Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-03-21

Peace.
There are many reasons why calm,
thinking and conservative men regard a
peace policy, in the settlement of the
present difficulties betweenthe sections Of
The Union, as the best.
The government is in no condition to
commence and carry on war Of subiuga-
ton. This Mr.. Lincoln seems to have
discovered since his inaugural message
was delivered. The government has not
the ability to maintain Mr.. Lincoln's po-
sition of "holding, occupying and posses
sing" the Southern forts. II has neither
the men nor the money. Congress re-
fused to pass the Force Bill and the bill
for the collection of the revenue on ship
board. Congress did wisely; for the
passage of these bills would have COM
mitted the new administration to war
policy.
Peace is the best, because it is imprac-
ticable for the government to force war
with subjugation as its end and aim, for
subjugation would be in effect to destroy
the Union. The object of such war
could only be to preserve the integrity
of the Union; but it is too late to do this
by fighting. Mr.. Lincoln, therefore, does
wisely in abandoning that which is i'm
practicable, and not undertaking to do
that which is impossible to do for the
want of both the power and the means.
Mr.. Lincoln has backed down from
the positive declarations of his inaugural.
He has confessed his weakness. and might
have saved himself this humiliation had
he informed himself Of the true position
he was about to assume, previous to the
making Of his inaugural declarations.
But aside from all this, the withdrawal
of the forces from Fort Sumpter cannot
fail to have good effect in allaying the
sectional excitement. What South Car
olina thinks or says nobody cares. She
is crazy for disunion anyhow. But the
other seeded States and the Border States
will regard this step as one calculated to
lead to the reconstruction of the Union.
1t is an evidence that Mr. Lincoln has no
desire to precipitate a collision, and that
he is willing by moderation and conciia-
tion to show them that he has no wish
to injure them, even where his official
duty would warrant him in using force
to compel submission to the laws. 1t is
well for the country that Mr.. Lincoln has
not this force to use, and that necessity
compes him to adopt policy OF peace
If the interests of the two sections are
found, upon fair investigation, to be SC
opposite and incapable of reconciliation
that they cannot live harmoniously under
the same government, it is better to ad.
nit as an existing fact that the revolution
has taken place, peacefully, rather than
to have bloody civil war and then be
compelled to admit it. If the seeded
States persist in having a separate gov
ernment, Mr.. Lincoln may as well make
virtue of necessity and acknowledge tha
which he has not the power to prevent
=, provided that the settlement be made up
on such terms that the rights OF the States
which do not secede are not placed in q
worse position by the separation. l
such terms can be secured, it is better tt
let them go now, rather than to delug'
the country with blood and then let then
go. If the family has got so large that
its members cannot all live in one hous,
, let them have two houses; but let the vis
ting acquaintance be kept up, and th'
terms of social intercourse be agreed up.
on, 40 that the old house is secure in al
its rights and retains legitimate shar
of the furniture.
|, If they choose 10 maintain their posi-
! ton as separate government they mus
give guarantees not to annoy the States
which do not choose to Join them. Whe
!, they have tried their hand for time as
separate government they will, perhaps
t be ready, sooner thanis now expected, t
Join heart and hand in reconstruction
of the Union in such manner that al
rights of all parties may bo preserved.
One thing is certain. Peaceful mes
sures may restore tho Union. A civi
I. war would forever separate the sections
-PiHsburgh Post.