Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-12-23
Afrer the War.

Of the past thirty months is beWilderiDg
So great 9 change in the public mind so
vast 9 difference in the condition Of the
country, Sc many important events crowd /
ed into SO short a time sll prove that in |
less than three years we have lived Q gen
GRAFTON Of ordinary peaceful life. The
demolition of many old opinions, upon
many grave political subjects and the sub /
selslza stitution Of sounder ones testify to the
,s truthfulness Of the oft repeated assertion |
that ain times of convulsing wsr men
- think fast" Think Of the immense dis
ss7 tanoe we have trsversed with regard to our
suhject-that of slavery. In the begin
,TaC ainz we stroTe to save the Union and leave
slavery unhsrmedi pro-slAvery ideas ruled
in the oounsels Of the nation. As though
We could save the nation and leave un-
touched the only thing that was seeking
lis destruction We have now reached the
oonolusion that the rebellion and slavery
must die together-that tbs Union is safe
eniy when slavery is dead. Not only SO,
we are now nearing another fact long re-
coZnizsd by dispassionate thinkers-that
in this war two diverse and antagonistic
civilizations struggling-that the fun
dsmental political and sooisl ideas of the
North differ radically from those Of the
South.
Recognizing this fact some very impoT-
Trr15 tsnt conclusions are beginning to dawn
s1- upon the public mind. We begin to see
1 that we can never be one people, thorough
" homogeneous nation, until Southern sO-
eiety has been thoroughly torn up from tie
s-.s4bottom and reconstructed upon different
basis from that upon which it has SO long
rested; that the question Of reconstruct
fba Stale govaru uneuts il underlSid BY
another and more difficult one-thst of SC
cal reconstruction; that the power Of tt
d1minant class in the South must be
broken and their prestige swspt away be-
fore there can be political freedom for the
masses We have people, meaning
the msjority, thus described, one-half of
an immense circle and are already our
former antipodes To accomplish The mis-
sion here set forth is the work upon our
hands; the American citizen who does not
recognize It understands neither the spiIit
nor the needs Of his own time. We have,
then, two distinct objects to accomplish
l. To bring this war to a successful and
speedy close. 2. To settle, in accordance
with the interests Of the present and the
gaaa future su the questions that arise during
,af- its progress. Never was q people called
.,srT to higher work-a nobler mission Is
ts1-fr the American people able to accomplish il?
49, 81 As to the first part of the work we may
speak with confidence. The history of the
past answers the question satisfactorily.
-A'1i The campaign just closed, to say nothing
= Of the teachings of history, refztes the
- statements Of the Coppsrhesds =" that the
s3uth cannot be conquered" Il is only s
question Of time and pressure.
We turn to consider the other feature Of
the subject 1t is at this time more inter
a a & iesting and important than the one just
dismissed. This work, now in part upon |
our hands and constantly to increase its
donations as our armies march sOuthward, |
demands qaite different traits Of character /
from those used to prosecute the war to a |
successful close. The one is the province
Of the general the other of statesmsnship. |
Can it be affirmed that as a,people we pos
cess the high qualities that ft us to meet /
the mighty issues of the future as HistO-
~ centuries hence, win approve 2-the
courage, the integrity, the wisdom, the /
high resolve to be faithful to moral and /
intsllsctral convictions History if we
do not mistake justi6es the assertion that
these latter traits Of national character
are as rare, to say the least, ss they a. 9
necessary to the prosecution Of war. And
aris- let il be noted that we cannot in this emer-
gsncy,,irely upon any class Of our pOpula-
sl5a ton to do the work Of the whole, -eilher
-... go the masses must prove themselves equal to
this stern..orieal we perish. No e1-
tended statement Of the reasons that give
Us hope, can be attempted, but we may |
point with confidence to the past-to the
readiness with which our people, as each
- new issue presented itself, eomprehended
the situahon-tO the fact that public 'opin-
ion has coerced the government rather than
been cosrced by il in several memorable
instancss-ss in part answering the ques-
ton. Yet it can be answered finally only
-fes7 by History; to her we look with conf
= dsnce Never in the worlds history has
there been time more favorable to the de-
- Fepolment and exhibition Of lofty states.
30 E raanship; never one more purely fatal to
shame and cheats But we cannot fail to
go warn our readers against one imminent
ss danger Many saying when the
- war is over" as though that ended at once
aud forever all our troubles. True, when
the President issues his proclamation au-
nouncing the termination Of the war
crest weight will be lifted from every
hssrt. But LET not its importance be over
estimated. Those who appreciate the inn
mense labor of re-Organizing whole So
e,ety, consisting of millions of individu-
sls, know the strain will not be taken off
tle nations energies in generation to
osme. UnwelcOme taxation will not be
the only testimony to the great struggle
through which Wehave passed; the active