Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1861-12-19
The Only Way to Peace.

There is oneshort and certain path through
.. all the complications which rebellion at home
and short-sighted sel6shness abroad can sur-
round the national liberty and prosperity we
have thought so glorious. and that is to crush
this rebellion by armed force. Have we an
army sufficiently strong now to do it, or are
more men required? What is needed to re-
store the law to its authority in Virginia,
and to break up the blockade of the Potomac
by pirates? If more men are wanted, in
Heavens name let us know it, and have
them gathered at once, whatever the cost.
If the army is, on the contrary, too large to
move against the enemy let us know that
Whatever it may be that permits now, and
through many long months has permitted,
the rebels to plant their flags within sight Of
the capitol dome, let it be known, so that
Congress may provide, or the Executive may
order, the use of means adequate to the de-
feat of their armies.
1t may be painful necessity to so into
Virginia with a force strong enough to con-
quer tho rebels even at great cost of life but
unfortunately there is no other solution of
the problem. 1t would have been painful to
send a company Of armed men in April last
to take Manassas junction, but with the lapse
OF every day, week and month since that
fatal determination OF the rebels to fight was
made, it would have cost more and still more
~ FIJI r;o1y of 10 IL, !
work of taking Manassas, and now it begins
to be regarded as impossible. And if the
lapse Of time should bring the secret or open
aid of half a dozen foreign nations to the side |
Of the rebels, on the ground that, having
maintained their military independence in
our faces for full year unscathed, their e1-
istence as nation is a fact, how then will /
the contest becom easier than now?
Either the rebels must be beaten in arms
or their independence must be conceded. We
must either make our vast number of enlisted
men actual soldiers, or prepare to keep a
standing army of hundred and fifty thou
sand men at Washington for the next zen
years. Military operations in the field ap-
pear to excite great apprehensions on the
part of the present generals Of the army, and
they shrink from advancing to contests, as
all men do who hope difficulty may be set
tied without fight But this rebellion cam
not be so settled by parade merely. The
vast numbers of men gathered to form an
army want to return to the ave cations of
peace at the earliest moment. They are citi-
zens, not mercenaries They wish to fight
now in order to secure peace hereafter. 1t
is not necessary to make machine soldiers of
them, to 20 drill and discipline them that
they cannot again become citizens. What
ever the sacrifice of time or life is necessary
to crush this rebellion. they are ready to
make ito make it and have done with it,
so that the old order of peaceful progress
may return.
The case is being complicated unpleasant
ly, if not painfully, by every months delay
1t is reduced to single point now, which
point is that the military power Of the rebels {
must soon be broken by force of arms, or
there is risk of trouble tenfold greater than I
that which now exists. Is the executive de- S
partment of the government prepared with |
all the force requisite to execute the law aud |
The national will ? If greater ornaments are |
required they will be speedily authorized and 2
provided. If what we have is enough, they Ii
must be used speedily. If there are twenty \
thousand cavalry too many, and fifty regi- !
nents of infantry too many lose not an hour F
n disbanding them, SO that the remainder R
nay be at liberty to act. Dangers abroad St
nay soon attend on the dangers existing 1
lere, and we do not care to have foreign l
var on our hands while struggling to main p
ain the national honor and the national ex- 7
stence at home. If unable to cope with our D
domestic enemies through the agencies we b.
ave provided, the prospect is not altogether d
if foreign contest comes on. NJ
One thing it may be set down as certain N
hat all nations. selfish Or generous, all rebels 81
nd all enemies will rcspect-and that Is NJ
orce. 1t is scarcely less certain that they 10
Fil respect nothing else. If our army is a.
apable Of conducting hostiitics successfully, 81
hey will not be slow to sec that it is right; pi
nut if it lies in helpless idleness they will de- !
pise it and despise us, whether wrong or b,
light. A victorious army is a powerful ar /,
A feet doing its duty is another SO
onclusive reason for respecting us; but if sh
he blockade we attempt to institute is inef- co
sctive and constantly violated, it will be diff nc
cult to make foreign nations believe that we pl
ave right to blockade at all. In short, pl
ntiring energy in the naval and military &c
rms of the government must be exhibited, ca
r the future is involved in trouble and OBJ la
;urity. A victory over any one Of the rebel ra
rmes would be of vast consequence. The
r-occupation of any great seaport city, or of p
ny considerable area of disputed territory, di
'ould be of more consequence abroad than pl
no most forcibly framed argument Of the til
ccretary of State; tenfold more forcibe, if, tr
l. "A =.