The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-12-20
The Way to Peace,

|
''Lct us recognize the Southern Confed
eracy-settlc our national difficulties BY
some sort Of a compromise, ana be done
with this terrible war that is impoverishing
and desolatlng the country"
SO we every now and then hear some
loyal man of position and influence, whn-
ing in dolorous tones, and as his bacful
words are caught up, and echoed by milk
and water Unionists and sneaking secession
sympathiscrs, they fill the hearts of dozens
! Of our friends, who are tinid and unthink-
! ing, with dcspondency and doubt, and make
them despair of the success of our cause and
the perpctuity of the Union. Ifthcrc were
any sense in the whine we might treat it
with some degree Of patience but where
we come to look it square in the face it is
so supremacy stupid and unmeaning, that
we wonder how any one with sense enough
| 10 go i'll out of the cold can be deceived or
dShcartenel by it, or even give it utterance.
Where is the Southern Confcdcracy p
Who is to define its boundaries? Where is
| to be the dividing line between it and the
! United States ? VIII it be the Potomac.
the Susquehanna, Or the Ohio? Are all
the people south of a certain degree Of lati-
tude to- be bartercd off, like sheep to jeff
Davis Co.? Are the loyalists of Mary
| land, of Kentucky, of Tennessee, of Mis-
souri, TO be told by their Government that
they can no longer look to it for protection :.
We wish some one would tell us what
recognising the Southern ConfcCIeracy
means. We wish these croakers would
cease to deal in such vague gcncralities,
and he more specific. We wish we could
by some manner of means ascertain the
precise locality Of this so.called Southern
Contederacy. We would like to know to q
certainty what portion Of our common
domain the thieves and assassins who are in
arms against the Government claim or
how small slice Of it they would be satls-
fed to take, and play quits. 1t is folly, it
Is worse than folly-it is slavcring imbecili-
ty to talk of recognition, until we know
the. things. and what we are to recognize.
And even if we knew the precise bound
aries of this bogus ConGcderacy-wh then?
Are the loyal men Of the Union ready 10
submit to Acknowledgement? Are they so
mean spirited as to be co-crccd into recog
milton by a horde of rebels? Are they will
ing to have terms dictated to them bAa 50,
Of knavos who have no respect for anything
human or divine?
We can see nothing to compromise but
our self respect and national honor If we
have become so puslllanmous rs to barter
Mcm away, or to compromise them for the
sake OF an il!uSory peace. our career is well
nigh run as Il Nation. If we are willing to
acknowledge We have become so degenerate
that we can no longer maintain tie suprc-
macy of our Government that we are too
weak to successfully assert our authority, or
to suppress or punish Rebellion. our anccs-
tors fought and suffered in vain, and we
have, during the past two years wasted mil
lions of treasure and thousands of precious
lives in an unnatural and useless strife
But if VIC wish to preserve our National
cXis ice and TO retain place among the
powers Of the earth We must preserve our
Union by the sword, and by the sword win
the peace we adj so eagerly dtsire.
War is a terrible calamity to bcEl a
nation-it involves obstruction Of life. priva-
ton and an immense national debt, to say
nothing Of its corrupting and demoralizing
ctiicctsbut there are calamities thousand
fold more terrible than war. and foremost
among them is dishonorablc peace.
Shall We then push on the war and settle
this hell born Rebellion by the sword or
shall VIC compromise our national honor
and barter away our national eXistance, by
recognizing the Southern Coniedcracy?
The latter course may bring us temporary
respite from war. the former will secure Us
Il permanent and enduring peace.