Year: 1861

raise questions OF political discrimination, ana 70
agtate topics of sectional sensiblity. in the pres
ence of the more i'm mediate and grander issues
which deserve to engage the attention of the
whole loyal population, as they must continue to
engage the plghted faith and activity of the
National Government. We allude oe the dissent
which certain journals have expressed from so
much Of the Presidents recent "open order to
Major General Fremont, restrains and modi-
fes the proceedings of that officer under his proc
lamation declaring martial law in Missouri


We remark that the exceptions taken to the
proPriety of the Presidents ruling in this matter
proceed in every case from such newspapers as
have been heretofore distinguished for the zeal
and virulenca with which they have assailed not
only the political extravagance of "Pro- Slavery
leaders," but the entire social system Of the
saveholding States. so far as that system depends
on the institution of slavery. And to such ex
tent is this animosty carried by one most intelli
gent journal at the North that simply because
certain papers not heretofore in direct political
sympathy with the Administration, and charged
with being too favorable to the cause of the Sc
cessionists, have expressed their warn approba-
ton Of the Presidents d, cision in this regard, it
intimates the hope that the President will find in
this very fact an admonitory lesson by which to
"leam whittier he is tending" As if praises
rendered from any quarter to the strict Ooserv-
ance of law passed by the late Republican Con-
gress ought to be source of shame 70 a Repub
lican President.


We cite this singlecase tn show the origin and
political anin0s of the criticisms passed upon the
conduct of Mr.. Lincoln in this discharge of his
duty under the Constitution and the laws. and
that too by journals which have been among the
first to urgea total putting away of partisan dis
tnctions in the face of the perils besettiDg the
very existence of the Government.


1t has been proclaimed by the Administration
a lpafu Of fhn hOS od
it, and by the National Legislature in providing
ways and means for their vigorous prosecution,
that this "deporable civil war is waged with a
single eye to the restitution of the national au
thority, and with purpose of subverting the
social Institutions of any State In this spirit it
was that both branches of Congress, with unani
nifty unparalleled in a matter involving questions
so delicate, and still warm with the passions of
contemporary politics, passed the resolution of
Mr.. Crittenden, affirming "that this war is not
waged ON their part in any spirit of OPPRESSION or
for any purpose of conquest or subjugation, or
purpose of overthrowing or interfering with the
rights of established institutions of any State
but to defend and maintain the supremacy of the
Constitution, and to preserve the Union, with all
the dignity, equality and rights of the several
States unimpaired and that, as soon as these OBJ
jects are accomplished the war ought to cease"


True to the letter and spirit ofthis declaration,
the present distinguished Secretary of the Treas
ury, in his spirit stirring address to the people of
the United States, calling for their material aid
in carrying on the war, held the following appro-
pirate language:


''ls it unreasonabeto hope that the auspicious
result of peace may be hastened by the reflections
OF the citizens of the States in nsurrection? That
they will review their action; weigh their own
welfare; consider the disposition of the people of
the whole country, to recognize all their consttu-
tonal rights and to allow them their full share in
the benefits of the common Government, and re-
new that allegiance to the Union which, in an
evil hour, they have been tempted to throw off?
Will they not reflect that the war into which the
Government of the Union has been constrained,
is not war for their subjugation. but a war for
national existence, and that an auspicious result
to the Union will benefit as largely the States in
insurrection the States which have remained
loyal?' ars


1t passes our comprehension that any loyal cit
iZen should impute a fault to the President the
fidelity with which he seeks to keep the faith of
the Government in this regard. We know that
the disunion and secession press has been swift to
predict that the Administration would prove re-
to its duty and its pledges under this head
but we had never supposed that professedly loyal
prints would be forward to second the justice of
such representations, by confessing to any sur
prise or regret at a decision which forever defeats
expectations so dscreditable to the sincerity of
the national Government under its present Ad
ministration. Those who think it matter of
reproacn to the President that he has, by his firm
ness, won the praise of his political opponents,
might well be reminded that in falsifyng his con-
stltutional engagements so as to merit the an
plause of some anti-slavery extremists, he would
only justify the predictions the most envenom-
ed among those in arms against the Government.
And we are free to express the belief that such
derelIction of duty on his part would not please
the latter any less than the former for the Seces-
sion leaders know full well that any such policy
would be fatal to all hopes of restoring the Union,
and that the contest, by degenerating into pure-
ly sectional conflict between slaveholding and
non-slaveholding States, would henccforth lose
that national prestige which now gives to the
Government its highest claim to the support of all
loyal citizens, without regard to State lines, as
without regard to former political differences If
the contest should ever lose the character now
impressed upon it by the whole theory of the
Constitution, and by the direct legislation Of Con-
gress, it would pass into an entirely new sphere of
ideas, and would demand new civil as well as
new military arrangements to conduct its opera
tons. Under these circumstances. with the new
combinations that might be expected to result
from such dissolution of the political elements,
already deeply stirred by the agitations of the
times, we should indeed have confusion worse
coniounded" in our distracted land 1t would be



dition of things in which


Chaos umpire sits


And BY decision more embroils the fray


By which he r-igns.


And those who assail the frmness of the Pres
ident for maintaining intact as far as possible in
this revolutionary crisis, the Constitution of the
country and the law of Congress, appear to for
get that to allow different course on the part of
the Major Generals under his command, would be
virtually to abdicate his functions as the Execu-
tive head of the nation, and as the Commander.
in-Chief of all the forces now in the fell 1t
has been well said by New York cotem-
porary, which ardently sustains at once the Ad-
ministration and the Government-we a,lude to
the World-that "unity of action is indispensi-
BILE to military success, and unity in military
movements can be attained only by by submitting
them all to one directing mind" Those who
dissent from the wisdom of the Presidents or
der, restraining the proceedings of General FIRE.
mont within the limits of the law of Congress,
are ready, it seems to acquiesce in the parceling
out of the national authority into as many Major
Generalships as we have Major Generals in the
field. These latter. in their several military dis
tricts and not the President as their constitution
al Commander in Chief, are to control, without
let or hindrance, all military operations and de-
eide questions of civil or social law which nei-
ther the Constitution nor the laws of Congress
have RENTED to the adjudication of the one or
the other -tt.f


1t can not be doubted. as has been well said by
another of cur New York contemporaries, that an
advancing army will necessarily make what use il
can of all property OF "rebels in arms" and in
doing so WILL without waiting for the processes oi
courts, seize and consume provisions, transfer Ia
its use all arms and munitions of war, horses
wagons, and available goods. and. of course, un
der this general rule. as the Government has
already declared. rights to slave property, ode
Il
military operations are conducted, must be neces
sarily subordinated TO the military exicencies ere