The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-03
The War for the Union and the War
Against 1t.

fiery zeal Will in due time defeat itself, and bring
upon their own heads the punishment with
which they threaten others. For all this aglta-
ton in Congress, this piing up Of amendments
to the Constitution this denunciation of every
man who differs from them, this anxiety TO dis
able and punish our fellow-citizens in the
Southern States, is in strange forgetfulness of
considerations which the statesman who would
live must ever keep in view. Itpresupposes the
continuance during peace of a public opinion
which acquired force under the excitement and
perls of war. 1t makes no allowance for the
abatement of feelings which derived their
strength from q conflict involving the life
of the ma ION, and which are naturally
modified, if not eradicated, now that
danger has given place to triumph. And
il ignores the fact that many OF the measures
urged by radical.sm, and which the rad-
cal leaders would tam push to completion be-
tween the rising and the setting OF the sun, can
not acquire any guarantee oil permanence, and
may be annulled without ceremony by another
Congress. Even with regard to constitutional
amendments, it takes for granted the concur
renee of the requisite number OF States, although
the known weakness of the radical element in
several of them renders such result extremely
improbable. There is folly, therefore, as well
as mischief, in some of the scenes now being
enacted at Washington.
The idea of subjugating the Southern States
and reducing them to the condition OF conquered
provinces obtained no favor during the period
most likely to foster It, True, the Wendell
Phillipses on the platform enacted the same role
OF characters nov played by the Stevenses of
another place, but the great body OF the people
repudiated il qnqualfedly and always. The
Copperheads taking their cue from the Phillips
school OF radicals opposed the war under the
allegation that il was war OF conquest. But
the people, from whom men and means to carry
on the war were derived, never regarded it as
other than struggle to preserve the national
integrity. All their plans, all their aims were
prediCated upon the continued existence of the
Union in its entirety, and consequently upon the
continuance within the Union of the Rebel
States, throughout the whole term OF the Rebel
lion.
The entire policy of the Government foreign
and domestic, proceeded on this hypothesis.
The proclamation OF President Lincoln, the cor
respondence OF the State Department, the legis-
latlon OF Congress- the efforts and aspirations of
the Northern people-au we're in harmony upon
this point 1t was this and only this which JUS
titled the war. 1t this and this only which
tanned the North under reverse, animated it
when things wore their gloomiest aspect, and
gave unceasing yigor to the spirit which led TO
victory. The States were held to be States all
the time. And the close of the war was held to
imply the resumption OF former relations as be-
tween the Federal Government and the several
States which had been concerned in the
Rebellion.
This proper appreciation OF the question is of
more value, for most practical purposes, than
the abstract arguments OF publiclsts on either
side. AS the subtleties of the secession problem
have been blown into nothlngness from the can
mons mouth, so the theorizing of Messrs. Ste
vens and Shellabarger is blotted out as of no ac
count by the deliberate judgment Of the people.
We have the testimony of General Grant to the
good faith with which the citizens of the South
acquesce in the verdict OF the war, and resume
their allegiance to the old flag. The terms die
taJcd by General Grant, with the full knowledge
of President Lincoln, we're calculated to bring
about this happy condition of affairs.
The great soldier who guided the struggle to
ITS end dreamed not OF arrogating to himself the
functions OF conqueror, or OF imposing upon the
South terms of vassaaoe. They who did the
fighting felt always that hey were fighting, not
to extend a conquerors flag over alien territory,
not to add provinces TO a republic and make lGS
glorious symbol "a Haunting lie," but to put
down Rebels and restore the authority OF the
Union over all It's component parts. The armies
OF the Union fought only Tor that. And when
that was accomplished, soldiers and people alike
felt that the work oil the war was ended, and
that nothing remained to keep the Northern
and Southern States apart The Union was re-
stored, and with the restored Union came back
the equality Of the States and the tul title OF
each 30 the privileges conferred by the Con-
slltutiOn.
The Northern people have gone yet further.
From the mOmenC when the Rebellion was
known to be suppressed, they have striven to
heal the wounds occasiOned by the war, and to
reassure the South in every respect. They have
established lines OF steam communication almost
without number. They have provided the
means of reconstTucting railroads. They have
furnished capital to cultivate plantations and to
promote industrial and commercial enterprises
in every Southern State They have settled
liberaly with Southern debtors and have sent
on credit goods to supply the Southern market.
In this manner the question OF the Union ano
the relations OF Northern States to Southern
States have been virtually and satisfactorily
settled by the peoples OF the two section :
Southern people come hither and find friends
and ielloW-ctizens, instead Of aliens and subju
gators. Northern people go there and lind, il
the varied resources of States now freed from
the curse of slavery, fresh grounds of confdenct
in the power and prosperity OF the Union.
1t remains for men ike Mr. Thaddeus Steyen
to declare the work OF the Grants and Sherman
of the army unfinished, and to condemn tn,
maguanmous spirit OF tae American people, II
man who had dared anything or done anything
betting hero, we might be disposed 10 lister
with respect But that men who never shoul
sons to danger, should now scold and hector
and talk about terms which conqueror ma,
dictate, is simply intolerable. And when Mr.
Stevens, who during the war attempted nothing
more formidable than drafting OF absurd go
bills, spts his venom upon the President, an
impugns the sagacity and patriotism of AndreS
johnson, the people VIII not be long in decidln
TO whom their confidence should be given.
On one hand, they see the type of elias
whose radicalism years ago afforded Souther
tre-eaters the means of fomenting sections
stie, and whose zeal to-day smacks more c
Austrian absolutism than of rational republic
ansm. On the other hand, they have a Souther
loyalist who risked life and everything in tn
cause of the Union, who did more than an
other single man to organize loyal sentiment i
the border States, and whose policy since hi
elevation to power has been marked by cor
summath skill and Judgment and by dlsiI
terested devotion to the restoration OF nations
peace and unity which entities him to the CT
operation Of the. country. 1t is against thi
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