Year: 1864

THERE is no estimating what amount
of treasure and blood injudicious opposl-
ton to the war policy of the Administra-
tion-by those who claim to be loyal
has cost the nation. If all men in all the
loyal States had heartily and earnestly
co-operated with the measures devised by
our legally constituted authorities for the
suppression of the rebellion, who can say
the work would not have been ended long
ago. Who can say that we would not
long ago have had restoration OF ma
tional authority over the whole land, with
far less destruction of private property,
and far less danger to civil liberty, had
not every scheme of the Government for
subduing the enemy encountered an oppo-
sition in its inception which almost par
alyzed its power. When the President.
Immediately after the bombardment OF
Fort Sumter, called for seventy y-five thou
sand militia, the call, though clearly legal
and justified by the circumstances, was
denounced so furiously in this State by
those claiming to be loyal, that not man
responded to it. The refusal OF Kentucky
and other border States to respond TO
this call, gave life and hope to the rebel
lion which the subsequent sending OF ono
hundred thousand brave men to the ar
mics of the Union has not yet wholly de-
stroved. When, afterwards, Congress
passed the henon-intcrcourse-act the
act which prohibits all commercial inter-
course between the loyal and dlsloyal sec
zionist, it was denounced so perslstentlyy as
unjust unwise and unconstitutional, that
men even thought it virtue to violate 1t,
and its complete enforcement became I'M
possible. But from the foundation OF the
world, war never existed between two
communities that it has not been made IL
legal for the members of the one to have
any intercourse, commercial or otherwise,
with those of the other, and there Is no
law on the statute book which is more
clearly proper or more obviously constl-
tutional. 1t has been so held by all the
courts which have been called on TO ad-
minister it, including the Supreme Court
of the United States. What amount OF
supplies the unwise and improper denun-
citation of this law has sent to the enemy,
or how much these supplies have added
to his ability to resist, it were vain to at
tempt to conjecture.


So, too, it has been with whatever fea-
ture of the war policy of the Administra-
ton has, at the moment, been uppermost
in the public mind. Each, in its turn,
has received not only insidious attacks
from the enemies of the Government. but
open assaults from those claiming to be,
and some of whom really are, its friendS,
These assaults, always intemperately
made, and rarely, if ever, justified by the
slightest pretcXt, have done incalculable
harm. They have encouraged the enemy,
and, by producing dissatisfaction at home
have weakened the Government and thus
prolonged the war, with all its horrors
and sacrifices. Who is there that doubts
that much, if not all the distraction which
exists at present in Kentucky, is directly
ascribable to the foolish but inhammatory
denuncialions of the war policy of the
Government, which Jacob, Wolford, the
Louisville Journal and others have almost
daily addressed to eXcitable men: They
know, or might if they are capable of lay
ing aside the trammels Of prejudice easily
satisfy themselves that the policy
which they most condemn is perfectly
constitutional, and if instead of at
tempting to excite the ignorant or the pre-
iudiced by naked denunciations unsup-
ported by reason or facts, they had ad-
dressed the calm judgment of their fellow
citizens, and, like patriotic n1cn, laborcd
to convince them that the action OF their
government is lawful, who can doubt that
we, here in kentucky, with the armies Of
the enemy driven far down into the south,
would now be enjoying n safety and re-
pose such as we have not enjoyed since
the beginning of the war: Who will deny
that, by pursuing this course they would
have strengthened the arm of government
and, perhaps, given the finishing blow to
tottering rebellion: The paths of safety
and of loyalty are ever parallel. Our first
duty in the war is to stand by our Gov
crnment-to give to those who conduct
its affairs cordial and earnest support,
and there our only safety lies. The Gov
ernment firmly supported in all its depart
ments by all men, would speedily triumph
and secure to the land peace with all its
blessings. We are not required to sacn,
flee individual thought or individual
iudgment-wc are only required to lay
our preiudices on the altar Of our country
to give our strength and our substance
to our country in whatever way 1t requires
them-to oppose its enemies wherever
found, and to unite, heart and soul, with


those, whoever they be, who are battling
for its salvation. Press.


SINGULAR PHESoMESoN.-At the 100


of the first summit of the grand old 81
erras, at point just south Of the Amador iS.