Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-08-27
Strong Words from a Democrat.

On the first page Of this paper we pub
lish q letter from Robert Dale Owen to
Secretary Stanton. 1t was not intended
for publication, says the \. Y. Post, but
having been sent to the eminent public
officer to whom it is a~ddressed-an old
friend Of Mr.. OVENS of many years' stand
ing-in the unreserved freedom of pri-
vate correspondence. but coming by
chance under the observation Of several
gentlemen of this city, they solicited a
copy of it from 3Ir. Owen for publication.
Ee cheerfully complied with the request,
IL the hope that his views might be use
ful to otherE."
Ar. Owen has been well known to the
public for many years. as q prominent
Democrat. He va 10: several terms a
member of Congress from Indiana, sub
s~equentiy CUT Caa-qs FAfGires at Naples,
and Is now the associate Of Judge Holt
IN investigating important transactions
for the government. Heise man of high
character. and his expressed opinions de-
serve careful consideration. He il By 10
means alone in his conclusions as regard.
the impossibility Of terminating the war
until slavery is put in process Of extinc-
ton. The Post says:
We know, for instance, thst such men
as Daniel S. Dickinson, Francis E. Cut
ting Ex-Governor Boutwell,. Orestes A..
BroWnson, General Mitchell, General
Hunter, General Lew. Wallace. General
Rosseau, General Dumont, General Coch-
rane, and others Of less note, make no
coacealment Of their convictions thatthe
war u put an end TO slavery or slavery
viii put an end to the Union. These
men were sl democrats. Could the old
conditions Of political parties be restored
they would, doubtless, be aemocrats again;
but they are not democrats who Ietuse TO
be taught by events, or who, like the old
Hqprbons, never forgot and never learn
anything. They see that the outbreak Of
a shareholders war has changed essential
~ the relations Of slavery 70 the state. +,
and they guide their minds, not bv the
Old party traditions, OF according to cir
cumstancss which have forever passed /.
away but by the light of existing events.
we OF the North can no doubt whip
the reoels by arms; we can drive them
out OF Richmond into the cotton ~statas
We can pursue them through the thon,
sand swamps of the cotton states into the
Gulf Of Mexico; it would take time and
money and life 70 DO so; but we could do
1t all beyond a peradFenture. But the
Union would not be thereby restored.-li
The same elements of discord would still
exist the same feuds would break out /
and no permanent peace or permanent
harmony would be possible until the re-
spective social systems Of the North and
South are rendered homogeneous by the
extinction of the only difference between
them. We must go Of fighting forever in
this kind of desultory civil war or else
we must form conterminous states of di-
verse civilizations, which would fight no
less perpetually or finally, looking the
problem right in the heart of it, resolve
10 restore the Union on the only basis on
which, after what has occurred, q r~estora- (
ton seems to be possible, namely, the es-
Enlistment of free institutions and a free
system of society in all the component
parts. 4