Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1861-07-19
Sustain the Government.

&" know of no mode by which loyal CIT
izen 's;iy vel! demonstrate hi. devotion 10
his country a, by sustaining the flag, the con-
situation, aud the Union, under ali circun-
stances aud under every administration, Gre
gardle,s OF parry politics. against all assaiI-
ants, al home and abroad.
Tie above brief extract from he last letter
written by Senator DoUGLAs, upon the state
Of ihe country, expresses in a few words the
true Test of loyalty. All hope Of compromise
was abandoned by Mr.. DouGLAs, as well az
by other prominent statesmen, when the cot.
ION States assumed the position that the sep
arallon was final, and thac they would consent
TO 40 reconstruction not even If the Nor Ii
would furnish them the blank paper mud per-
NIT them 10 iuscrlbe their own terms. Such
was their declaration, and as yet there Is no
evidence OF a retracton of their determiua-
tion
With a full knowledge of the fixed deter
Inination of the South 20 accept no compro-
mise, and of all their acts of hostility, tn, re
are yet those III the North opposed to war,
and profess to hope for peaceful compromise,
even while the South are in arms against the
government. What such men would have Us
90, we eau hardly see, unless it be to say to
the South. come back. and manage the affairs
ot the Union ia your own way i; or, if you
viii not do lhIs, go out of the Union aud take
with YOU all you want--any thng and every
thing rather than that the North should light
the South
War, 1t is true, under any circumstances, Is
an evil much 10 be regretted, and doubly 50
when between two sections of the same
country. Nune Will deny that the aggressious
Of The South have been such thai, had they
come from any other nation. war would be
not only jus,itiable. but duty. on the part of
our government. The catalogue Of grievances.
as set forth In the Declaration of Independence
against the mother country, was no more
objectionable, and even less numerous, ,han
the aggressive acts of the South. But we are
told tie people of the South are our brethren,
and 1t Is Dot right for brother to war against
brother. Does this tie of conSan guinity exist
only on one side ? Are we any less the
brethren of the people of the South than they
OF Us Are we TO suffer our brethren TO
seize our property. murder our citizens or
force them 10 take up arms against US. plum
der the public treasury, tramplc under foot
the flag of our country and seize the capital
OF The nation, and excuse them because OF
klodred,hlp existing between the two sec.
tons of the Union ? Are they not even more
guilty IN committing such acts against their
own kindred, than if were separate
nations
This is not war waged by the North
against the rights of the South. hnt by the
South against the General Government Ii
j. not. on the part OF the North, a war of
conquest sutjugation but it is simply in
defense Of the Government and TO maintain
its supremacy. There is no right thinking
man who would not prefer peace 10 war, or
who does not regret the necessity Tor taking
up arms IN defense of the Union yet, no true
patrIut-no man deserving the name Of an
American eltIzen-dcsires peace - the sacr-
tice OF honor, justice or right. We are aware
there those who would make it appear
that there are other objects sought in the
prosecution Of the war. on the part of the
North, than to maintain the supremacy of the
government; but such men are either blinded
by party prcjudIces, or they are not loyal
citizens
There have been reports Of peace PROPOSE,
'lons from the rebels to the Federal Govern
ment- We know nothing of the truth of the
REPORTS, or The conditions Of the proposals, if
any have been made. Much as We would
like peace. we would not desire it until the
rebels lay down their arms, uneondtionalv.
and replace the American Flag over every
place from which they have torn it down.
Until that IS done, an attempt At compromise
would he useless waste of time ANA tend 70
widen the breach already existing between
the two sections of the Union