Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-12-31
WHOLE NO. 373.

thinking this is the only way that will save
our country and restore peace. How poor
ly based are ell such dTcams.~-IIow -aim
sy are the Arguments produced, that peace
will follow at the moment that we lay
down our arms, and invite the rebels to q
settlement Of our diificnlties upon terms
which they may dictate.
|. They are futile. The rebel iorrnsls al
over the South ridicule the idea of return
ing to their allegiance under any condition.
They proclaim openly that they want no
peace except that resting on an acknowl
edged independence. They ignore the ol-
i've branch Of peace offered to them by the
peace party of the North. They despiss
the very idea Of The old Union, and loaths
the principles under which it wa. formed.
though guaranteed by men in our Congress
and State Legislatures, that. if they return,
They are determined to fonnd an empire
whose cornerstone is human sesviude.
and which, through cotton. shall dictate
the Law Of commerce TO the world
These then, are the only questions to be
decided by every loyal citizen. Are we
willing that this fair domain of ours, made
one by nature and Providence, and by SOL
emn compact of our fathers, shall be divi-
ded. and an empire. hostile to the princi-
Piles of free government. ambitious. war
like. INSCRIPTIONS in its demands, seeking
to extend its territory to mora southerly
latitudes. embracing Cuba. Mexico. and
even some Of the South American States;
and, having control of the mouth of the
Mississippi, and of the Gulf of Mexico.
shall grow up by our side, with all its gi-
gantic resources and power. and with al
its jealousy and bitter hatred towards us?
Or, are we willing while it lays in our
power, to put forth efforts tha: will crush
this mighty rebellion, and unite all people
under one government, SO that we may
continue to be great nation, and respect.
ell throughout the world,
There can be no lasting peace preserved
with snch power while it is founded in
supreme selfishness. and is directly antag.
onistic to the principles of human rights.
and. ignoring all national justice and hon,
or for the sake of carrying out its own
aggrandizement and mastery.
The lealers of this rebellion are now
held up to the world as men void of truth
and honor. They once held high trusts in
our nation. occupying places in our coun-
ellis, in our judicial courts. in our execu-
tive chairs, at the same time using their
authority to steal our arms, to plumber
our treasury, to send abroad our vessels Of
war to no service. and to betrsy the people
for the purpose of running the nation which
had honored them,
There has been no parallel in history in
which men have shown such pronigacy.
such atrociousn ness and meanness. as tho
brief history Of the Confederacy furnishes
to the world. of its leaders. Insleai Of
boldly advocating the necessity of separa-
tion. they were, while openly taking part
in the deliberations in Congress. secretly
plotting treason, writing letters to their
friends filled with vile slander and re-
proach to the Government. and stirring up
the whole people Of the South TO an opeu
Charleston Convention for the purpose Of
; splitting the political party which so long
had been link that bound together the
North and the South. The great religious
bodies Of the country were already severed.
and they were determined to break assun-
der every tie which would hinder them in
the separation from the Union. Many al
so were sent as delegates to the Peace
Convention at Washington. and for what
purpose? 1t VAS simply farce; it was to
pretend that they were for peace. to put
the loyal people at the North off their
guard. that they might gain time to carry
out their rebelious schemes. Such arc
the characters of the men with whom
some people are pleading to compromise.
If they have violated once their pledge OF
honor TO support the Constitution and the
laws. how can we honestly accept shc se-
cond pledge. when they have no honor to
sustain that pledge.
Thus, to sustain the laws of self pres er-
vation. even. if not of our honor. there is
stern necessity resting upon every one.
which compels us to conqaer this rcbell-
ion and enforce submission of every re-
bellious State. and every rebel to the na-
tional authority Talk of compromise!
armisticel treaty! There are no such
words when honor ami dignity are invol-
we'd. They are but milder terms for our
disgrace and ruin. a nation founded up-
on liberty. and an empire founded upon
slavery, cannot exist side by side. One
or the other must perish. They are no
more alike than civilization and barbar-
ism.
Is it not, then. far better to put forth
our best energies and endeavors to crush
this foe-to use every availsble resource
which the nation can command to strangls
the usurping power while it is IN our grasp.
than to wait years hence. when it has
grown more formidable and defiant, and
we are obliged to defend ourselves from
subjugationg
I'll n