Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-03-05

aught of hope in their ear? When, in
disguise, he sought the capital of the Re-
public, and found good and wise men,
representatives Of the States that had not
seeded endeavoring to devise some
means to arrest the work of national dis
mem berment, did he aid them by his
counsel, or encourage them by his prom
ise? When, before his Inauguration rs
President. he entered his Chamber and
found Crittenden and Douglas and their
co-laborers endeavoring to pIocure the
adoption of measures of honorable com
promise. did he request ono ofhis polit-
ical friends to aid them in theft patriotic
efforts? The only response he eyer
degned to his inqurng and distress coun-
trymcn was the dignifed assn rence that
"nobody is hurt" Installed into office,
he betakes himself to the agreeable work
Of distributing Offices to his followers, and
manifests no further interests inpubic af-
fairs than to see whether preteXt for war
cannot be had by tempting the leceders to
strike the first blow. 1t is struck, and
Immediately the cry rings thgoqghout the
land that the rebels have fired upon the
notional flag, that Sumpter has fallen, and
that the rebellion must be crushed out
Seventy five thousand volunteers are call.
ell into the field soon to be followed by
half million more, and "On to Rich
mond!" is the cry. War exists, not by
an act of Congress, but by the act oI
Beauregard and Abraham Lincoln. Bet
ter, far better for this sountry, had nei-
ther of them ever been born.
THE WAR GOULD HAVE BEEN AvERTED.
Mr.. President, this war was either ne3-
e>sary or it was unnecessary. 1t neceSsa
~, it was only so tor the purpose OF pre-
serving national existence and the consti-
tntional tights Of the people. 1t indes-
penSible for these purposes 1t was lustlli-
able. If not so indispensable it was a
crime Was it necessary? Could the
Union have been preserved ard the con
sltutional rights of the people be main
tanned without a resort to arms? lie who
asserts the contrary laIsiieS history and
attempts an imposition upon public ere
duity. These are the only Legitimate
objects for which this war could have
been inceptcd, or for what it can now ol
could at any time be waged. 1t is folly
to say the people OF the revolted States
fired the first gun. The question imme
diately arises, could not the occasion in.
ducing them, or aifording them the preteXt
if you please, for So doing, havo beer
avoided by wise counsels? J assert that
it could, and history will 50 adjudge.--
When civil war is certain unless verted
by peaceable and honorable adjustment
of differences, and when such an adjust
mcnt is practicable, to refuse adjustment
is to act crimiually. You know, the
country knows, and history will record
and has recorded, the fact that secession
never would have occurred beyond the
limits of South Carolina, had Congress
adopted promptly the Crittenden compro
mise 1neasures, which were in substanc
nothing III ore nor less than solemn guar
any that the constitution should hereai
ter be considered to mean what it ha
been solemnly decided by the highest lie
gal tribunal already to mean. BY thel
adoption. war would lave been averted
peace maintained, and the Union preserv
ed.