The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1864-10-19
Whittier are we Tending9

continued, and its policy remain unchsng-
ed, one of two things will happen:
lst. 1t will be unsuccessful; or
End. 1t will be successful.
Four years more must produce a
status Of affairs which no succeeding Ad-
ministration will be able greatly TO alter.
If the policy of subjugation which the
Administration is now pursuing shall
prove unsuccessful, of course the Union is
gone; the country is perpetually divided.
Foreign recognition will have taken place
commercial relations, and perhaps other
alliances will have been established with
the Confederacy, and the next Admins
tration, four years hence, will have to en-
ter upon the unwelcome task of adjusting
our new boundaries, and adopting our
policies to the new state Of things.
But if the subjugation policy is sue
cessful, what then? Then we have one
government. We are no longer repub-
lie Of thirty-four consenting States, but
military despotism of tweuty-three
Provinces, holding subjugated territory
of eleven others, once our equal, in COM
pulsory connection with us. Nor is this
all; while we shall have cut down the
political status of ten millions of free
men from that of independence to inferior
ity and political servitude, we shall have
undertaken to elevate in their very midst
four millions of servile race to superior
ity and freedom. We surrender our free
dom; we bow to military power; we tax
ourselves to the last point of endurance
and yield our citizens, when we can get
nobody else, to the fate of war; we nulli.
fy our own elective franchise, and put il
in the power of the military authority tc
appoint all our offices, for this. This, re-
member is the result of success in the line
Of policy now pursued by the Admins.
tration. 1t seems to us that none but g
fanatic can favor its further prosecution
But we shall be told that when the mil
itary power of the rebellion shall be brok
en-, all things will return to their normal
condition, aud flow in the channels o.
peace. But when is tie military pow
er" Of the rebellion TO be broken2 w,
have been breaking il up for four years
and will some one tell us how mucl
weaker il is now than it was when We
first met on the plains of Manassas Thc
military power Of the rebellion is no.
broken, and never can be broken until The
spirit of the people is changed; and to dc
this something besides the exercise o
brute force is necessary. War can in
flict wounds, but never heal them.
But we have even now u sample Of tht
state of subjugated territories, where th'
military power Of the rebellion has beef
broken. We broke it in Missouri, at Pi
lot Knob, nearly three years ago, and no
long since we tried TO break il there again
and did not quite succeed. We broke j
at Bowling, in Kentucky, two years ago
and to-day Kentucky is a common re
cruiting ground for both armies. W.
broke il square in two at Vicksburg, anc
ever since the trans Mississippi Depart
ment" has taken care of itself, and de
fies our arms. To keep that in its pres
ent nominal subsection, requires revenu
that would in time sink us into bankrupt
cy. We knocked the rebellion square il
the head 10 Texas, but to-day Texas is il
the enjoyment Of profound peace ant
abundance, ready to meet us when we ge
through with the rest.
The probabilities are against our success
in the line Of policy we are pursuing; bu
successful or unsuccessful, the result j
clear: on the one hand separation an,
disunion; on the other destruction of ou
Government and Despotism. Shall W
not have change Of men, and such
modification Of measures, as shall, If IL b
yet possible, preserve the principles Of ou
Government and the Union of our States
-Shropnel.