Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-09

Our COuntry-Peace the Only Means Of
RreserKine The I-ninn.


IFOr the Indiana state sentineLl
Our COuntry-Peace the Only Means Of
Preserving the Union.
MEssRs. EDITORS: War is said 70 be the "relic
of barbarous age" aud vet we find ourselves.
though Boosting Of high state of civilization,
engaged in war characterized by deeds of savage
vengeance Reason is dethr0ned, and the worst
passions of the human heart rule the hour. The
cry tor blood in this age of Christianity comes
with a bad grace, and vet We find those in our
country who still insist on and all its attend
ant horrors To them the carnage of the battle
field. the sackng Of cities and the CRY of those
made homeless by the devouring flames is un-
wonted pleasure. For all such there is a day of
fearful retroution-a day when the voice of an
injured people will cause them to trembe and hide
themselves from threatened danger. This war of
ours is unnecessary. There never existed cause
for its commencement. The plea that it was
commenced and is still waged to maintain the
Supremacy OF the Constitution and the Union
never justified it. War s0ia ncrer secure tho SUI
pTemacy Of the Constitution nor restore the Union
The declaration OF war by the Congress of the
nation against the ephemeral Confederate States
only made disuRiOR possible. The Confederate
States left to themselves, would have fallen into
ruin of their weight. The acts of secession
were not the acts of the great majority of the
people of the seeding States The majority were
that majority would soon have hurled from power
the eonspiratOrs against our national unity. Had
wisdom prevailed in the counsels of the nation, it
would have saved millions of treasure and rivers
of blood, aad the Union to day be what our tore
fathers Iaade IT,
The appeal to arms and the threatened coer-
cion only aroused the pride of the Southern heart
and united the loyal and dslOyal in a common
destiny. The South and the North are depend
ent upon each other. and one cannot prosper
without the other. That alone, if war had not
followed the acts of secession, would have com
PEELED unity of the sections. Interest will
move nations and compel friendly intercourse.
1t has always done So, and ever will. In addi-
ton TO that, we have a common language, and
are linked together by the strong ties of consan
guinity. These facts Of themselves. compel re-
union. and make separation without war imp0ssi-
BILE. The history of the world furnishes no ex :
ample where PEOPLE having a common ancestry,
speaking the same language and worsbipping the
same God (where there was no great geograph
ical barrier ever divided on the same territory
into independent and separate nationalities. Ours
IS a common ancestry, and in the revolutionary
struggle the blood Of the ancestry Of the now con
tending sections mingled freely upon every battle
field; and Liberty and Independence were bap
tised in the common blood OF the North and
South. They needed no new baptism, and would
have stood the shock Of tratorous arms and
throw in the destruction of the Government. IL
the union of the States is desirable, (Which all
must admit.) then peace is the only means of Sc
curing il. Two years of war has done nothing
toward restoration of the Union Ii has only
widened the breach between the contending sec
tiOns. 1t NAV continued for years, and mil
lions of human beings sacrificed upon its bloody
altar. and yet the day of reunion viii be farther
of Establish Peace. and the restoration OF
American nationality is a necessity. Hence the
cry for peace. Ii is no longer treason to favor
peace.
Who is it that still demands bloody war. and
delight in It's horrors? None but those who in
augurated il. When will they learn that the
people demand peace above all things? The cry
of the gallant army of the republic is. Give Us
peace. Inquire of the sick and wounded soldiery
in the hundred hospitals, where grim visaged
death reigns supreme, and the cry Of the sick and
diving soldier is Give US peacel Visit the heart
broken mother, who has given her only sonl Go
to the house of that widow, with her fatheress
children, whose husband has fallen victim to
the chances Of war, and their cry IS, Give US
peace; and such is the nations cry. All are
longing for that happy day when peace will sup
plant the horrors of war and fraternal blood no
longer stain the common soil of our once great
republic.
VIII those in power not heed the public cry
for peace2 Will they not heed the widows wall
anu tie orphan cryt VIII tuey sun tnSiSI on
more blood, and still increase the nations sor-
row. Will they still insist that the hand of war
shall hold bloody revel, and that servile insurrec-
ton. fire and sword shall convert the land of the
free into modern Golgotha2
In the name Of liberty. what have not the party
in power done2 In its sacred name they have
forged Yokes for freemen, and made them sub
ject 70 tyrant's whimg In the name Of the Con
stitution they have trampled upon its most sacred
provisions, and made the tryrant's plea OF neces-
sity paramount t III In the name of humanity
they have made the bondsman free only to in
crease his burdens
Give US peace, and then will follow that for
which il IS alleged the is being prosecuted
and save the nation deep humiliation and an igno
minious death. Give US peace, and American
nationality VIII be secured and the proud reDub
lie OF former times put on the high road to thai
destiny which is ultimately hers.
RANDOLPH.