Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-07-18
Shall we COMPROMISED

From the Christian Advocate aud Journsl1
There are giviDgs out in certain quarters
that an effort at compromise will be renew
ed early in the July session Of Congress-
This is natural. War is great evil. No
nation can prefer it on its own account, much |
less our nation. Reared for the most part
amid the benisons Of peace, and devoted to
peaceful av0cations, we cannot look upon war
in any other light than that of great calam-
ity. 1t is no marvel that the immense out
lay OF means required for the prosecution Of |
war, the prostration Of business, in all depart
ments Of trade and commerce, the possibility |
of lives must be sacrificed, the wasted and |
crippled condition of the country when all
is over, with the possibility, even then, that |
exasperations will remain which will bar
happy continuance of the Union, should
suggest to all minds the desirableness of some
kind OF adjustment as speedily as may be-
Our heart sickens at the prospect Of the
great battle which seems imminent. in which
both sides, if true to their avowed convic-
tions and heroic antecedents, must incur i'm
mense loss. This is to be followed by other
engagements no less destructive, if the poll
cy of the Government be successfully carried
out.
There is not true heart in the nation
| that would not hail with shoutings and weep
ings ofgratitude an honorable peace From
every hearthstone Of the land would ascend
songs ofrejoicing, as the telegraph should
wing the tidings from city to city, and from
hamlet to hamlet. And this is no new i'm
pulse, having its birth in terror or disaffec
tion. There has been no day since, this un-
true. Every pulpit has prayed for it; the
| nost lalliuarant hos inyoc co1t n aach
soldier of the Republic that has sprung to
arms would have rejoiced liz it; the Govern
nIent itself would, at any moment have pro-
claimed thanksgiving for it. The war has
never been preference. Nothing short Of
an absolute necessity could have made it
possibility so much did the nation prefer
peace. The Government did not desire to
waste her own treasure, murder her own sons,
dishonor herself among the nations. dismem
ber herself, that she should go to war. The
North had no grudge against the South, that
she should pour out millions of treasures and
lives to satiate her thirst for blood. Moth
ing of the kind.
The land was at peace. The Government
was pursuing its normal and honorable
/ course. Never within its history had it been
more prosperous and happy. In its entire
borders the people were dwelling in securi-
/, ty, llnlnoleated, each following his own way:
q No home was invaded, no right interfered
with, 10 privilege impaired no burdens i'm
posed. The sun in all his circuit shone up
: on no people so benignly governed none
making such rapid strides of progress in
wealth and culture. The world looked on
with astonshment and admiration. War,
and especially war among ourselves, was the
last thing thought of.
Under these circumstances rebellion arose.
1 States renounced their allegiance, set up a
= Government for themselves, seized the pub.
lie property, levied armies, and at the point
of the sword demanded that their indepen
y dence should be acknowledgement upon
the plea that the Government from which
y they revoltcd was no Government. had nC
IS sovereign powers, but was mere compact
le dissoluble at the option Of any disaftecteC
!. party The plan of the rebellion included
70 the withdrawment of all the slaveholding
= States, and their erection into a great slav'
Iy power. The capital Of the nation, locatet
n within the proposed seeding territory, wa
{, to be appropriated as the seat OF government
I'd of the new empire. The officers of the exist
L ing Government were to be captured ant
r held Us prisoners of war, murdered, or ban
G, ished. So far the programme was plain
ne openly announced. What more can only b
i'd Imagined Within the seeding district wer
n, many loyal men, amounting in some State
IT. to large majorities they were to be coerce
m into the measure by their politicians, an
n the influence of an arrogant aristocracy @
in wealth. The loyal free States, comprisin
'al wo-thrds of the whole population of tn
g, country, were to be insulted and trample
to upon, and the whole land reduced to anarchy
War of course was inevitable. Reluctant
ne the Government was compelled to draw tn
ID, sword The issue was plain-the rebellio
We must be put down, or the Government b.
lr- come extinct That was the issue then
m is the issue to-day. l.ftf.
rs, However bad war is, and however ardent
= ly we may long for peace, isa compromi
is now possible? There are but two ways, on
IS, or the other party must wholly abandon ]
all the stern and inexorable arbitrament of ii
ng sword. There is no middle way. Can II
in Government yield? Would it be right 2
Would it be safe? Would it be for the col
mon good? Then, in the name of reaso
n. let it be DONE But can any man think so
- Can the rebels yield? Here only is tt
possibility of bloodess solution Of the dif
Guilty. Let them disband their armies, an
on as good citizens, return to their homes; !
md them abandon their causeess treason, al
di- return to their allegiance. Let them acknov
riv. edge their fault, give their declarations
of disloyalty to the flames, and their pseu,
ted flag and Constitution to be torn to piect
-ge, and remembered only in sorrow Let the
by say, by timely and discreet proclamatio
nett We have made mistake. Let them p
YER, away from them hate, and be content to
un- equals, sharing, to the full, their part in t
ued honor and glory of the country. Let the
s to embrace again the flag which has led tn
g to armies to victory, and never knew shal
to until they dishonored it; let them take ba
,y a to their hearts the Constitution which
one shed glory around the name of their count
Q, a as it brought liberty to all its hearthstone
rest let them lament the sorrow they have mac
was and, like magnapimous men which tn
his boast to be, let them proffer peace then
,ns, may have peace, and, once more as brothe
the cultivating more respect and affection
bells each other, proceed to the glorious desti
not appointed us. This is practicable v
cry they do it? That they ought, no lover
EIDE his country can question.
and We fear they will not. They have g
ewn too far Hoping against hope, they will I,
- the hazards ofbattls. Then we must HI