The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-10
THE. .REVOLUTlONISTS.

| When the Southern States were about TO
secede, and when the CRITTENDEN Resolutions
were under discussion in the Senate Of the
United States, Mr. CLARKE, Of New Hampshire,
offered an amendment TO strike out the pream-
| BILE and all the resolutions after the word Re
| solved, and insert
eThat the provisions of the Constitution are
ample for the preservation of the Union and
| the protection of all the material interests of
the country that it needs to be obeyed rather
| than amended, and that an eItricstion from
our present danger is to be looked fer in stren-
| uous efforts to preserve the peace, protect the
| public property, and enforce the laws rather
| than in new guarantees for particular interests,
compromises for particular difficulties or con-
| cessions to unreasonable demands.
Resolved That all attempts to dissolve the
present Union, or overthrow or abandon the
present Constitution, with the hopes or e1pec-
| tation of constructing new one, are danger
Gus, illusory and destructive; that in the opin-
| ion of the Senate Of the United States no such
reconstruction is practicable, and, therefore, to
the maintenance of the existing Union and Con-
stitution should be directed all the energies of
all the departments of the Government and the
efforts of all good citizens
Messrs CAMERON, CHANDLER, SEWARD, SUM
NER WADE and WILSON were among the sup
porters G.. these resolutions. At that time an
| amendment Of the Cons tuition might have
| given peace to the country, and these worthy
gentlemen and pure, unselfsh patriots desired
war 1t was necessary TO drive every South
ern State into secession, in order to obtain the
objects of the Republican party, and from Mr..
LINCOLN down 10 the humblest follower in the
| ranks, all were determined that there should
| be no peace and consequently no compromise,
1t was, however, necessary to delude the
| masses, and TO do this it was declared by those
men who meant revolution that "to the main
tenance of the existing Union and Constitution
should be directed all the energies of all the
departments of the Government and the efforts
of all good citizens" The Constitution of the
United States was then q perfect instrument
So at least they solemnly declared, and to that
declaration the American people should hold
them bound.
As the wal progressed the party leaders
Why conceal longer their objects when blood
had produced bitterness, and passion had
generated blindness The war at its inception
was simply to suppress insurrection, or rather
it was pretended to be for that purpose alone
If the people had at that time had reason to
suspect that it was for any other purpose, not
man would have been furnished and not dol
lar would have been raised The war was
fought by the people on the principles laid
down in the CLARKE amendment. ABRAHAM
LINCOLN, in his inaugural address, speaking Of
the duty of the Executive, said, "his duty is to
administer the present government as it came
into his hands and to transmit it unimpaired by
him to his successor" He further said, in ad-
dressing those whom he called his dissatisfied
fellow -countrymen, ''you have no oath regis
tered in Heaven to destroy the government,
while shall have the most solemn one 'to
preserve, protect and defend it." On these
principles, and these alone, was the victory
won by the opponents of secession. 1t was
won because the great part of those who took
up arms in de fence of the Union took them not
TO punish but to bring back their Southern fell
low-countrymen.
Near three years ago the war ended and the
Southern people, supposing that the public
declarations of the party in power were made
earnestly and honestly, went to work, amended
their State Constitutions, abolished slavery and
elected their members Of Congress. They
hoped that, the war being over, the revolution
had ceased Vain hope idle dream! There
and had laid down the work to be done. That
man had never loved the Union. He had weged
war on it during whole lifetime. He had de-
voted brilliant genius, fine accomplishments
and glowing oratory to the abuse of the Aneri-
can Constitution. His model hero was Tous-
saint L Ou7erture, negro, whom he had open
ly proclaimed greater than CESAR, greater than
NAPOLEON, greater than WASHINGTON. He is
a Red Republican and revolutionist by nature,
and for years he has been the advance guard Of
the Republican party. In 1864 WENDELL PHIL
LIPS laid down the platform. In letter, dated
April n, he said, speaking OF the Convention
then about to be called at Cleveland in the fol
lowing May, Let me tell you, the national
policy advocate, subdue the South as rapidly
as possible; the moment territory comes under
the flag reconstruct States thus Confscate and
divide the lands of rebels extend the rights of
suffrage broadly as possible to whites and
blacks let the Federal Constitution prohibit
slavery throughout the Union and forbid the
States to make any distinction among their
citizens OH account of color or race" How
well the Radical party has obeyed these terms,
dictated to them by their master, WENDELL
PHILLIPS, let the legislation, the oppression
and the wrongs of the last three years attest
Governor SEYMOUR, in recent speech at AL
bany showed clearly that if the revolution is
begun it may be consistently carried out. His