American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-07-12

cry of hereditary rule. a different pol
icy, by rendering the task an easier and a
speedier one, would have left the world
and ourselves, much to learn of our re-
sources and capabilities, and much of the
barbarism of that institution which it
would have left substantially intact, to
} breed new rebellions, and exact new sac
! riiices from our posterity
1t was under these influences. strength
ened as they were, by an apprehension,
not apparently removed BY tbe enthusi-
asm with which they responded to the call
OF the President, that the people were
not yet up to the real level of the crisis,
and not prepared for the adoption of such
earnest measures If repression as a state
OF war demanded, that the armies of the
Union were brought Into the field Ii
was not Tor the Chief Magistrate of course
! to direct their operations Ia person. But
his Generals were unfortunately e. ither
men Of southern birth, or men who had
been educated in feeling of profound
reverence for Southern institutions
Nlth them 1t was Utmost PROCLAMATION to
INVADE the sacred soil OF sovereign
State With them the treason Of their
ancient comrades, it not a chivalrous vir.
tue, was only the infmty of noble
MUD. Perjury and ingratitude. the black
est 4and most damnng rebellion aud
treachery, the most wanton and improve.
voked-mpliel no stain upon the person
al honor Of their enemy. Longstgaet and
jackson were models of christian virtue
Lee aGd l}eauregard unblemished spec
mems OF elegant aud welI-bred gentle
nen-every migrate especially, who had
betrayed the Government that reared him
an hoaorabie man. No Kind regard"
was forfeited by their base detection no
hand refused in friendly greeting, though
red with a brothers blood no iervent
God bless you" left unuttered, because
the recipient had blackened his soul with
the toulest and basest crime that history
| records TO have opened their camps to
Il loyal negro would have been IA violation
OF the constitutional rights Of his rebel
master. Knigh.ly courtesy required his
return 10 have helrkeuel t. the eyi
dence he brought Of the strength and DO
sitlon OF the enemy would have been
violation Of the rule which disqualified
hun as witness against his master. Reb-
eI exaggerations for purposes of effect,
were more acceptable than the simple. un
vanished truth from the lips of run a,
way contraband. What success was to
Ne hoped for. with such instruments?-i
Ae President himself both saw and felt |
M iihculty. His patience was severely |
Jorob but what was he te do? If he or
movement in advance, the wealth
ma,"3I her too cold or too hot-the mud |
made. mas eAit it v or the dust iutolorable. If
nraIo, - IN done reluctantly, or with a
ina, -. III ~ ht Responsibility Of failure
onod "' ~, ~ 5;1ni. ,i" refused, and he threat
6an, sn,,noptaJ Ao officer it was per-
the people would rex SaSs LIZ ''i1 , a,"'y oI
actually chaGn withE ',";aaa aS ."0y "o,o
ballion growingin strenA [ aadtLo So io -
Of the Government begiA Aiu '"o i.lu. : 'elil'
In this dilemma, it beetnsS " We os!' L'd'. e.
nlm 10 take up the questlonN
change OF policy The struX
.oug aud painful ono. IT. he hNc,I," .,
liberty to consult the promptnA his
own mind aud heart, in case whA -.
life of nation was depending on hA,,
clsl0n, it would have ended as soon AZ
, begun But his h1bituil caution inteh
sliicd by just sense OF his great responA
sibiity as an officer, held his judgment
10 abeyance, HIS own good sense, how
ever trumphed at last Unaided but
by the counseis o. faithful few he took
up the case, calculated all She elements
that entered into it, aud arrived, by a
striciy logical process, Of which the steps
are now obvious, at the conclusion that
the rebellion could only be conquered by
the emancipation Of the slave He put
that result in the shape Of Proclama-
ton. and then summoned his Cabinet
.ogether, not TO odotse, but to hear what
he had determined The picture of the
consultation over this important doepment
is the merest fancy piece. The point was
decided by him before the met, and there
was do demur, because there was no fur
iher room for objection.
Nothing; however, is clearer than the
factthat it was not the original purpose of
Mr. Lincoln to interfere with slavery
N the States. With all his strong
convictions that it was crime that, in
his own terse language, ''if slavery was
not wrong, there was nothing wrong" :
his respect for the constitutional rights
of the South was such as to override
his own private sympathies for the bonds
man. With him, the leading, over-rul-
ing thought-the idea nearest to his
heart--was the preservation Of our glo-
rious Union, as Gods chosen instrument
on earth, and the one best fitted, with all
its defects, to secure the peace and hap
, piness of man. The ether question was
entirely subordinate to tins He was
! willing to quote from him agaih--''t to
/ save the Union, ,oith slavery if he could,
, or teithnm it, # he could" His first
!. idea encouraged, if not inspired by the
men who had then his confidence, was,
, that it could only be saved by tender.
ness to that inteaest, whose extreme sens
, ibility to danger-to say no worse Of it
had brought all these troubels-these
almost apocalyptic woes upon the land
} Under these impressions the, war was
, tls