New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-10-09
NEW YORK DAILY TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1861

leaving il for TO go TO them Int
ing to come 10 ne. Tie Border State
whatever may nave been the honest intention q
many Oh hS mem ,ers, was mere farce; for VIC
DOUBT not tnaS was, from the FIRST the intention o.
the leading pc icians in all the Border Slave state
to make COZ mon cause withther Southern brethren
Ihe prese at Government had exhausted all tL,
hopes % q peaceful solution OF our dificuliie,
betHfe IL took the step which was made
tpe prsteXt for war against it. From tn,
hrsz, Virginia Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky, ant
Missouri were pledged, as far their leading states
men could pledge them, to the Southern cause, and
from the frat the question with all the Slavehodnt
States was separation, or the reconstruction OF tn
Union on the basis of Slavery; and we entirely mls
take the temper of the Southern statesmen aud OF th
people OF the SlaveholdiDg States, If we suppos'
them prepared 90 make peace on any other term
now. There is no Peace party, 10 Union party II
any SlavehOldiDg State except perhaps, In MlssOur
and Kentucky, North Carolina and Western Virgl
MIA, on which the slightest reliance can be placed
The Union men in all the other Slave States, or see
tons OF Slave States, not excepting Maryland, are
the weak the passive, the imbecile portion of the
population. TIE talent, the energy, the decision
the governing capaeiyin all the Slaveholding States
whether the minority or the majority, are on the
side Of the Secessionists, and Secession has far
stronger party in every one OF the Free States than
the Union has in any of the Slave States, except
those already named.
There is no use Of attempting to dsguise the facts
from our own eyes, TIE Slavehoding States consti.
tute really united people, firmly united peo
pie in opposition to the Government than We Of the
Free States are IN support Of II. Any policy, civil
or military, based OH a contrary supposiiion will
prove o bunder, and disastrous in the end to the
Federal cause. The South have fixed and definite
policy which they are enthusiastic in carrying out
and they will stop at no means however unscrupul-
GUS, Judged by them necessary 20 their purpose.
They have chosen war, and they will accept peace,
until compelled, only on their own terms: Thus far
the war has been mainly success on their part, and
they far from having exhausted all their strength
Indeed they believe they are able TO sustain the war
long can, and TO sustain it successfully to
the end. Nothing is idle then, than to suppose
that the matter can now be cOncii9ted by politicians
or that the Government, without abdicatiDg itself,
has il in its power to make peace. The Government
las no alternative, il it would sustain iteel and pre-
serve the integrity Of the nation, or even Its own
honor but to prosecute the war; ard prosecute 10 with
all the vigor and all the forces and meaust
mand. For men, then, who profess to be attacbedto
the Union, TO talk Of "peaee, OF "conciliaion, Of
" compromises" of Conventions" is the yeriest
twadle, would be- il il were not tue grosses out
rage upon common sense and common dccency. Ms
we have said, al these things have gone by; and TO
attempt to recall them from the dead past, or 10 gal
yanze them into life is only TO betray our own stu
manfuly to the end aud teach rebellion lesson that
II will not soon forget.
We love peace as much az any man does or can,
and man, III proportion to his meaDs, suffers more
by the present war than we do. But the Scriptures
tell us, Follow after the things which make for
peace"-not peace at any price, and, now that we
in war, insist on prosecuting 1t till the basis
of an honorable and durable peace can be obtained.
The recognition of the Southern COnfederacy and
disbandment of our armies would not, as we have
shown, secure this peace; because the project OF the
Southern leaders is not merely separation from the
Union but reconstruction OF the Union under their
control on the basis Of Slavery. Are we asked,
Why not quietly submit 20 the reconstruction de-
mandedi Would there not still be union Of the
States under a Federal Government? And suppose
that It did recognize Slavery, what harm IN tia,
Nearly all the States once held slaves and the South
ern States have grown and prOspered, become treat
aud powerful, with the institution Of Slavery, and
even by il; that institution has not only contributed
to the greatness, strength, aud prosperity Of the
South but has been the basis of the commercial and
manufacturing prosperity OF the North why, then,
should the North oppose it, or hesitate TO adopt il :
The Union reconstructed on the basis Of Slavery
would be far greater, more homogeneous, stronger,
and more prosperous than il has ever hitherto been
and the reconstrncton demanded not merely in the
interest Of the South but in the interest Of the whole
country; why not then, accept II So we have
found men not in madhouse reasoning here at the
North and go, perhaps, some misguided citizens re-
ally believe.
we reply to this 1easoning-l. The reconstruction
proposed would be the destruction of the present
Union, of the Union affected by fathers, and in-
deed of the nation which it formed hitherto symbol.
lied by the I" Stars and Stripes" 1t would be the
destruction of our present nation, and, at best only
the substitution of another nation in its place. Now
Il so happens that many OF rs have an ardent at
taehment 70 the Union, in which we were born, and
under which we have thus far lived, and do not
choose TO expatriate ourselves, TO be forced TO be-
come the subject of another Government. For our
selves we were born an American citizen, and,
IL. IL 90 - L..
an American citizen we will live and we will die,
and no consideration under heaven shall ever induce
ms TO abiure allegiance 10 the Federal Government
or swear allegiance 10 any other sovereign. Except
for gross tyranny or oppression we deny the night
of expatriation Just we deny the right OF Seees
sion or revolution. This feeling which we express
may be treated lightly by traitors, rebels, and peace
men, and sneered at as mere sentimentalty but we
must be permitted 10 say, that, where 1t Is wanting
in any considerable number Of the population OF
country there is and be no real loyalty, no gen
une patriotism, and therefore no firm support for
national Government no secure reliance for the ma.
ton in its moment of peril. 10 transfer our ALE
glance from the present Union to new Union not
growing ont Of it, but established in spite OF il, and
on its ruins would be 10 convert into foreigners
in our own country; il would wound, In its most
sensitive part the patriotism of the people, and OBJ
lterae from their hearts all sentiments OF national
honor and loyalty, and therefore the very condition
of the existence and durability Of the nation, and
consequently Of the reconstructed Union.
g. A nation to be great, to be strong, and what the
true patriot desires it, must have solid foundation
in truth and virtue, and aim at something higher,
nobler, more spiritual than mere material conquest,
or material wealth and prosperity. Whatever South
ern shareholders or Northern merchants and man
ufacturers may think, there is moral governor Of
this world, and the nation that constitutionay and
habitually violates the great law of right and wrong
and contemplates only material grandeur and
material goods, either will not long subsist or sub
not that paganized Republic of which the southern
leaders dream, and with which they seek to allure
us to union with them, even were it to become as