Year: 1861

OEOAAt AFA1L ID. IS6L


THE POLITICAL FUTURE


Tha Administration needs no defence.
TIE impulse Of every man who values ths
Aonor Of the Government tho integrity Of
che Union, and the perpatuity Of Republi.
can tnatitutiont, is to say, swell donel +"
In the North few men-a few only, and
those thoroughly debauched in political
morals and humanitarian ideas-wM be


found to deprecate the means that have


been chosen for the assertion Of Federal
power: These will soon 60 down beneath


the wave Of popular contempt, or be swept


Of By the Torce Of popular indignation. and
the mem cf the Free States, supported. per.


maps by majority in the Border siare


States, viii be an unit in the sacred cause


of the Constitution and the Unioni Is


no argument is needed to prove that the


Government has committed no fault in the
assertion Of its sovereignty within the lin
3ss Of the Constitution and the law, so no
reasoning win destroy the belief that the
people, ever anxious for the maintenance
sf order, will be trae to the Administration.
Both these PROPOSITIONS are eyident-ttey
will prove 70 be a1ioma '


Our real a. partisans Is 50 well known
TINT our words may be misinterpreted. We
d. not mean BY the people," Republicans
alone, who constitute majority in the
North; hut the entire populaion--those
who voted against as we'll as those: who
voted for MI. LINCOLN. The time for
purely partisan distinctions founded on
disputes Of the past has gone by. The
honor, the territorial integrity, nay the pe,y
as;stesaax, Of the Republic il at stake; and
we should be base to believe that our
political opponents in the North-those
who have differed with us AZ to the expe-
diency or inexpediency of squatter
sovereignty in the Territories, or
ether matter Of like consequence
could, st this moment desert the flag Of
their country and render aid and comfort
to the men who would destroy it. We
make no such charge; we repel it when
made by others The people Of the North,
from this moment and as long as the war
for the maintenance Of the Constitution
lasts, are, Of necessity, forgetting the divis-
3ons and strifes Of the PAST rs one man.
We no longer asks he Republican,
u he Democrat? Is that Democratic
measure, or does it come up under Repub-
1lcan auspiceaf" The inquiry by which to
Judge men henceforth is this" Is he in
favor Of sustaining the Government, vindi-
eating the Constitution and perpetuatigg
the Union on the basis on which the
fathers organized it," As the answer
eomes, so shall We estimate him who
makes it Unconditional Union men
men who uphold the Constitution as it is
-men who viii dare all things rather than
submit to tie dismemberment Of the Re-
puoie--these are our political associates
and our political friends hereafter.


Once more: The question Of Slavery was
originally at the bottom Of the strife. It
Is SO no longer. The alternative
you continue to govern yourselves in ac-
oordance with the limitations and guaran-
tys Of the fundamental law; OF will you
submit to government forced upon you
by q rebellious and traitorous people? is
aow presented Will you fight for the
maintenance Of your rights; or will you
crouch like spaniels beneath the whip is
the correlatiTe Of the first. The facts
which lie behind these questions have dis
placed the slavery question, OF have subor-
dinated it to more important issues affect
ing the freedom and happiness Of thirty
millions Of white men. While, then. we
sbate not an item Of the belief which we
hare proclaimed respecting the rightful-
ness Of the institution a-d the necessity Of
con1lning it within its present limits, we
put all matters of dispute, arising out OF
that overshadowing national evil, in abey-
ntace to be again dicussed when the
rebels and traitors are snbducd and
the nation is at peace. Anxious
~ we are that our principles and the policy
which We have cherished in relation to
this institution may be the law Of the land,
We see that more important matters-mat-
ters which come straight home to us and
those Of the dominant race who will come
after us-are first to be adjusted; and we
are willing to bide our time. We do not
cease to be Republicans, even in close
partisan sense; but the danger to which
not on1y Republicans, but all others are
exposed, has enlarged our vision, extended
cur sympathies and deepened our hopes.
We are for the country first, and our party
nex-for asserting the dignity Of our Gov
ernnent and then the necessity Of Repub-
Ncan ideas. The greater includes the less,
Without the first, the last are rooted out.


In this spirit then, promted by no malice,
hate or revengefulness, but alone anxious
for the perpetuity Of the glorious fabric
which the fathers reared, We invite the CO.
operation of all men Of the Northwest. In
this war, causeless and wicked, shall the
people Of the Northwest be an unit? No
fault Of ours shall be in the way ofthe
consummation of every patriots hopes.
Let the watchword, Qua COUNTRY! suffice
Tor Ill.