Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-04-24
The Horrors OF Civil War-Cannot
Peace be Preserved!

Amidst the whirlpool of sectional excitement,
and the gathering of armies in battle array, there
are many who, impressed with the truth that
"peace hath her victories no less renowned than
war, are earnestly calling upon their countrymen
to prevent, if possible, the terrible career ofbiood
shed and desoation upon which We are hurriedly
rushing. The administration, assuredly, should |
ponder, before it precpitates the country into a
long and bloody civil The following re-
marks of the New York Express on the subject,
are WORTHY of calm consideration:
The magnitude of civil war in great and pow
erful country, between we'll organized States, is
now beginning to be understood-but only begin
wing The cost OF suci, war. both to the n Orth
and South, is not half cOmprehended. The loss
OF life is but partially imagined. The exhaustion
which will follow when peace comes, rs come il
must, TO leave Us a prey to the rapacty and GU
pdity of European monarchies, is scarcely
dreamed OF. The call for volunteers here. the
drilling OF men in arms, and the marching of
them from their homes to Washington WILL in
few days be ieit-the separation OF husband and
wife, OF brother and sister, OF parent and child,
to be demoralized in camp, If not stricken down
by disease, will soon be known and felt. ANY
war is runous to morals and mind, but civil war
is utter decentralization.
To cry for Peace Peace" amid the clan
gor of arms, we are well aware, is but the voice
OF one CRYING in the wilderness; but the voice
must sooner or later be heard, and be needed and
trhy not no,r? In this age of civilization and of
christianity, can there be no suspension of hostil
tiles, and no reference to arbtriment of our great
/ disputeT We venture to say, if the Northern
| people could be consulted, three out of FIVE would
say: Part ,ctth the Cotton States in peace: no
tcar." Many of the Republican leaders, among
1 IrT1ff ~
separation, anu why they have been driven from
their position no rational reason his been elven
Ii Is necessary now, perhaps, to spend $780,
OOO.O 600, and to bring two or three hundred thou
sand men under arms, but it is not necessary,
even when these strong forces are arrayed to
| fight The array of men in Washington, 1--WE
hope to see enough OF them there to preserve the
peace.) we look upon now but as peaceful precau-
| ton. We have already said, only thousands ami
| thousands OF men in arms in and about Fort
Pickens. ii that position is to be maintained nav
by the very strength of their number keep the
peace. Sincethe administration has started upon
Its war career, we approve OF its reported call Tor
two or three hundred thousand men,
We can raise as large an army as France, or
Austria, and six or eight hundred thousand men
in camp, under prudent lenders, might be but
police to keep the peace. When the North and
the South have become vast camps the people OF
both sections will begin 10 reason there is moth
ing worth fighting about. or if there is, fighting
will not settle. anything. Neither section islikely
to be conquered or overrun, or if overrun neither
would be worth having when subjugated The
very genius of Republic otis against a sub
Ject people. To have subjects, we must have
military nobility, and with a military. comes a
civil nobility, and with nobility comes a testruc-
ton of Republic.
The suspension of all intercourse by mail be-
tween the North and the South bad As it s-the
ut oil ID 4
interchangeable loss Of credit and OF currency
the general bankruptcy of both sections-and
both are coming-may be necessary to educate
US to peace; but peace is worth the terrible edu-
cation. Blighted trade can be recovered from,
but from civil war between free States and slave.
! holding States, there is no recovery
Meanwhile, the Christian ministry, part of
whom have done much to bring on the war by
minging in the sectional strife OF the day, owe il
TO God, to the country, to ITSELF to avert this war
, The Republican ministry. which has done so much
to create sectional party, owe il to themselves
and to humanity, to try to part the sections in
peace LII we can agree in nothing else. we can
agree with christian Republicans not to engage in
{ war. They can step in, as ministers of God and
turn the sword away from the hearts of men once
brethren of the same kith, kin, origin, language,
ancestry.
4 Let bygones then be bygones, and let the New
: England religious influence, which is so power
+, tut over the New England Republican mind
everywhere in the northwest as well as the east
then exert their power to shield the country from
: a long and awful war