Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-11-25
The Facts ofthe case--.An Article that Ev-
cry Man ought 60 Read and he-reads
FRI m Hdfperis Weekly1

INC EaerG OF LnE NlNGaaaAM AElACACE EEnL I've
cry Man ought 60 Read and Re-read'
From Hafper's Wsekly.l
Reactions may change events, but they
cannot alter principles. The Government
Of the United States, and the Union Of
which it is the supreme authority, are
threatened by rebels in arms. That au-
thority must be maintained entirely, or it
is altogether overthrow. You may make
ever so small hole in the side Of your
ship, but it will be large enough to admit
the ocean, and your ship will inevitably 60
down. You may make the slightest con-
cession of the threatened authority of the
Government, but in making it you relin-
quish that authority utterly. If the city
magistrate and police militia, after en-
deavoring for many q day to disperse a
riot should at last say, "very well, what
is it that you want1' and allow the rioters
to destroy only one building or burn only
one poor Irishman, that city is conquered.
Is there any security for peace, for life,
any longer, except in the Whim of the mob?
1t is precisely so with the war. Either the
Government must be maintained in every
particular Of its authority, or it is dishon-
Ored entirely. To change it, to allow the
rebels to 60, to declare that such rebellions
end in compromise, is to renounee the
Government altogether, and to proclaim
the intention Of surrender.
The Constitution Of the United States
clothes the Government with authority to
do what, under any circumstance, it inev-
itably and instinctively would do; namely,
defend its own existence by force. What
ever is necessary to this defense the Gov
ernnent may lawfully do; and it is, OF
of course, itself the judge Of the necessi-
ty. It may stop mouths and pens 1t
may seize property and iberate slaves; it
may cut of supplies, and by famine and
force and fear, compel refractory citizens
to obedience.
All this the Government may do. Com
mon sense apprises us Of it. even if 1t were
not carefully provided by the Constitution
that in case Of rebellion and invasion the
writ Of habess corpus may be suspended,
and that the President, as Commsnder-in-
Chief Of the army and navy, shall forcibly
compel submission to the law. But the
Governments the people. If they disap-
prove what is done, it will be undone or il
will be fruitless. If they are not in ear
nest, they will not justify earnest war. Il
they are in earnest, they will not tolerate
triAing and delay.
In our own case the truth remains true
Whatever happens. If for any reason tht
peorle shall tire Of the war, or the forcibly
compulsion Of the rebels to obey the law
If they shall say that they are willing tC
| put down the insurrection If they can dc
| it with half million Of men and five hun
dred millions Of dollars, but not if the worE
requires six hundred thousand men and &
thousand millions Of dollars; if they say
they are willing TO use feld-pieees but MOI
gunboats: if they say that they do MOI
object to touching, or even trying to touch
the source Of the supplies: if they shall
say that they are willing to shoot rebelI
in the field, but that they prefer to guard
the slaves Of rebels upon the plantations
if they shall declare that everybody may
say and do just what he pleases during thu
war, short Of actually taking up arms
against the Government: if they shall say
that the rebellion was really caused by
the men who are now fighting against it
and not by the rebels themselves: and
finally, if they shall say that the game il
not worth the candle, and that they viii
no longer imbrue their hands in fFatrici
dal blood" they will compel the authorities
to make peace with the rebels upon the
best possible terms, whether Of separation
or compromise.
Such result is inevitable if the people
are tired of the war That such a peace
could be but truce breaking into worse
wars may be true, but that would not helI
the result. That such peace would bC
the total destruction of the Government
the ruin of the popular system, and thC
betrayal of the hope Of civil liberty every
where is unquestionably true; but what
then2 If the people are willing to betray
themselves, to be forever disgraced, anC
to become the scorn Of history, it is in vaiI
that the authorities protest.
What then is the duty of every truly
loyal man? Simply to show as plainly a!
he can that the welfare Of each one of US
depends upon the unconditional mainten.
ance of the Government; that no civil
right is secure for moment except in this
Government; and therefore, to maintain i
the most decisive and radical measures
must be adopted by the sutharities anG
supported by the people. There have al
ways been, there will always be, but two
issues out Of the war. One is absolute
victory: the other is entire submission
| If we are truly in earnest as the rebels are
we shall win the victory, cost what itmay
If we are not in earnest, we shall be con-
quered and disgraced.