Year: 1862

| When the was begun, by the dastardly and
| insane assault upon Fort SUMTER the people OF
New York city assembled en- masSe in and about
| Union Square, and pledged their lives and their
property and their honor to defend and uphold
| the UnOn the Constitution and the laws At
that time we took the call of that meeting as a
motto, and hung it out in front of our office:


"THE UNION, THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LAWS.
Successive regiments of patriot soldiers, on
/ their march to Washington, as they paraded in
the Park greeted it with cheers. Some Of them
begged the flag that hung over it to carry with
them to the That was motto then. 1t
| is nOw


Then we supposed the war was waged to up
hold the Constitution, assailed by secession trea-
i son and rebellion. Then we understood and the
assembled mutitudes OF Union Square under
stood, that it was to put down armed resistance
ance to good Government, and to maintain
/ the Union as it was when our fathers made it
and as it was when rebellion drew its bloody
sword to destroy it. IT, the war was undertaken
with any other purpose, the people were basely de-
ceived. Congress passed resolution unani-
mously affirming the single object of the war to
be the restoration of the Government over the
whole Union. The President proclaimed the
same doctrine in his messages and appeals. In
every form by which solemnity can be added to a
public declaration, this has been set forth as the
sole end and object of the war. And on this ba-
sis the great American people, with one heart and
mind, entered upon the stupendous work, pouring
out their treasure and laying their lives and the
lives of their sons the altar Of their country S
Union, integrity and perpetuity. This was, and
has been. the watchwOro of the war; the rail- lying
call of the Government the inspiration of victory
and the only ground of hope On any other ba-
sis the people never would have risen to the great
ness of the work; on any other basis they would
have no heart now to prosecute the war No
other object is worth mans life; any other OBJ
! ject converts this war into mutitudinous murder,
and makes US a race of savages thrsting for
brother savages' blood.


| But we have in Congress and out of it, we
have in our newspapers and pulpits and public
meetings, men who now teach widely different
doctrine from this They are in favor of holding
the Constitution in abeyance until the war is over
/ They. teach that the rebellion of individuals has
destroyed the rights of States They hold it to
be the duty of the General Govern ment to pro-
ceed with and toward the inhabitants of the re-
vOted States, as if its jurisdiction over them is
the same as over the District of Columbia or the
| Territories They ignore utterly the rights of
/ the thousands in the South who are now crushed
beneath the iron heel of secession power and
yet long and pray for the restoration of liberty
and protection of the Government to which they
owe allegiance.


| To get ut the destruction of slavery is the os-
tensible object OF these reasonable measures in
the North; but it is a Jesuitica and damnable
doctrine that good object juslifies the means





] We have now come to the verge of the great
contest. All our battles in the field and in Con
| gress and in the Cabinet have been mere skir-
mshes compared with the imminent struggle for
/ the defense and overthrow of constitutional gov
ernment in the United States. When we know
that some of our able lawyers, leading polti-
clans, eminent citizens and good Christians are
publicly banded together, and pledged to promote
the subversion of fundamental principles of the
] Constitution, we confess that we regard the fu-
ture with deep concern that borders upon ap-
| prehension for public liberty. We know that
revolutions are often so gradual that their pro-
/ gress is unnoted till their destiny is determined.
/ We know, too, that the foundations of our liberty
have been sliding for some time past, and that it
is hard to tell just where we are now. The exi-
/ igencies OF war have made many things appa-
rent necessity, which we would not condemn till
I they are sanctioned as part of national policy.
/ But we believe the time has come for Congress
and the people to abandon all other schemes and
measures but those which look 20 the Immediate
paci6catiOn and restoration of distracted, bleed
ing broken, but still glorious country.