Year: 1863

Ihere are many and great indications OF the


commencement of powerful reaction in the
public mind on the subject of the war and the
questions out of which it arose, as well as from


the signal failure OF the administration, both In


their military and political conduct of the war.


AT the present moment all is confusion, be-


cause the popular sentiment is In transition


state; but order will soon be evolved out Of po-


litcal chaos, and the counter-revolution will


stand triumphant and acknowledged by ALL


The excitement and Indignation produced


throughout the land by General Burnsides high


handed and illegal proceedings against Mr..


Vallandigham, and his silly course in suppress


ing the Chicago Times, because it commented


severely upon those proceedings are among the


unmistakablc evidences of the revulsion that is


taking place in the public mind Republicans


as well as democrats have protested against
such measures, as not only unconstitutional, but


extremely impolitic and dangerous. The Le-
gislature of Illinois, by vote of forty-seven
to thirteen including twenty republicans, pro-
nounced against the military outrage upon the
Chicago paper. The President, obeying his
own humane instincts and the popular will, is
at last compelled to rebuke the Secretary Of
War and Burnside together by directing the
latter to revoke his order overthrowing by mill.
tary force the freedom Of the press in his de-
partment If Mr.. Lincoln would now issue
countermand to the order sending vallandigham
into exile he would wisely crown his concilia-
tory policy, and give q mortal blow to
the radicals in the Cabinet and out of it, by
whose advice 30 unfortunate step was taken It
was this political blunder, worse than crime"
that developed and brought out the latent
popular feeling against the administration at
the great meeting of the democracy in this city
on Wednesday last-a meeting of thirty thou
sand men, headed by Fernando Wood, and
breathing an earnest and unfaltering determi-
nation to put stop to hostilities against the
Southern States and to restore the Union, not
by the science Of war, but the arts Of peace
The prolonged exile of vallandigham will con-
tinue to furnish fuel for the fame throughout
the whole Of the Presidential campaign; and it
will be the more effective because it is utterly
unjustifable upon any principles known to our
constitution and laws, contrary to all prece-
dent in our history, and stripped even of the
plea Of necessity.


The ball is now fairly set in motion in this
State, and its progress will be irresistible. Any
violent opposition to it will only serve to de-
monstrate the impetus it has received If the
Regency, instead of getting on the same train,
should run State ticket directly against it
next fall, its locomotive and cars would be
cr,,o nod hxrf fha srbt II.
locomotive and cars engineered by Fernando
Wood; and if the train of the Regency should
undertake to move in the same direction on
the same track, by starting little ahead,
it would be soon overtaken and driven off the
track by the superior speed of the engine called
Mozart Hall. Il, on the other hand, the AL
bany concern should conclude 10 follow in the
wake Of the New York engine, it wonld be
nowhere" in the race. Its only safe policy,
therefore, Is to hitch itself to Mozart Hall. If
the Regency run q separate State ticket next
fall it may prevent the peace party being sue
cessful; but It will not only not win itself, but
demonstrate that it is in small minority. In
that event the republicans will carry the State
elections. But the peace men, being . ma
jority in the democratic party, will claim the
right to shape its policy, and for sake Of har-
mony, and in order to oust the republicans
from office, the minority win acquiesee, and
the same viii take place in every other State;
for like causes will produce like effects, to say
nothing Of the influence of the example of the
Empire State. The platform of the demo cracy
in the Presidential campaign Of 1864 will be
peace; and, what is more. the candidate will be
elected, no matter who he is, the principle con-
trolling all other considerations. The people
have lost all faith in the efficacy of the war to
restore the Union. They are preparing to try
what virtue there is in peace. II Mr.. Lincoln
should at once cut loose from his Cabinet, and
send IL adrift before it does any more mischief
TO him and the country, he would stand an ex-
cellent chance Of being reelected himself.


The new President, whatever might have
been his opinions or antecedents, will, upon
assuming Office, be compelled to suspend the
operations of the war, proclaim an ar
mistice, and propose o convention of
all the States. Both governments have
given all constitutional scruples to the
wind. The government of the South is as
much q despotism as the government Of the
North. The Southern people would rejoice at
such an opportunity as an armistice and con-
vention to enable them to throw off the yoke
of JEFF. Davis, who now holds them down by the
iron hand of war. State after State at the South
will elect delegates to this convention with
more zeal than they elected delegates to pass
ordinances Of secession. State rights will be
vindicated North and South, and the cause Of
strife and alienation-the slavery question
will be finally settled by return to the prin.
ciplcs on which the government was founded,
and the old fabric will be reconstructed as a
white mans government. Negro slavery will


be established more firmly than II ever was be-
fore, and North as we'll as South the whole race