Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-11-19

ha,. been rightly informed 40 not m.
I.ult0 candidate lur United states
t.uulur ui hocum.ug election. and have
900 pEuru...l my.ulf tolriouds ON nll prop,
pr u.ousi0u. have number oltensons,
public and private. 'ur this course, ono ol
which e chat the luirrn and Northoru
sections of the State, make special claim
TO the Senatorial this timo, on the ground
iualUo have one In the West recently
elected, and cannot reasonably claim both
for aD long term.
The other question you ask, "what can
be done TO save the country" is not so
really answered. The usual response is,
God knows. Few of our best Nnkcrs
seem to have any clear views on the ques-
ton and il is not even certain that tho
Administration at Washington has we'll
defined policy to that end. | have some
thoughts on the subject which | do not
hesitate to give you. They may seem to
YOU crude, and on some points even novel
and startling; but they are the result Of
some reflection.
The sword is the ouly agency at work,
But the swod cauno. 90 all. 1t is an
agent of destruction. 1t can tear down
bat cannot bqild up, 1t may chastise and
silence the rebels in the field; but il can,
not make q union Of States 1t cannot re-,
store confidence and fraternity amongst a
people cstrangod and alienated from each
other. If the war was against the lead,
ers in the South only, rs many at the be-
ginning supposed, then tho sword might
put them down and the masses could re-,
turn to their allegiance But the conflict
turns out 10 be with the whole mass Of the
people within the revolted States, old and
young, male and female numbering many
millions, with such a power, sooner or
later we shall have to treat and negotiate.
he sword alone will roYcr restore this
people to the Union:
You well know that when the present
calamities mcnaCcd the nation, vas tor
peaceful means to avert the blow. Then
our prescnt suffering and sacrifices could
have been avoided, and as | believe the
unity of the States preserved for genera
tiOns, without the sacrifice of principle or
honor, or conscience on either side; pas,
sion, prejudice and fanatcism only would
have been required 10 give way and
still think, ,nay,I am sure that other means
beside war are necessary to save our coun
try-our whole country--from present afi
hictions and impending ruin.
know how easy it IS to talk about war
and carnage about stratege!iC positions
and brilliant victories; about the promo!
subiugalion Of the South by the North ;
even how pleasantit may be to some to
float in the common current OF excitement
and passion and especially how unpleasr
ant, if not unsafe it is to stem this tide
But the time is coming, if it be not now,
when the man who would render his
a substantial service must do this
He must look at the whole work before
US, and strike f0I The right regardless Of
clQmOr or consequences to himself perr
sonaly.
We have had war for eighteen months,
the like of which the world has seldom
witnessed before. To sustain which IL ma
tonal debt Of startling magnitude, which
must hang over posterity long into the fu'
ture, has already been created, and more
than a quarter of a million of invaluable
lives sacrificed on the Union side alone,
in addition to the many thousands that
have been crippled or diseased for life
and yet but little, if any substantial pro-
Cress has been made in the good work OF
re,establishing the Union, or even of
maintaining the Federal authority within
the reyolted States. Has not then, the
experiment of war, as a means Of eXtrica'
ting the country from its present deplorar
ble condition, been already tested-testcd
at least to such an extent as to prove its
futilitv unaided by other means.
Il was q happy thought of President
Lincoln, expressed in his Inaugural, that
j. we went to war we could not fight ais
ways "aud hen after much loss on both
sides, and no gain on either, you cease
fighting, the identical old questions as tC
terms ofintorcourse are again upon you. :"
This prophetic and highly significant SEN
timent shows that even Mr.. Lincoln, be-
fore the war began, anticipated the time,
in case it did begin, when II would be me-
cessary to nut the sword to rest, at least
for season, in order to resume the iden-
teal old questions about intercourse and
settlement. 1t does not seem TO have oc'
CURED to him that the sword could dc
the whole work, but that inevitable We
would have to come back TO the origina
point to compromise and settle. If then
/ w & NUhilNl IL nv s4.N a Nl4tNb diAAOAuN ~
lighting is necessary to render itproper tc
prepare to cease, or suspend, in order tC
consider terms of reconciliation. There
has already "been much loss on both side
! and no gain on either" and whilst The
time to cease fighting may not be yet, the
period has surely come when other mean.
/ besides the sword should be employed in
/ the effort to save the government ant
county. Certainly the object Of the war
and the extent to which tits to 90, should
be definitely known to the country, If it
be intended to suhjugate the States in re-
bellion, ard hold them, not as States il
the Union, but as conquered provinces
then the sword must be kept in constant
motion and war and carnage must be the
order of the day. New levies and fresh
supplies may be properly raised, for it will
require formidable army in each of the
seeded States to execute and maintain
this scheme. II determination be the Ob'
ject then the should have UNI es,
. trained license to deal death and destruc
/ tion, amongst the rebels, in all parts oI
/ their country, regardless of sex, or age, or
condition. But neither of these purposes