The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-05-08
From tie Havis5Q,g Patriot & Unio,
THE PEACE QUESTION

versy with the Philadelphia Eyeaug Journal 0
the peace question in language which we highI
approve. 1t is forhearing, sensible, Just am
comprehensive. However much the Democrat
party may desire peace, it is idle to make it
platform plank, or even to discuss it, so long a
we are poweress to effect it, or it can only b
attained by accepting conditions which involv
permanent dissolution of the Union. To sucl
terms we are confident no Democrat will eve
listen unless, as Il last alternative, to prevent /;
greater calamity. To talk about peace when i
is clearly unattainable upon any conditions whicl
we could with honor, or as patriots whose heart.
are bound up in the Union, accept, is not onl,
idle, but miscllievous-its tendency being to dis
tract, not to unite the elements of Democracy
whose undiminished, undivided strength is nc
cessary to acquire that political power without
which we are in no condition as party to dc.
eide upon either peace OF war. The Democra-
| cy, unfortunately for the country, are not now
the creator of cvents-that responsibility rests
upon the shoulders of the rebel administration
at Richmond and Tie Abolition administration
at Washington. All We can do is to accept, for
the time being, what they determine, opposing
to the utmost limit Of constitutional right what
ever we deem unwise, unlawful, wicked or dan
gcrous. Together the two powers, though NOM
inaliy antagonistic, are working for the same
purpose-the overthrow of the Union and the
suppression OF free institutions. This purpose
it is the duty, as we hope it is the mission, Of
the Democracy to circumvent and this can only
be done by the attainment of political power in
the States and the nation. To this end all our
energies should be bent, for, without political
success, we shall be hereafter, as now, at the
mercy of our enemies, who hold the rens in
their hands and direct the policy Of the country.
The question then is, how can we best succeed
by reducing or multiplying the issues! We are
clearly OF opinion that but upon one platform
alone can perfect unanimty be attained-and
that Is, determined constitutional opposition to
the general policy OF the Lincoln administration,
avowed hostility to the doctrines of secession,
and infeXiblc fidelity to the Union and the Con-
stitution, which are to be upheld at every sac
riiicc but the acceptance Of dcspotism in their
stead ID: gpon tLis simple platform it seems to
ly. Can they OH any other? In opposition to
the doctrines and policy of the Abolitionists
and the Seccssionists there is no disagreement
among Democrats. Are they entirely harmoni-
GUS on the peace question, or any other that
has been, as we think, unnecessarily and impru
dently introduced? VIII amy one assure us that
they are? Until we have that assurance we must
be permitted to doubt it, and to give our full
assent to the following calm, judicious expires
sions of the World.
PEACE AND TIE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.-So far
as the continuance or cessotlon of the war is
psuctcai question: its decision rests entirely with
the administration. Until important elections
have interviewed, the Democratic party las no
powor.to terminate the war except by a reyolu-
ton to deposc the constituted authorities and
organize provisional government. This, even
if ii were desirable, could be accomplished only
by force If we were among the staunchest
advocates of peace, we should be unable to see
our way clear to its attainment by Il method
which substituted intestine war in the North for
a united contest against the South. So long
as there is no escape from fighting, We consider
il better to fight tho rebels than to fight each
other. A forcible revolution in the North would,
hryond all question, secure Southern independ-
cncci nay il would enable the Confederate gov
crnment to dictate terms. We cannot consent
to give up the Union except to escape worse
evil; and if we had abandoned all hope of the
Union, we could not consent TO accept whatever
boundaries, and other conditions of separation
the South should Wink fit to assign us We
therefore prefer to leave the question of peace
where the Constitution and laws have placed il,
in the hands of the constituted authorities and
labor to combine all the elements Of opposition
to effect n tranquil revolution through the bal
lot box. The premature agitation of the peace
question neither tends to bring peace, nor to
consolidate the opposition. All Democrats do
not desire peace ON the only conditions on which
peace is at present attainabe; but all Demo-
crats, so far as we are informed, do desire to
| consolidate the opposition and render it nyinci-
| ble To this end, we find ii more consistent
/ with our Interpretation of public duty to seek
points of agreement among Democrats than to
give prominence to points of difference.
Whether the Democratic party shall next year
20 into the Presidential election on peace plat
form or a war PLATFORM is question which we
will not discuss, because we cannot lift the i'm
penetrablc curtain which hides intervening e.
vents. We arc opposed to hypothetical politics
We do not wish to deal with aspects of public
questions that may never be presented. In times
SO earnest as these, and when so much depends
on unforeseen vicissitudes of fortune, for who
can deny the vicisstudes of fortune in wary it
seems to us important to draw strict line be-
tween the province of speculation and the do
main Of craftsmanship. Craftsmanship should
not, indeed, be destitute of foresight; but ac-
cording to our conception of it, it deals only
with the actual, and even although it has form
cd lis opinion of the possible, it avoids commit
ting itself 70 course Of action which subse-
,tlent events may show TO be unwise
The present aspect ef the peace question, so
far as we arc able to speak by authority is this:
The Democratic party of N. York, in its State
Convention last fall passed certain resolves
which were accepted by the party as its platform,
and on which it carried the election, annihila-