Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-04-30
Che Ohio 5tatesnra,r
From the Harrisburg Patriot and Union--the organ of
the Democracy Of Pennsylvania.
The Peace Question.

y
Z From the Harrisburg Patriot aud Union-ths organ
the Democracy Of Pennsylvania.
The Peace Question.
: The New York World closes short oontro
versy with the Philadelphia Epsning Journa
on the peace question In language which W,
highly approve. It is f0rbearing, sensible, ius
! and comprehensive. However much tho Demo
cratic rarty may desire peace, 10 Ia Idle to max,
IL platform plank, or even to discuss 10, O.
long as we are powerless to effect It, or IL car
only be attained by accepting conditions which
involve permanent dissolution of the Union.
To such terms we are confident no Democra,
will ever listen unless, as last alternative, Ia
prevent greater calamity. To talk about
peace when Il 10 clearly unattainabIe urou apy
condition which we could with honor. or as
patricia whose hearts are bound up In the
Union, accept, ia not only idle but mischieyous
-ita tendency being to distract, not to unite
the elements of Democracy, whose undimin.
ished, undivided strength is necessary to ac-
quire that political power without which we
are in no condition ss q party to- decide upon
either peace or war. The Democracy, unfor
tunately for the country, are not now the creator
of events--tIiat Responsibility rests upon the
shoulders of the rebel administration at Rich
mond and the Abolition administration at
Washington. All we can do ia to accept, for
tho time being, what they determine, opposing
to the utmost limit Of constitutional right what.
ever we deem unwise, unlawful, wicked or
dangerous. Together the two powers, though
nominally antagonistic, are working for he
same purpose-the overthrow Of the Union and
the suppression OF free institutions This nm +.
pose il IL the duty, as we hope it is the mission,
of the Democracy TO circumvent; aud this can
only be done by the attainment of political COW
er in the States and the nation. To this end
all our energies should be bent, for, without
political success, we ehall be hereafter, as now.
at the mercy Of our enemies, who hold the reina
10 their hands and direct the policy of the conn
try. The question then is, how can we best
uc,eed-by reducing or multiplying the issues
We are clearly of opinion that but upon one Mat.
form alone can perfect unauimity be attained
and that is, determined constitutional opposition
to the general policy of the Lincoln administra-
tion, avowed hostility to the doctrines of seoes-
sion, and inAexible fidelity to the Union and
the Constitution, which are TO be upheld AZ
| every sacrifice but the acceptance of despotism
in their stead. Upon this simple platform il
seems to us oil Democrats can stand and act
harmoniously. Can they on any other2 In op-
position to the doctrines and policy Of the Abo-
litionists and the Secesalonitts there is no dis,
agreement among Democrats Are they entire
ly harmonious on the peace question: Or any
other that has been, as we think, unnecessaFilv
and imprudenily introduced7 Will any ono aa.
sure us that they are2 Until We have that as.
suranco we must be permitted to doubt it, and
to give our full assent to the following calm
iudicious expressions of the World:
PEACE AND THE DEMooRATIo PARrY.-so far
as the continuance or cessation of the war "a a
practical question, It's decision rests entiraIv
with the Administration. Until important eIec.
tions have inteFvened, the Democratic nartv
has no power to terminate the war except by
q revolution to depose the constituted suthori.
ties and organize provisional government,
This, even II 10 were desirable, could be accom-
plished only by force. II we were among the
staunchest advocates of peace, we should be
unable to see our way clear to its attainment
BY method which substituted intestine war
In the North for a united contest against the
South So long as there Is no escape from
fighting, we consider 1t better to fight the rebels
than TO night each other. A forclble revolu-
tlon In the North would, beyond all question,
secure southern independence; nay, Il would
terms We can not consent to give IN the
Union except to escape worse evil; and If we
had abandoned all hope of theUnion, we oould
not consent to accept whatever boundaries,
and other conditions of separation, the South
should think ut to assign us. We therefore
prefer to leave the question Of peace, where
the Constitution and laws have placed Il, In
the hands OF the constituted authorities. and
labor to combine all the elements of oppositon
20 effect tranquil revolution through the ball
lot box. The premature agitation of the peace
question neither tends to bring peace nor to
consolidate the opposition. Ali Democrats do
not desire peace on the only conditions on which
peace Is at present attainable; but all Demo-
Gratis, 80 far as we are informed, do desire to |
consolidate the opposition and render It invin- |
chile. To this end, we find IL more consistent |
with our Interpretation of public duty to seek
points OF agreement among Democrats than to
give prominence to points Of difference
whether the Democratic party shall next
year 60 into the Presidential election on a peace
platform or Q war platform, ID aquestion which
we will not discuss, because We cannot lift the
impenetrable curtain which hides intervening
events. We are opposed to hypothetical poli.
tics. We do not wish to deal with aspects of
public questions that may never be presented :.
In times so earnest as these, and when 30 much
depends on unforeseen vicissitudes of fortune.
(for who can deny the influence Of fortune ia
war y it seems to us important to draw STRICT
line between the province Of speculation and
the domain Of statesmanship Satesmausbip
should not, indeed, be destitute of foresight:
but according to our conception of IL. Il deals
only with the actual, and even although Il has
formed its opinion of the possible, Il avoids
committing itself to a course of action which
subsequent events may show to be unwise.
-"The present aspect Of the peace question, 90
far as We are able to speak by authority, is |
this: The Democratic party of New York. in |
its State Convention last fall, passed certain I
resolves which were accepted by the party az
Its platform, and on which IL carried the elec.
ton, annihilating the Republican majority of
upward Of hundred thousand of the preced- |
ing year. No Democrat, that we are aware of. |
ever maintained that those resolves were peace
platform. As the condition Of the country has
not essentially changed, they stand to this day
as the authorized exposition of the views Of |
the New York Democracy"
While the Democratic party of New York
thus gives expression to the sentiments In which
IL can unite, the not less patriotic Democracy
OF Pennsylvania, In the exercise of an equal |
freedom, will do the same. There will be no |
rivalry between them except to see which State
will give the heaviest Democratic majority = |
When, the following year, the States meet In |
National Convention, the discrepancies III any) |
In the party creeds of the several States will |
he reconciled and harmonized, and all will |
thenceforward keep step to the same music and |
march In compact array to assured victory. We
are determined that no act of ours shall be an |