The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-09-17
Demands of the Crisis.

Demands of the Crisis.
There is but one great subject now.
We write war-talk war - think war.
Newspapers discuss il as a matter which
properly taxes their utmost powers of
penetration to read its issues and ef-
fects. Men of trade weigh il with much
the same spirit with which they would re-
ceive some important market intelligence, to
trace its bearings upon the future Of their
business. Men of leisure find il most con.
venient theme for speculation or controversy
to give relief from the weight of idle hours.
None of these, however, can properly be
said to feel war. To find those who do, we
must go to quiet homesteads-to domestic
tiresides and altars. At thousands of these
throughout the land hearts are sick with anx-
iety. Here the news of the last great bat
tie will be received with more than mere
interest. AT many of them the safety of
single man, common soldier possibly.
whose name will never appear except upon
ms appropriate muster roll, will occasion
more rejoicing than a great victory. At
many of them the fall of single man, whose
name will appear no place except in the
long column Of the killed, wounded and miss
ing, which not one in one hundred regards
as of sufficient interest to read, will occasion
more grief than disastrous defeat. These
are some of the inferior details of war, which
are never taken into account in discussion
OF its grand bearings, but they are its
necessary, inssperabe attendants. They
constitute an essential part.
War, as the American people have found
to their sorrow, has been no holiday exercise.
1t should not have been commenced on light
occasion it should not now be terminated
without decisive results Wisely or un-
wisely begun, it should now be prosecuted
to the complete settlement of every issue in
volved. 1t costs too much to be abandoned
and resumed at pleasure. The expressive
character of the tribunal to which appeal
has been made, calls for final decision now.
We can afford to have but one such war.
We have no manner of sympathy with or
respect for a certain class of persons with
some few Of whom we have met who are
constantly protesting their desire for peace.
They care little OF nothing for the terms,
or profess to what they want is peace, quiet,
case, an end to bloo6shed restoration of
trade aud they will again be happy. We
very much mistake the temper of the masses
of the people, if this sentiment is shared to
any considerable extent among them. They
engaged in the contest with too much alac-
rity in the first place, and still bear with its
hardships with too much pstieuce, to show
that they failed in the outset, or still fail to
appreciate the importance of the struggle
They have submitted to sacrifices with too
much cheerfulness, to show that they are
not willing to submit to more and, even
greater ones, if necessary, to accomplish the
ende they have had in view. With all the
home suffeTings to which we have alluded
which have flled the lend with sorrow, nc
voice of complaint or protest has yet come
up to our rulers from the masses of the peo
pie, asking cessation of the strife. The
men who are prating for pesoe arc not the
ones who have done the fighting, or have
furnished their sons, brothers or means fol
the war. They have been idle spectators
of tho conflict.
If the contest should end in defeat anC
disaster to the Government, which We car
neither believe nor imagine, impartial his
tory will record the fact, that the result wal
in no way attributable to the people. The
loyal portion of the nation has had, and still
has, the power to crush the rebellion. The
people have been ready to put forth tina
power to the utmost. They have asked thu
privilege Of doing so. The Government 81
far, has been behind, and if ultimate failure
comes, it will be chargable to wasted oppor
tunities twill be because the Governmen
and not the people, has been unequal to the
emergency. The retrospect will then sho"
how regiment after regiment OF devotes
patriots have offered themselves and were
declined whose presence upon the battle
field at the decisive hour would have turned
the scale of victory. 1t will show how fou
millions of people friendly to the Govern
mont, and willing and anxious to aid to the
utmost of their abilities and intelligence, il
the overthrow of the rebellion and its cause
failod for long important months to receive
a single friendly recognition, were repulset
from our camps to which they had fled t
give aid and be aided, and their services
permitted to be employed by the enemy a.
one of his most valuable supports, when
single word of invitation and single assur
ance of protection from any rulers NIGH
have changed the whole aspect of affairs
! We hope and believe the occasion vii
never exist for charging to the misuse o
rather nonuse ofopportunities of and measure
unemployed, consequences more serlou
than an unnecessary prolongation of tn
strife and useless waste of blood an,
: treasure; but if the occasion should arise
, the loyal people of the nation should be he'll
guiltless, for a portion of them, at leas
have demauded the employment of tn
5 means and instrumentalities which hav
, been neglected.
The present, however, is no time for mul
muring. 1t is the time for active, hearty &C
operation. Our rulers are but men, and tn
, wisest are liable to err. Their best intel
0 tions none can dispute. 1t is the best ev
v dence of patriotism to sink our difference
: and small grounds of complaint in obedienc
to tho imperative call of the country's needs
: The loyal men and women of America hay
a furnished the surest guaranty of their abb
ity and willingness to do this, in what the
: have already done and suffered. The pas
should be remembered nov, only that il
9 errors may be corrected. The future d.
, msnds every study and every effort, Tn
present is not even the time for fears
Louis Democrat.