Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-11-18
From the Richmond whis. New. =.
How Long will the war Iassi

How Long will the war Last!
In the speculstions which some of our cotem
poraries occasionally indulge upon the probable
duration e the var. IL would conduce 10 more
enlightened conjecture If some reflection we're
allowed on what Il would cost thee enemy % make
peace on the terms and the only terms. which
would be accepted BY ourselves. 20 wit: The In
dependence Of the Confederate State Before
the first gun Vas fired. leading New York pa
per. comprehending the loss Ia the Northern
States that would result from the separation, de
liberately expressed the opinion that destructive
and horrible vas. the y orthern States
could better afford 10 90 20 war than suffer the
isolation Of the Southern States The opinion
was purely material and thoroughly he,rtless,
but il is BY such opinions when true that com
munties OF men are generally Influenced.
Aud the opinion IN this case would have been
correct il il had been possible for the war to
eventuate i'm what the North so much desired
the restoration Of the Union, and the continued
commercial vassalage and tribute paving Of the
South. IL would be a. true, now, too, as then.
Notwithstanding the vast cost Of the war 20 the
North. in human life, IN pecunary outlay and in
debtedness. in national reputation aud every thing
else valuable 10 people. it can not be denied
that il would even vet be better for the North,
looking 10 material results only. 10 continue the
war. IL there were any prospect of final success,
than % lose forever. by the acknowledged indie.
pendence OF the South. the immense commercial
aud political advantages which accrued TO that
section from the Union. When the Yankees
speak Of the GLORIOUS" Union. and the fostering
and fatherly Government, they have reason TO
feel what they say, for the Union and the Gov.
ernment to them blessings inexpressible.
That they want0nly and wickeily forfeited these
blessings, ia most true. That they fesorted 10 the
most impossible of all modes TO retain or re pos
sess them, is equally true But that they appre-
ciited them when they took up arms TO preserve
them and do now, when they continue contest
that seems TO all the rest Of the world hopeless,
20 regain them, We do not doubt. Their very
blindness To the obvious and inevitable result il
proof how feeling and desire overcome judgment
The richness Of the prize stimulates them to the
hopelessness of the eudeavor
Nor, IL they allog themselves TO reflect at all
can they understand why II Is they do not and
cannot succeed They began the war with the
theory that numbers and resources must avail.
They saw on their side twenty millions Of whites
against six or seven on ours-an established
government, an organized army aud navy, full
treasury. workshops aud boundaries and com.
mercal intercourse with all the world. against
on the other side, nothing l. it wonderful that
with these advantages and with that strong self.
appreciation which u their most prominent trait
they regarded success a. certain and speedy 7
Nor need IL be wondered nj that deluson 80
well sustained should he adhered to after the
calmer and less interested judgment OF the world
has pronounced it delusion They still believe
that they can conquer us When seventy five
thousand men, the number first called out, were
ascertained TO be insufficient for the task, they
believed that the five hundred thousand who were
added to them. would certainly accomplish IT,
When these proved To be inadequate. they ielt
and now feel, an equal confidence that the six
hundred thousand men who are now coming into
the field. will place their triumph beyond "a con.
tngency. The deiuslon Is uubrOken. Their
hith Ia numbers aud resources continue This
confidence OF theirs Is an important element TO be
considered IN any speculation AS 10 how long the
war Is % last
Another is the desire TO ward off as long as
possible the calamities which peace would bring
10 them When this war ends. with the loss OF
all for which IL was commenced, there will he a
fearful account To be settled among themselves
Who caused the dissolution and its sa,riiices the
aud its woes, is question that will be dis
cussed aud answered rs questions were discussed
and answered In France during the Reign of Ter
The long and fierce of factions will
then demand other arms than argument and
ordinations and each party will wretk upon the
other, ~ either NAV happen To be stronger in any
locality, the vindictiveness Of the hate we have
baffied aud the ferocty have baked, Nor
will this be the only cause for violence. mil
lion of men will be released from the restraints
of military authority. and thrown back upon the
communities from which they came without EN-
ployment or the means OF supporting life The
opening stages of the war we're marked BY &C
currences which ioreshadowed direiul scenes after
its close. When the Withdrawal of some of the
States had only partially cut OF the custom Of
the South, thousands of men thrown o
work, and had begun To organize themselves into
associations which had no other tendency thar
violence. The actual breaking out of hostilties
and the magnitude 10 which the war rapidly ex
pended, provided remedy for this, hut onl,
while the may last.
Mutitudes of men were taken from the fac
tories and workshops and thus the competition
in labor was removed The Government cam,
in. too, to supply the loss OF the Southern mar
ket, by becoming customer itself on the mos
gigantic and extravagant basis. Contracts TO
almost everything manufactured or produce,
were offered on the most liberal scale. The de
mand Cor labor never greater or prices bet
ter. But what will be the result when not onl,
this great customer is lost, but hundreds o
thousands OF rival mechanics and trades people
are thrown back upon tho workshops? How
will they. even If not so demoralized by army Inf
rs TO being unwilling To work, find employment
The Government will no longer need and cou,
not pay for the products OF their labor. Thu
South will not have them. No other market viii
be open To them. and they will have no use 70
themselves. Hunger must come-the hunge
that knows no law and heeds no danger whe
the means of qualification are within reach
Bank vaults and jewery shops and waret ouse
aud mansions Of nabobs will be convenient
near and provokingly enticing. Does it requr
prophet 10 foretell what will happenl Nee
we refresh our recolectons of the times of III
Jacobns and the fate of the aristocrsts? Mythol
ogy tells of one who taught his horses to eat hu
man flesh and himself devoured by them
The capitalists of the North who raised an arm
and made it familiar with carnage, will realiz
the fable when they hear the cry of "bread o
blood" ut their doors.