Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1862-01-11
The Hope of Peace. .

Either the Union will be restored and the
supremacy of the Federal Government
maintained over its whole dominion, or our
country must humiliate itself to a banded
organization of traitors. II is not too much
to say that either the 80 called Confederate
States must yield, or the loyal States be
wrecked and irretrievably broken up; for
if the present rebellion should succeed, and
portion Of fthel U nion be permitted to slough
of, there could be no permanent security
for the remainder. The question is, there
fore, life or death with both of the now con-
testing sides. One or the other must SUBJ
NIT, or there can never be any peaceable
Government in America. Two distinct and
independant nations are absolutely impos-
sible. The Secessionists may imagine
many Of them doubtless do-that they are
fighting solely in defense; that the war upon
them proceeds from dogged and pertina-
cious sectionalism; and that their claims
might be allowed without great inconveni-
ence to what they style "the North" How
ever these erratic people may suppose that
the war upon their part is not one of ag-
gression, not one designed to injure such
as choose to remain in the Union, it is
nevertheless true that the conflict on the
part of the loyal citizens partGkes largely,
if not exclusively, of the nature of G>"life
or death struggle for themselves, their own
institutions and their safety as q political
community. Secession once established as
an accomplished fact-the Government
proven inadequate and powerless to main
tain itself against internal connections
and the country will rest secure only upon
the forbearance of any State or section to
assail it. The separation Of the Union is
the total, irremediable destruction of the
pats. 1t is only in union that the States
of America have strength. Divided, it
would be the theater of perpetual turmoils
and strife at home, and the prey, at will, of
whatever power abroad that could exhibit
the want of magnanimity to assail such
feebleness.
The hope ofpeace, then, lies in the return
of the seeded districts to their allegiance to
the Federal Government. If it be said that
the struggle to bring about this result will
be attended with much tragic bloodshed,
with disaster with financial embarrass-
ments, and, possibly, by the tickle DEGREES
of faith, with political dismemberment at
last, it may be replied that the country must
perish, it is better to go down in the effort
to defend itself, than by abjectly crouching
to the hand which strikes it, and still meet
ing an end worse, if possible, than that
sought to be averted by such cowardice.
Let not any take fancied glimpse of
peace from any threatened intervention on
the side of Confederates by European pow
ers, in our domestic conflict. For this Gov
ernment, in relation to its course toward the
unnatural, visionary and causeless rebel
lion, the die is cast, and it must stand the
hazard it has ventured. Sink or swim,
survive or perish, it has committed itself
too far now to retrace it's steps and sue for
peace on any other basis than the full,
original demand. Compromise may indeed
be resorted to, at some time in reference to
matters which were in dispute when the
Secessionists broke so madly and precipi-
lately away, and it will not, perhaps, be
out of place always to leave door open
for such treaties in future; but no compro.
mise is possible or desirable on any other
| ground than the complete submission of the
rebels to the Federal authority. The Sc
cessionists may as well make up their
minds at once to come cheerfully back into
the Union that never did them harm, but
which was always, Notwithstanding some
deep and irritating differences, the palad-
ium of their rights and the sheet anchor Of
their liberties.-Saint Louis Republican.