Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1864-08-11
From Harper's Weekly.
"wE CAN'T SUBDUE THE
REBELS

REBELS
To the desponding or exulting ex
clamation sOh, we can't subdue tn
, rebelsf' there is but one reply.
it be indeed true, then the Govern
ment is at end; the Union is dissolv
ed; and every State is again an in
dividual political community, for ths
! bond which holds New York tc
Pennsylvania is exactly the same
that unites New York and Georgia
and if it is broken any where it is
broken every where. If it be true
our national flag has disappeared,
the national honor Is gone; and most
of the States OF the American Union
are separate powers of smaller pop.
ulation than the cities Of London OF
Paris. There is no navy, no army,
no common force, no collective glory.
The work of a hundred years is un-
done, and what State, section, party,
or individual is the gamer of the
least real advantageP
If we sscan't subdue the rebels, :"
the rebels have subdued us. In that
case jefferson Davis will be content,
because his pride will be satisfied
Fernando Wood and his followers,
the Ccpperheads, will be content,
because they viii hope to prostitute
the character of the North to new
Union upon fer ns dictated ty
slavery. The foreign enemies of
the Union will be content; for they
have hated to see a republic which
might one day completely vindicate
the great truth of equal human rights
as the only secure foundation OF gov
ernmeHt. But there can he no real
advantage gained by any of these.
Davis will have founded kingdom
which civilization viii abhor. Wood
will share the fate, a thousand fold
more terrible. of Benedict Arnold or
Burr; whilr the foreign powers will
soon be in worse straits from their
qnarrels over our remains than they
would ever have been from our unit.
ed policy of peace. The Govern
ment of the United States will be
overthrow; there will be universal
anarchy upon its late domain; there
WIN be-- -aiuersal hVpelessness of
any new Union upon any nuuorohle
terms; each State, prey to passion
ate party spirit, will fall in civil war,
and those who so triumphantly as
sert that 1--WE csti't suibdue the reb
els" viii learn what tits to be cit
izen of a nation utterly snattereu,
degraded, and despised.
The alternative, as we have
already said, is very clear. Either
the people must conquer, or the re-
beIlion will. Either the authority of
the Government must he maintained
Internationally, or it must be over
thrown; for a Government which al
lows citizens to dictat the terms
upon which they will, obey the laws
has ceased to be a Government
The talk about negotiation and set
tIement is idle. and unworthy sensi-
BILE men. The moment that we toll
crate the thodght of negotiation we
begin to yield the Government. Mr..
Wood and his followers insist that
the war must end in compromise: be-
cause they know that compromise is
the victory of the rebellion, and they
wish the rebellion to succeed. For
when they insist that the war is
wicked and ought to stop, and pro-
pose to send commissioners to Rich
mond to arrange terms honorable
to the South" they propose the de-
struction of the Government: which
is the success of the rebellion.
When such men say, "We can't
subdue the rebels" their meaning is
as clear as their patriotism. But
when Il same phrase is nsed merely
in dependency by those who sincere
| ly wish the National honor to b.
: maintained, they should be asked tt
remember what the prospects of th,
war we're one year ago, and wha
they are now. Gold is higher, bu
so is the spirit of the people. ,Th,
army that drove Lee from 6 Gettysbur!
now threatens both his supplies ant
his escape from his own capital
8 Gold may 60 up i'll higher, but 81
!, will the national determination, AM
there is no reason to apprehend dis
sster till there is a cry from th
cowed and breaking heart of th
American people, 1--WE can't subdu
the rebels + When that cry
heard the rebels may subdue us, an
welcome, for there will be nothin
left worth lighting for.