Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-10-15
NO. SO.

il -, ~ :, no inore proved disposition on the
l. part OF Messrs Wise and Hunter fagorable 10
v Catholics than it proved their LOYALTY and deyo-
!. non to the Union. The Secession leaders. no
@ douot, mean to use Catholics 10 their struggle
o LOT separate nationality, or the reconstruction
OF the Union; but there can be just as little doubt
that, when they had gained it, they mean to
. prescribe them, as they have openly ayowed, for
.uey WISH 10 perpetuate Slavery and the Catho-
iic religion, everybody knows, is hostile to Sa-
very, and the Church everywhere exerts her in.
nnence against it. There is no safety ia this
couniry for our religion but in restoring and
preserving the Union, and securing the liberty
OF the Church, not as political grant or favor,
but as one of the inherent and inalienable rights
of man.
Still We regret that certain number of Catho-
lies, msled by their demagogues, unite with the
followers OF Breekinridge of Kentucky, Bright
] OF Indiana, Vallandigham Of Ohio and The Sena-
tors from the Border Slave States not vet in open
rebellion, IN opposing the war for the manten-
nnce Of the Union, and in calling upon the Gov
ernmeut to discontinue it, and to make peace at
once. In this they are The dupes of pretended
patriots, but real traitors and serve the cause of
rebellion more eftectually than they could if its
open and declared adherents The pretense. or
the belief that our difficulties could now be set
tied by Convention, or compromise or any
concessions short of our absolute submission 10
the demands Of the rebels, is the idlest thing in
the world. The time for Conventions, for COM
promises, or for conciliatory measures, has gone
by, and no man not really in league with the
southern rebels, no patriot no friend of the
Union, with the slightest grain of intelligence,
can for moment seriously believe in their prac-
ilcal utility. There never has been time since
the election of Mr.. Lincoln when any concilia-
tory measures, or any constitutional compro-
misses, short of a complete surrender to tho
demands of the Southern leaders, could have
been of the slightest avail. The last Congress
was disposed to go further in the way of COM
promise, and to make greater concessions for the
preservation of peace, than wisdom or prudence
dictated. But there were no terms of compro-
mise the seeded States would accept, short of
their full aud unequivocal recognition as a sepa-
rate and Independent nation. They openly re-
fused TO return to their allegiance, even on the
adoption OF the so-called Critiendeu Compromise,
aud declared their separation final and irreyoca-
ble leaving it for us to go to them but absolutely
refusing to come to us. The Border State Con-
yenton, whatever may have been the honest
intention of many of its members, was a mere
iarcei for we doubt not that il was, from the
first, the intention Of the leading politicians in
all the Border Slave States to make common
cause with their Southern brethren. The pre-
sent Government had exhausted all the hopes of
peaceful solution of our difficulties before il
took the step which was made the pretext for
war against it. From the first, Virginia, Mary
land, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri were
pledged, as far as their leading statesmen could
pledge them, to the Southern cause, and, from
the first the question with all the Slaveholdinp
States was separation, or the reconstruction Of
the Union on the basis of Slavery and we en-
urely mistake the temper Of the Southern states.
men and Of the people Of the Slaveholdinp States.
II we suppose them prepared to make peace on
any other terms now. There is no Peace party.
no Union party in any Slaveholding State, ex-
f.,N ~
Carolina and Western Virginia, on which the
slightest reliance eau be placed. The Union
men in all the other Slave States, or sections of
Slave States, not excepting Maryland, are the
weak, the passive, the imbecile portion of the
population The talent, the energy, the deeis-
ion, the governing capacity in all the SlavehoId.
ing States, whether tine minority or the maioritv
are on the side of the Seeessionists, and seees.
sion 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 disguise the
facts from our own eyes. The Slaveholdine
States constitute really united people, a more
firmly united people in opposition to the Govern
ment than we Of the Free States are in support
of it. ANY policy, civil. or military, based on
contrary supposition will prove blunder, and
disastrous in the end 10 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 unscrupulous.
judged by them necessary to their purpose-
They have chosen war, and they will not accent
peace, until compelled, only on their own terms.
Thus far the war has been mainly n success on
their part, and they are far from having exhaust-
ed all their strength. Indeed they believe they
are able to sustain the war as long as we can,
and to sustain it successfully to the end. Moth
ing is more idle, then than to euppose that the
matter can now be conclliated by politicians, or
that the Government, without abdicating itself,
mas it in its power to make peace. The Govern
ment has no alternative, if it would sustain
tself, and preserve the integrity of the nation,
Or even its own honor, but to prosecute the war,
md prosecute it with all the vigor aud all the
forces and means it can command. For men.
then, who profess to be attached to the Union.
to talk Of "peaee," of "concilidtion," Of "com-
promises" of "conyentions," is the veriest
twaddle, or would be, if it were not the grossest
outrage upon common sense and common decen-
cy. AS we bave said, all these things have gone
by and to attempt 10 recall them from the dead
past, or TO galvanize them into life, is only TO
betray our own stupidity or our disloyalty No.
we must fight, fight manfully to the end, and
teach rebellion lesson that it will not soon for
get.
We love peace as much as any man does or
can, and no man, in proportion to his MEANS
suffers more by the present war than we do
things which make for peace'-not peace at any
price; and, now that we are in a war we insist
on prosecuting IL till the basis OF an honorable
and durable peace can be obtained. The recog-
ntion Of the Southern Contederacy and dlsband-
ment of our armies would not, as we have shown
secure this peace because the project Of the
Southern leaders is not merely a separation from
the Union, but reconstruction of the Union
under their control ON the basis Of Slavery Are
we asked, Why not quietly submit to the recon.
struction demanded? Would there NOT still be
q union Of the States under Federal Govern
ment? And suppose that it did recognize
Slavery, what harm in that? Nearly ali the
States once held slaves, and the Southern States
have grown and prospered, become great and
powerful. with the institution of Slavery, and
even by it that institution has not only cOntri-
buted to the greatness, strength, and prosperity
of the South, but has been the basis Of the com
meruial and manufacturing prosperity Of the
North why, then, should the North oppose it,
or hesitate to adopt it The Union reconstruct
ed on the basis of Slavery would be far greater,
more homogeneous, stronger, and more pros
perous than it has ever hitherto been and the
demanded is not merely in the
interest Of the South, but in the interest of the
whole country: why not, then, accept il? So
We have found men not in madhOuse reasoning
lero at the North. and so, perhaps some mis-
guided citizens really believe
We reply to this reasoning-l. The recon-
ltruction proposed would be the destruction of
he present Union, of the Union effected by our
athers, and indeed of the nation which it formed
hitherto symbolized by the "Stars and Stripes"
It would be the destruction of our present ma
ion aud, at best only the substitution OF another
nation in it's place. Now, it so happens that
many of us have an ardent attachment to the
Union, in which we were born, and under which
we have thus far lived, and 10 not choose to ex-
patriate ourselves, or to be forced to become the
subject Of another Government For ourselves.