Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-10-22
TIE RESULT orruE wAR.

the United states never, during the pro-
gress of the war, in any form, nor in any
matter executive, legislative or Judicial,
whether small or great, admitted. NOrean
it do so without stultifying itself Such
view abolishes rebellion and treason as
terms applicable to men who fought
against the government They do not
adhere to those who opposed by arms a
party, even though it constituted ma
jority of the people, and had, for the
time, technically legal possession of the
Federal Offices All through the war of
four years it was held that it was con-
test under the constitution, and for the
constitution, and against those who were
in violation of the consti tuition. In July,
1861, it was formally declared by the war
making power that it was a war whose
sole object was to defend the constitution
and make its authority supreme. The
government is therefore precluded from
exacting from those who were in resist
ance, any conditions but those author
lied by the general law ofthe land. That
was the legitimate result Of the war, and
nothing more. The party in possession
of the government have no right to say
that fundamental changes were wrought,
and that they may prescribe what they
were, and use the power Of the government
to enforce them aslaws. lnthisview of the
question lies the great and criminal error
of Radiealism. The leaders of that idea
would reconstruct and re-shape the gov
eminent altogether, and make it new
and different thing. They discard the
cardinal principle in the formation of
the government that the war Was waged
to maintain They hold that a fraction
Of the people of twenty States can make
government for all the people of all the
States. This may prove to be " the re-
suit of the war. If it does, it will prove
that it was victory Of the stronger over
the weaker-a struggle Of brute force
merely-and further, that though the
defeated may be compelled to submit to
the terms of conquest as granted by the
victors, they were not Rebels and are
not traitors and that all the laws which
treat them as such are unjust
The Rebels soscalled submit They
laid down their arms when further
struggle was fruitless, prepared and will
ing to accept the terms granted by the
government The division of political
sentiment and opinion since April, 1865,
has been whether with the close of hos
tilities the government under the corr
stitution was restored, each State and
each citizen resuming their original re-
lations to it, free to all its rights, immu-
mites and privileges, and subject to all
the pains and penalties for violation of
its provisions; or whether the constitu-
ton should be held suspended until it
could be amended and adapted to the
views of certain theorists, ard the people
of ten States governed as Congress might
determine, and treated as conquered sub
iects Of the new government Andrew
johnson and the Democratic party Of the
North, with a large number of Conserva-
tive Union men, North and South, who
never affiliated politically with that
party, are for restoring the constitution
An ultra faction of the North, with a
retinue of mercenaries in some of the
Border States, have succeeded in bewil-
dering the public mind, and delaying
restoration. But the confusion is being
allayed-the people are coming to see
that the only legitimate result of the war
was to make the government as it was,
supreme; and that the elevation of the
negro to political power, the imposition
of exorbitant tariff duties for the benefit
of special classes, and the making the
public debt permanent institution for
the benefit of those who hold the govern
ment bonds, are but parts Of miserable
partisan scheme.