Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1862-12-17
Rnrnstde,s Defeat.


met with reverse. Burnside, after cross
ing the Rappahannock with his whole
force, and making several Intellectual at
tempts to drive the enemy from his strong
hold, was compelled, under v of night,
to withdraw his army and seek safety on
the opposite side. This, of itself, is
enough to make the nation heart-sick
but it is by no means the worst feature of
the failure. Not less than fifteen or TWEEN
ty thousand gallant men were sacrificed in
the effort the banks of the Rappahannock
are crimsoned with their precious life
blood, and what has been accomplished
towards a restoration of the Union a? Moth
ing, absolutely nothing If blood and
treasure would restore the Union and
bring back peace and happiness to our
torn and distracted country, it would be
freely poured out like water. But we do
not hesitate to say that after the loss Of
millions of lives and the expenditure of
hundreds of millions Of treasure, we win
be no nearer the accomplishment Of that
end than we are to-day. This has been
our firm conviction from the beginning,
based on a knowledge of the heroism,
prowess, daring, and un%conquerable will
and determination Of the people arrayed
against each other in hostile and deadly
strife, and, as yet, we have had nothing to
convince us TO the contrary. Even if we
should succeed by superior numbers and
resources, in %overrunning the South with
our armies, and breaking the military
strength of the rebellion, still we would
be as far from a restoration of the Union
as we are at present. 1t is sheer nonsense
and folly to talk of whipping Americans
into relations of friendship and brother
hood. 1t is in opposition to their natures,
and against their early teachings.
The beginning of the war was u%nfottu-
nate but, if after it had been commenced
it had been prosecuted with the sole pur.
pose of restoring the Union-if our armie,
had gone forth with the sword in ont
hand and the olive branch in the other
and the negro question had beon left ON
of the issue, it might have been different
But, unfortunately, the Government wa,
under control of Abolition fanatics whC
wanted "no Union with Shareholders =
men who had declared that the UnioI
"could not exist half slave and hall free, y
and after the armies had been mustered
into service, a restoration Of the old Unior
was lost sight Of in a wild crusade agains
slavery. Oon6scation acts were passed
by Congress-emansipation proclama
tions issued by the President, and the ar
mics enlisted to fight the battles of th
Union were led forth to peril their live
for the liberty of the negro. Then tn
large Union sentiment that permeated an,
had an existence in every seeded STATE
began to wane and disappear, The lead
ers of the rebellion pointed exultingly I
the Abolition measures Of the Adminii
tration as a justification Of their cours
and as proof OF their assertions that it W,
the purpose Of the party in power to 70
them Of their property and rights und
the Constitution. AS we remarked, Il
Union sentiment of the South meltC
away before these arguments furnished Il
leaders Of the rebellion by the Administr
ton and its Abolition supporters. The
the South became united as one man, al
to-day stand in solid column, pledged
yield up life, liberty, everything, rath
than submit to be brought back by for
of arms into an unwilling fellowship wi
the men whom they have learned to b
lieve are trying 10 rob them OF their RICH
and property.
We do not write thus because our arm
has suffered a reverse, but because eve
intelligent and unprecedented man mn
admit it 10 be true. The Abolitionis
are not only responsible for the war, b
they ars also responsible for the defeat