Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-08-21
SHALL WE HAVE PEACE z

SHALL WE HAVE PEACE?
The present deplorable situation of our
country is truly alarming, and should ex,
cite every man 10 action who is capable OF
originating single human reflection
Notwithstanding our boasttd intelligence
rs people, no man can fail TO see that
our wisdom availeth US but little in our
present troubles, and that we ere fast
drifting into a boundless sea OF confusion
and anarchy. Do our people forget that
this boasted intelligence can 90 them no
good as long they refuse to exercise the
advantages they possess by means of This
intelligence? Do they forget that virtue
is not hereditary, and that national folly
often usurps the place Of notiona wisdom?
We assume that, setting aside certain
class Of mad-caps and fanatics both North
and South, all the rest OF the American
people have -or had but few months
ago--but one national hope and object,
viz: the preservation of the Union, the
Constitution, our present form Of repre-
sentative government, and the perfect
equality Of the several States. That all
these blessings are now in most Mmincnt
danger OF destruction, cannot be denied.
Hge our public rulers made use of the
proper efforts to avert this threatened ru.
in? Before a nation takes up tue sword
1T is bound to exert every effort to effect Il
peaceful settlement of the matters in dis
pute. /! it fails TO DO so a Just God will
hold such nation responsible for al. the
horrors of the war thus rashly commcne
ccd Have we as a nation exhausted all
the means at our command to effect
peaceful settlement with the Southern
States? Were there not some things left
undons, that should have been dcne, to
effect reconciliation, before we put or
the habiliments Of war? Are wc aoD doi,,y
that which is req'6cdQfw asa God;ttariog and
Goa-adOring people. 70 stay he foo qt.tia,crual
blood?
We are aware that il will be answered,
that the Confederatcs "struck the first
blow'--that the attack upon Fort Sums
ter made the Secessonists the aggressors,
and justified a resort to war on the part Of
the federal government. Grant all this.
Sill We should remember that this blow,
and this insult, came not from foreign
nation and government, hut from mista-
ken and misguided members of our owa
Observation-Disclosures of the same parent-
age with us--and that whilst the parental
rod ofcorrection may be properly used no
feeling OF vengeance should be har5ored.
Nations, like individuals, should not dis
regard the lessons given us by our Divine
Teacher on This point
The first great object OF our government
should be PEACE, A government that
cannot live in peace with its citizens, or
which is unable to give peace to them, is
worse than no government at all. We are
there for peace--a peace that will be
honorable and enduring Or, having no
confidence in the efforts now making to
conquer peace by the sword, we are in
favor of at least trying to negotiate peace.
Upon what terms it is possible to effect a
reconciliation, we shall not attempt to-
point out. 1t may be impossible. But
before we go further in this work of wide.
spread and universal destruction, lcto@ at
least ascertain hetact that rcconciHa ton is i'm
possible.
1t has been said that peace presents il.
self in but two forms reconciliation, or, sen.
aratioa. The former is what every patriot
must desire. We doubt its possibility
even now but most inevitably continu.
ance of the war will render reconciliation
still more impossible. Therefore every
man who hopes for a reconciliation snd a |
reconstruction of the now discovered I'm,
ion should use his influence to effect
cessation Of hostilities until proper efforts
for reconciliation are made
Who can see aught else but separation
inevitable and final-in a further prose
cution of the war? This is now candidly
admitted by some of the leading journals
in the advocacy Of the war, the Chicago
home organ Of President Lincoln among