Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-24
FRIDAY. MAY "a. 1889,
Mr.. Lincoln.

Commenting upon paragraph which np-
psarcd IN the Dispatch last week, the Siaun'
ton Spectator sAYs:
"The war upon the South was not inside
TO free the negroes aud no such purpose was
entertained by the Administration when tbe
Wal was insugursted; but Il was for the
purpose OF eniorcing the Federal laws in The
southern States sud the prevention OF the
secession OF any oi them from The Uulon-
this II was and nothing more itH Lincoln he-
came convinced that 1t was military neces-
sIty, and IL he bad not been thus convinced
he never would have issued his emancipation
proclamation. In thst opinion OF It's ore
necessity ho NAV have been mistaken. Dut
that opinion is what influenced his action"
Surety the Spectator does not mean to say
that the condition Of things Of which II
speaks justified Mr.. LINCOLN in emanci-
pstnr the negroes. The "dire necessity
was one OF his own creation. IL be had re-
fused to make war upon the southern States
be would have had the pleasure OF seeing all
The seeded States compelled by public
opinion to renew their allegiance 10 the
Union. Virginia, for example, had shown
clearly before Mir. LINCOLN called upon her
for troops that = majority OF forty thousand
OF her voters were IN favor OF remaining in
the Union. Ia word, the Union feeling
was so strong in the southern states, and
the benefits and advantages OF the Union so
clearly recognised by the southern people a'
awb0e, that we do not believe ssipPle state
would long have remained out Of the Union.
But whether Mr.. LINCOLN, under bad ad-
a,d Mt fhA dive
sty" under which it Is claimed that he
acted. be must bAve had au awful feeling OF
doubt as to whether that "dire necessity
justified bim IN freeing The slaves. The Con-
stitution Of the United States in express
terms prOyi ied for their continuance in The
coalition Of slaves We do not understand
why the plea OF a a. dire necessity" would
not baVe been Just a. good II be had come to
the conclusion In his own mind that 1t was
necessary 10 the success OF the war that be
should abolish the United States Senate, or
the SUPREME Court Of the United States, or
the House OF Representatives. one provi-
sion OF the Constitution Il as sacred as an-
other. All be bad 10 do was TO dub the act
ga wsr measure" or "military necessity
II the Spectator says that Mr.. LINCOLN
was the best Of the northern leaders Of war
DAYS, we concede the fact. We have no
word OF reprosch for him. But we must
stand up for our own people; aud when
Republican papers 10 his own State OF Hill
nois repeat the stale islsehood that ROBERT
+. LEE COMMITTED perjury" I'VE can
hardly consent 10 write the words, we can.
not help "makings few remarks" on the
other eide.
OF course we know that the Republicans
OF the North claimed that they began the
war simply TO "eniorce the laws OF the
United States" IN the seeded States. But
this Is exactly what the people OF the seeded
States denied the right Of Mr. LINCOLN or
snybody else 10 do. They claimed the right
20 withdraw from the Union at will The
result Of the war was the abolition Of that
right All the same, southern historians
and historians the world over except in the
North will continue TO print aud reprint the
ordinances OF ratification OF Virginia and
New York and to maintain that these ordi-
nsnces asserted for Virginia and New York
the right TO secedc which was destroyed
BY the war between the States.