question in any adjustment OF the conflict of the
sections But Mr. Lincoln does not adms the existence
| of any Southern sovercignties."
1t does seem that such absurdities rs the
above excuse Tie HeraIds rather coarse de-
mand that the Editor of The News "sball stop
making an ass of himself" The Confederate
Congress is as dead as o salt mackerel-utterly
exploded, extingushcd, dispersed, "gone in =
yet The Nems would have the President re.
gard and treat with it as Subsisting power,
vital force He might as well undertake
negotiation with the Pequod tribe of Aborigi-
mes. "Mr. Jefferson Davis" is a defeated,
"played out, fugitive conspirator, as powerlcss
as Santa Anna or the ghost Of William Walker;
yet The Nercs mamders Oh in it. bad, old way
ignoring facts as notorious as Spring or sun
shine. There must lie some cure for dclusions
so obstinate and preposterous.
"Mr. Lincoln does not admit the existence of
any Southern SoveTeignties that is fact.
He believes in the Sovereignty of the People
not of corner, but of the whole Republican,
that People recognized in the preamble to the
Federal Constitution as It's author and source.
And. whenever the heavy arm Of Military force
and terrorism is removed, We shall see that the
Southern People have had quite IS much as
they want Of State Sovereignty, the CoDied.
crate Congress aud Mr.. JET. Davis. But The
Nens is demented. and We will pursue il no
further. .f.f.s
The World is less absurd, but hardly less
perverse. Ignoring our explicit statements, it
seeks to make an unfair and dishonest use of
the fact that we permit correspondents to ex-
press views antagonistc to our own, and then
cavs at what is best in Mr.. Lincoln'S speech
as though it were monstrous. Nothing could
be more cogent or timely than the Presidents
tilHN uleIuN' 10 w wv sNh'A''
iutional status of a State which is claimed to
have seceded--whether she remains in the Union
or is out of it's needless and pernicious In
homely, practical wisdom, we have seen nothing
better than this portion of the Presidents re-
marks, which we welcome On excuse for repro
ducing-vZ:
~ have been shown n letter this subject (upposed
N Be az In fta
that nv mind has not seemed 10 b. definitely fixed on
the question whether the seeded States lied ARE
in the Union or out Of II II would perhaps. add AZ,
have found pfoicssod Union cndeavoring 90 answer
that question have pure sely forborue any public
preston upon it, As APPEARS to me- that question has
not been. nor vet -. practically material ones and
any discussion Of H. white IL thus practically
iulinGferin could have no effect othtr than TIE
lnisclieyous one Of dividing friends A yet
whatever II may become-that question II bad
as the basis OF a controversy, ard rood for
We all agree that the seeded Stoies, called OUT
of 1fr proper practical Tiafor 'ch he tn,oH. and that
the sole object Of the Government civil and military Ia
regard 10 those States Is 10 again get them Into that
proper practical relation. believe that ~ only
possible bnt in fact easier 10 do this without decdngl
o. even considering whether those states have out
OF the Union than with H. Finding themselves ssfely
at home II would be utterly impnicria whether they
had been abroad. Let us all join In doing tho nets
tween the.e states and the nor, and each forever
after inIocently Indulge his own opinion Whether 10
oi
to the Union only them proper assistance they
never having been out ofit
We have read many elaborate State papers
that had much loss sense and pith than the
above extract. I. ..... ...
If were worth while to show that tie Pres-
dent is signally right and The Uorid az emphatic.
ally wrong on the issue it has chosen 10 make we
,nicht easily do il from The World s own prem
ises Here is fair specimen Of its logic:
Not even the dlsoyallr. or thc total demolition ofa
State government work the deeasspce Of State.
The Constitution clearly distinguishes between a STATE
and it's RopUnnsn IN the provision guaranteeing 10
each State republican form Of government II state
falls under monarchy. an ocarchy. or any sort OF
government which the Constitution dos not allow. the
State Is still recognized existing with claims upon
the Federal authority which that authority n bound 10
respect lie Federal authority Is bound 70 recognize
the State while overibrowng its actual government,
and giving hs people nm opportunity 10 form another
for no Stn,e government can be considered republican
which does not eanne iron he spontaneous action OF
the people but Ia imposed upon them by external force
UAat people is here contemplated Do
its loyal people constitute the Sister or ma.
jority of all its people, whether loyal or other.
wiser The Ners stoutly insists that Loyalty to
the Union is Observation-Disclosures that West Vir.
ginia is no State, and that William Smith is the
rightful Governor Of Virginia, entitled to be
obeyed and respected as such at Wheeling IA
well as at Danville or Abingdon The Uorld
does not speak out on this point-does not say
that traitors in arms to subvert the Constitution
and Union form an integral portion Of "the peo-
pie" who are to be given "an opportunity to
form another" State government by the Union