Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-10-25
WHAT WE'RE THE PROPER "SE
SHIFTS OF THE WAR;

hduiCdA cDGdhNlo VI LIZ ~NOANA NAAA N--S
South, great and small, from John Lo-
throp Motley, scholar and a gentleman |
who knows better, to CoIiax and Butler |
and Gen. Grant, who also know better, but
who are Radical candidates, down to
Mullins of ex-Congressional memory,
who doesn't know anything, are inces-
sanity talking of what they call the ere
suits of the war" All-the intelligent,
the Ignorant and the knayish--simply
mean by this phrase, the execution Of
whatever subserves the interests OF the
Radical party.
The term reconstruction" springs
from the SHINE view. The war should
have had no result that tho Constitution
of the United States did not authorize,
or that could not be legitimately done
under it. To argue that it did, is to adj.
nit that the war was revolutionary
struggle between two factions, and that
the Constitution was rolled up when the
government called into service seventy
five thousand troops TO recover possession
of Fort Sumter. This position, the gov
ernment of the United States never,
during the progress of the war, in any
form, nor in any matter executive, legIs-
latiye or judicial, whether small or great,
admitted. Nor can it do so without stul-
tifying itself. Such view aboliShes re-
bellion and treason as terms applicable
to men who fought against the govern
ment. They do not adhere to those who
opposed by arms party, even though II
constituted majority of the people, and
had, for the time, technically legal pos
session of the Federal offices. All through
the war of four years it was held that II
was a contest under the Constitution, and
for the Constitution, and against those
who were in violation ofthe Constitution
In July, 1861, it was formally declared
by the war-making power that it was
war whose sole object was to defend the
Constitution and make its authority su.
preme.
In this view OF the question lies the
great and criminal error Of Radicalism
The leaders of that idea would recon
struct and re"shape the government al
together, and make it new and different
thing. They discard the cardinal princi,
pie in the formation Of the government
that the war was wsged to maintain
They hold that fraction Of the people
of twenty States can make {
government for all the people o
all the States. This may prove to BE-
the result Of the war" If it does, il
will prove that it was victory Of the
stronger over the weaker-a struggle O
brute force merely-and further, that
though the defeated may be compelled &c
submit to the terms Of conquest as
granted by the victors, they were not
Rebels and are not traitors; ard that al
the laws which treat them as such are
unjust:
The Rebels, so-called, submit. They
laid down their arms when a further
struggle was fruitlesS, prepared and will
ing to accent the terms granted by The
government. The division of politica
sentiment and opinion since April, 1865
has been wheth er with the close Of hos
tilities, the government, under the Con
stitution, was restored, each State ant
each citizen resuming their original rela
tions to it, free to all its rights, immuni
ties and privileges, and subject to all th'
pains and penalties for violation gifts pro
visions; or whether the Constitution
should be held suspended until it cOulC
| be amended and adapted to the views 0
certain theorists, and the people Of tel
States governed as Congress might de
termine, and treated as conquered sub
iects of the new government.
- The people are now to determin
whether the only legitimate result of tn
war was to make the government as
was, supreme; or whether the elevation
of the negro to political power, the i'm
position of exorbitant tariff duties 70
the benefit of special classes, and tn
T. making the public debt a permanent in
stitution for the benefit of those VIII
hold the government bonds, are "the re
. suits Of the war"