Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-04-07
20 observation-disclosures

Il
a FoRcIBLE LETTER.
H., - - .,Jsfl3 g-- -
a Very just and Very Striking pre-
e,sentatIon OF the Issues Involved II,
4 the present War for the Preserya-
/ ton Of the Union. Sstsz4,..+.-5s = I nd
/ EtsTilI From Rspsrs WsSldxs j 4
LETTER To,AaIEEqL1sHRRIEND. -
My DEAR SIR,1z5Althopgh you have so
clear PERCEPTION of the scope of our civil
war, and 50 sincere atsympathy with the
cause of the Government, L observe that
you stillsconceiye some sort Of separation
to be desirable and feasible, if.not, inevita-
able and you add that many Of our truest
friends broad are of the same Opinion
II, however, you will look carefully at the
facts, lam very sure that you will see, as
weado, that the only alternative of the
Goyernmeuti is the total overthrow of arm
edstebelliou and a return to the constitu!-a
tional methods of settling differences, or
submission to its own ruin. IA
ei In,the matter of disunion tbere are two
points to be considered: first, the, conse
tquences, and, second, the. methods. Il
If we nuke the attempt to recognize the
"Cnnfederacy," and succeed in maintain.
ing Northern unity, we surrender the nayi-
Ra'noon OF our great rivers to o treaty set
Element We abandon Chesapeake BAY.
which reaches almost to PHILADELPHIA.
We renonnce all Southern coasts aud forts
from the Capes ofDelaware to and through
the Gulf Of Mexico; Those forts command
the mouths of the rivers and the course of
our Pacific and South American commerce.!
Your Thames is an inconsiderab le river
Would Great Britain relinQuish the control
OF its mouth to foreign power for the
sake of peace What would its foreign
possession be but the sign of conquest p
BESIDES this, wemust establish an internal
boundary line of. 1900 miles, to defend
against the most hostile of enemies. The.
greatest wars have been the defense of such
lines. Such lice with us would be always
festering; for slaves will escape. and the
passions of borderers would have Leen
wrenched asunder by civil war and conse-
quent bate are uncontrollable. Then the
NorthwestTssthe granary of the continent.
me ~ lsslsslppi is its natural road to mar
,ket, and the Northwest must and will con-.
troll it. hat conceivable treaty could
guarantee that control as the Union does?
You Will tell mo that the, self.interest iof
trade will suffice. But why should ii keen
a peace under treaty which it has broken
under Gnion2 There are other passions
| quite as strong as selfshness. =
BUT, sWhens by the 3supposition, we have
surrendered the coasts, and the rivers, aud
the forts, we have done so to power that
hasJand can have no naval resource and
which must therefore at once seek 4 mari.
time alliance Disuhion thus immediatelv
establishes two foreign States upon our
soil. And by9the line which, in case of
peace accePted-by us, we must adopt, the
North Is almost territorially divided be-
tween the lowest point of tho Lakes and
the highest of the slavearegion. And all
this Remuneration of territory, navigation.
coast, commerce, internal communication.
national honor, safety, and Importance
all this whiting down. of the imperial.
Iunited States to miserable cluster of
baked political Communities-when made
after q war waged TO maintainits pristine
/ extenslon and power, is simply a conquest
by The enemy aud nn enemy that hates us
the more because he VAS part of us, the
everready ally of any European or foreign
foe against Us, tue willing and constant
aggressor of a power that he has humilia-
Tied by arms. i,-a si3s ss54s 10 a5.f III, e5e
- Thisgfis upon the supposition that We
ourselves propose an armistice and settle
lSment.i II, on the other hand the rebels
ask for peace, it will be infinitely easier and
safer for the Government to maintain the
4 Union upon terms thatpsecure peace than
to iutrust the chancs Of that peace to an
angry aud sullen, though for the moment
defeated, foreign power. 9a
bpl But any concefyhbl lie method Of iisunion
is notices. disastrous than the Consequences.
II is often forgotten by our foreign friends
/ that union is an instinct with the great
mass of our people, because union is syn
onymous with nation We perfectly un-
lderstand that, our union iissso strength
and our success. 1t is this feeling which
has hitherto enabled the Slave Power to
\ carry, all its measures. IT. had but to
threaten the Union, and the country fell
lNpon its knees in abject assent. 1t. is the
same feeling, which. has made the word
AGolitionist, which was synonymous
with Disunionist, the most odious party
I namein our history. sall7itl- 3 iza.i - :
Letus then suppose the attempt at dis
ltupion' to be grayely made, First of ali the
separating line must be determined. AS
there is no natural division this line must
them will you establish it3 Davis viii
claim all the Slave States as his natural
domain But Kentucky doesinot willingly
go Bith4him. nor Missouri, nor even Ten
nesse. Maryland has q strong rebelliods
tendency, but there is "a. vital Union ele-
Imentiin4the State What is % be done
TO. be Border State has been bad enough
fundsr ths,old sytem3of one nation. How
Twin il helWhen the border is to be that 81
hostile f6reign power2 Who will stand
: IN the breach Evidently there can sbG
. but one solution. The question must 5,
referred to the people of thesStatess con,
l. AZ
: by popular vote whether she viii 20 viii
{ the South or the North. But if she elect
the South she leaves Pennsylvania Bor