New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-04
THE TWO CAPITALS.

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The inauguration of the President provokes
comparisons which may not be without value
The Capital of the United States witnesses Il
spectacle full of moral grandeur, when after
four years of civil war, the foundations Of the
Government remain mistaken, and all its ma
chinery goes on with legal regularity. The
Constitution has been tested as fundamental
law is tested only in extraordinary times, and
it has proved, in its beautiful simplicity, strong
enough for the salvation of the nation. The
treating or conflicting hosts, but in the serenity
and the security Of the law, and with the quiet
sanctions Of religion, the President of the
| United States assumes once more the robes and
the responsibilities of his great office. As he
advances to fresh duties, all good omens attend
him, and his Inauguration is illustrated by re-
cent victories over faction and treachery. The
rejoicngs Of hundred cities are the anthems
which welcome him to his toll. From seaboard
and from prairie, from the farm, the workshop
and the pier from old men in their wisdom,
from young men in their strength, from mothers
and from wives and from little children. come
the glad cries of encouragement aud gratitude.
The cloud which lowered upon the Republic has
been lifted, and we see once more the glorious
Summer of peace and prosperity advancing
Look now at that other Capital doomed TO ig-
nominious surrender, from which mock iegis-
lators are fleeing from seli-assumed duties and
abandoning with the tmidity Of guilt their
usurped positions "Reminiscences are in vain
appeals to manhood are Observation-Disclosures
are as impotent as persuasions to arrest the dis
reputable stampede of Confederate law.giyers.
Lee sees the moral ruin Of the panic, but he
protests against it without effect He is left
General without ministry to sanction him,
and with a greatly reduced army TO follow him.
No conduct in the field can compensate for such
cowardice at home. There may be courage left
for fight, but there is nothing left to fight for
Our anniversary orators have sometimes ven
tured upon the assertion that the eyes of the
world are upon a." which may have been by
perbole in happier times but is now hardly
more than the literal truth. There is nothing
to shrink from the sharpest and most general
scrutiny. We can afford to invite it, and we
can put our prospects and chances and certain
ties into two Washington and Rich
mond Rebellion, causeless and criminal, the
basely- begotten child of Passion and Ambition.
ceases TO be respectable when it ceases to be
successful.
-Four years have elapsed since Mr.. Lincoln
entered upon the Presidential office, and how
great is the difference twiXt then and now
Then State after State joined in the unnatural
and wicked enterprse-the chief cities of the
South were in possession Of traitors-our armies
and navies had not vet recovered from the
shock Of treason within and sudden emergency
without-W ashington itself was threatened
the President himself was held to be in personal
danger-the Rebellion was confident, and we
did not know in how many channels
its poison was running. Now-but why
rehearse the glad story of high courage, Of reso.
lutte endcayor, Of unshrinking persistence, and
OF measurelcss success! Upon day like this,
We can well afford to be cheerful, for there is
record indelibly stamped upon the pages of
history, of which We need not be ashamed. The
people have earned the right to rejoice, for they
have saved nation TO be the Inheritance of
their children-ssyed it alike by yalor in the
field, by Christian justice in law-making, by
noble persistence under discouragement, by an
open-handed generosity, almost without prece
dent and at a cost of countless private agones
patiently suffered for the sake of cur Father
land A good cause well.sped--the chronicles
of the ages have nothing brighter, nothing
nObler, nothing more benefcent than this We
thank God for our triumph, and We are not
afraid to thank Him, for it is the Triumph of the
Truth!