Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1863-02-19
s10rtlss,'il ,.1'sacs.
From che Cincinnati, Enquirsr]
. Is this a HopeiuI War!

10 ttftc l1op 0tNf VII
s'The idea that there is some metI
, cd of restoring the Union other tha
that of force Of arms has become &
prevail nj, and is so without warran
in The condition Of the, couitfy, tha
we suppose it may be fairly termed
popular delusion. - Commercial o,
yJan. IA. :" -. - + =.
/ On an average about twice 10 eac
!! week the Commercial takes pains t
iuform its readers, in nearly the sam
terms, that the only hope Of restor
ling The Union is by fighting th,
rebels until they. ars beaten aae h,
down their arms, 1.s7 ''s-t-r
Whether the Union as It WAS will bt
regain.d even tbep is a question i
does not see fit to discuss. Wheth
er a nationality which was created
aud supposed to exist BY consent
can be restoled and perpetuated By
fofce-by a compulsory power con
linually exercised ovef its elements
is point certainly worthy Of some
consideration. 1t seems TO Us that
lhe word restore, 10 connection with
such process, is a misuse Of terms:
and tina. we had better choose some
more pertinent form Of phraseology,
The actual difference between force
and consent, as bonds of national uni
ty, is very striki6g;. and the words
which properly describe the one con.
iition are hardly fit 10 describe the
other. = >
The inference which the CONNER
cial draws, and seeks 10 have drawn
from its premise is, that The war must
be continued: that in spite Of re-
verses, in spite of discouraging pros
poets, in spite Of what approaches a
demonstration that the rebels cannot
be subdued, by force Of arms, the
fighting, the expapdisure, The wear
ing up Of our armies must still 60 ON
inexorably and perpetualIy. ''''
Now, we have a question to put
to the Commercial; /; The CommsrciaI
may answer it or not, as it pleases,
and probably will not for while the
Commercial is eminentIy deslrous Of:
the honors which tach to the organ
ship Of its ratty,it is not oyeranx-
ious to assume The Responsibilities,
in other words it would be a party
organ SO far as the thing is profitable,
and not a party organ SO far as it
threatens torbe otherwise. But the
people will arsWer-lo, themselves.
They are anxious. There Is get
ting TO be- a popular deIusiOn'' or a
popular something else upon the suj-
Jet we judge that 1t is nota popu-
lar delusiou, orthe Commercial would
ere this time have fallen into it,, as.lt
does with that sort of thing 10 gen.
eral Tor the propensity Of that con-
cern TO get astride Of o humbug is as
we'll established and notorious as
tha. of the beggar for other eques.
TRAN performances. 1 /.
The question which We ask the
liberty 10 propound to the Commer.
cial is this: Suppose that IN. the
opinion Of rational men, Heh con
versant with TIE subject, it is impos-
.sible to subdue the South and cotd:
pei il back TO a political connection
with the North by force Of arms,
would it be, advisable any longer .ttfp
continue the war! This is test
question and taking for granted
what remains to be prosenlTtba'
the Commercial is honest, frank, dis.
interested, and sincerely desifgn,s 'te 4
promote the best good OF the. coun:
try and the people, We will point oul
the logical consequences which VIII
tach to affirmative aad negative
responses.
Suppose it.sass aye; the question
then arises: For what is the war,
hopeless of restoring ihe Union, tc
be prosecuted? The Commercial is
one Of those journals which, while
protesting extraordinary devotion te
the Union, has exhibited mare inter
est in obtaining freedom for the jnpe ne:
gro than preserving the franchises Of
tbe white man, aud if it favors carry
| ing ON tho war after al hopes Of sub
jugating the South are ,at-an end, the
inference will be, that its Object has
been from the besinning 10 break
up the domestic relations of the
South, and that this eRierprWe II il