Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-19
The Way n Great People shouId wn,

lue AuullAlotIdIiOu Wy utClhIdtlOls VI du
official character stands pledged to the coun-
try, and, through its accredited representa-
tires, to the States of Europe, to restore the
nation to its original dimensions, and to en-
force throughout its entire length and breadth
the authority of the Constitution and the
laws. The people of the loyal parts of the
nation, large majority of them at least,
have accepted this pledge, and are looking
an1iously for the signs that indicate its full
fillment. At present, it must on all hands be
admitted, these signs are not Of the most
promising description. In proportion to the
magnitude of the work to be accomplished,
the progress has been any thing but encour-
aging. To all appearance, the contract has
grown more rapidly than the preparations
for its performance.
There was a time when, if the FIRE of Fort
Sumter had been opened upon the city of
Charleston, Secession would have received
its death blow. There was time when, if
Manassas had been occupied by the troops of
the Government, the rebel forces would not
have entered Virginia. The day for finishing
the job by single blow, has passed away,
and receive it as we may, it is worse than
idle to close our eyes to the fact that we are
enlisted in long and dreary war. For q
period of over FIVE months, the Capital City
of the nation has been virtually in state of
siege, and threatened with capture; and al
though we congratulate ourselves that there
is no danger that the enemy will advance, at
present, we have no right to forget that
there is as little apparent prospect that he
will retreat. The fact that the seat of Gov
ernment of great and powerful nation has
been beset by rebel armies for nearly half a
year, is an astounding one; and, if it had
happened anywhere else, would have
awakened in our minds serious doubts
whether the Government would be sble uI-
timately to sustain itself.
If the character of the loyal people of the
United States, in the absence of all excite
ment was to be. consulted as to the proper
means to suppress this rebellion-means that
would be true reflection of ITSELF and the
use of which it could contemplate in after
times, with pleasure unmixed with feelings
of shame and reproaeh, it would answer By
ytoree-force directly applied, in open, honor
able warfare. It would say: We, a liberal
and honest people, can afford to be magnan-
imous. We, robust and healthy people, can
afford to treat even our enemies fairly. We
are strong enough to defend our soil and our
Government without seeking undue advant-
ages. With preponderance in numbers and
in wealth, and with justice upon our side, all
we ask is fair field, and no favors; and let
us fight it out This is, we sincerely believe,
what the American character of the North,
forming itself into words, would have said ;
and yet this is not now its language.
What is it saying? Upon what are we re-
lying to fight this great war of principle-a
war upon whose issue so many vast interests
are supposed to depend, and upon whose
vicissitudes the whole civilized world is look
| ing with feelings of combined interest and
dismay? Measles, smallpox, camp fever,
agues, hunger, cold and privation. We cal
culate our chances of success from the number
of sick in the enemys camp, the prices Of
provisions in Richmond and New Orleans,
the probable amount of shoe-leather and
blankets in the States of the Confederacy;
and expect the end of the war when the
enemy will no longer be able to keep to-
| gether, through disease, or the want of me-
cessary articles. These are all, it must be
admitted, elements proper to be considered;
but when they become the main elements
when we look upon them to fight our battles
and gain our victories, are we not placing
ourselves in a light which the world will
scarcely be so indulgent as to consider re'
spectacle, and which posterity will hardly
feel proud to remember?
live desire, in this war, as we profess, to
gain the respect of our Southern brethren, to
convince them of our courage and impress
upon them a just estimate of our power, il
must be done by fair fighting in the field
not by intriguing to raise up against them
an enemy at home, through the disturbance
of their domestic relations, War among
civilized nations in all ages, has respected
the women and children of the enemy--tht
weak, the aged, the non-combatant, the Ia
borer. To enter upon an indiscriminatt
butchery, would be pronounced the hight O
barbarism; and how will it differ in respec
to the wickedness, whether we do it our
selves, or incite others to its perpetrationI
We may frame excuses for such proceed
ings-as that slavery is the cause of the re
bellion, or that it is great crime which w
are bound to eradicate; but the frequency
with which they are urged is evidence tia