Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-08-31
Shall we have Peace p


originating single human reflection
our boasted intelligence
as people, says the Gea,feM RepubH-
can, no man can fail to SEQ that our wis
dom availeth us but little in our present
troubles, and that wc arc fast drifting into
q boundless sea Of confusion and anarchy.
DO our people forget that this boastod in
teligcnco can do them no good as long As
they refuse to exercise this advantage they
possess by means of this intelligence ! Do
they forget that virtue is not hereditary,
and that national folly ofton usurps tho
place of national wisdom,
Wo assume that, setting aside certain
class of mad Leaps and fanatics both North
and South, all the rest of the American
people havo--or had but few months ago
but ono national hope and object, viz;
tho preservation Of the Union, the Consti-
tuition, our present form Of representative
government, and .ho perfect equality Of
tho several States. That all these bless.
ings aro now in most imminent danger Of
destruction, cannot be denied. Have our
public rulers made use Of the proper efforts
to avert this threatened ruinl Before
nation takes up tho sword it is bound to
exert every effort to effect peaceful set.
tlemcnt Of the matters in dispute. II il
fails to do so a just God will hold suoh
nation responsible for all the horrors Of
the war thus rashly commenced. Have
we as q naion exhausted all the means at
our command to effect peaceful settle
mont with the Southern Statcsl Were
there not some things left undone, that
should have been done, to effoct q recon-
ciliatou, before We put on the habilinents
Of war; are zoe now doing thai Sh,ch IS
required of us as God -ftaring and God.
a'toring people, to stay Nse foso Of Jratsvnai
UoNi1
We are aware that i, will be answered,
that the Confcderatcs "struck tho frn
blow"-that the attack upon Fort Sumter
made the Secessonists the aggrcssors, and
justified resort to war on the part Of the
federal government. Grant all this. Still
we should remember that this blow, and
this insult, came not from a foreign nation
and government, but from mistaken and
misguided members Of our own household
children Of the same parontago with US
and that whilst the parental rod of COR
rcction may be properly used, no feeling
Of vengeance should be harbored. Ma
tions, like individuals, should not disregard
the lessons given us by our Divine Teacher
on this point.
Tho 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
therefore for peace--a peace that will bo
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 effos, =
reconciliation, we shall not attempt to point
out 1t may be impossible. But before
we 60 further in this work Of widespread
and universal destruction, lrt as at leaH
ascertain the fact that reconciliation j.
impossible.
1t has been said that peace presents is-
self in but two forms-reconciItation, or,
separation. Tho former 10 what every
patriot must desire. We doubt its posi-.
bility even now but most inevitably
continuance Of tho war will render recon-
ciliation still moro impossible. Therefore
every man who hopes for reconciliation
and reconstruction Of the now discovered
Union should uso his influence to effect
cessation of hostilities until proper cffosts
for reconciliation are made
Who can SEQ aught else but separation
inevitable and final-in n further prose-.
cution Of tho war, This is now candidly
admitted by some Of tho leading journals
in the advocacy of the war, the Chicago
home organ of President Lincoln among
the number; and that the war must bo
further prosecuted in order to demonstrate
to the world that tho South, in case Of
separation, would be tho weaker party l.
Will the people submit 10 be taxed, and
to have their posterity burdcned with
national debt that will eat out their sub
stance for generations to come, for pur-
pose SO unbecoming a christian nationl -
If separation must come-if there is no
other escape for us-in Gods name let US