Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-11-16
.0'gio Statesman,
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
The Ohio Statesman Company
WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOV. l6.
:. Pence Through subiugation.,, >,

We invite the attention of all thinking
men to the following lesson from history.
1t is contained in an address of Hon.
Charles Mason of Washington:
Towards the close of the thirteenth CEN
tury Edward /, of England, claimed to be
the legitimate sovereign of fScotland-hold-
ing all those to be traitors who resisted his
rule. His claims were stoutly resisted by
the "rebels," under the leadership of the
celebrated William Wallace. In 1893: they
were defeated at the decisive battle of Fal-
kirk. Theirmilitary power was crushed"
and Scotland was subjugated and "loyal."
Three years later Wallace had become
again as formidable as before, and Edward
had to commence his work of conquest
anew. He moved northward with the
whole military power of his realm, accom-
panied by his navy, which had the entire
command of the sea. After war of two
years the Scotch were entirely overwhelm-
ed, and Wallace taken prisoner and ex-
ecuted. The conqueror marched in triumph
from one end of the country to the other.
All We'd in their professions of allegiance;
all bowed to the sceptre of the conqueror.
He attempted to abrogate the Scottish GUS
toms, to abolish the Scottish name, and
even to substitute English for the Scotch
inhabitants of the kingdom. All seemed
peace and security.
Two years later the rebellion broke out
afresh under Robert Bruce. In 1907, at
the fatal battle of Metheven, the organized
military power of Scotland was again an
initiated and Bruce became fugitive and
q wanderer. Eight years later he found
himself at the head of another army. The
battle of Bannockburn was fought and Scot
land was again free.
Under the weak successors of Bruce the
domination of England was again claimed
and enforced. For three hundred years
Scotland often raised the standard of re-
bellion, and seized upon every opportunity
that presented itself for cooperation
with the enemies of England. The two
nations came to be regarded as natural enc
mics until James vi of Scotland at length
ascended the English throne. The more
powerful country thus united itself to the
weaker, and national animosities became
extinguished by peaceful appliances which
would never have yielded to force. The
lapse of more than two hundred and fifty
years has seen that union constantly grow
ing stronger, which centuries of war and
mutual injury had seemed to have rendered
wholly impossible.
These teachings of the history of the
past are confirmed by the lessons of our
own experience. The State of Missouri,
OnCt Teuuceu W uulcI anu uClu III d OOn-
strained loyalty by military power, is again
rising in successful rebellion, and must be
conquered anew. The same may be said of
great portion of Louisiana, Texas, Arkan-
sas, as well as some of the States on this
side of the Mississippi.
Mere conquest never eXtinguishes nation
al antipathies, but gives them edge and
venom. The mild influence of peace and
kindness effect what could never be attain
ed by violence in the production and pres
ervation of national unity. They accom-
plish their purposes, not by resisting the
power to separate, but by removing the
wish and the motive for doing so. Is the
lesson to be lost upon us? Shall we con-
tinue vainly to pursue the phantom
"Union" over the fields of carnage when it
is ready to nestle in our bosoms as blessed
reality, if, discarding the brutal, savage,
and fiendish propensities of our nature, we
invoke the peaceful influences of intellect
and reason and the teachings of the Divine
Master? We may soon have peace and
union if we choose, but not by war, how
ever successful. The conquest of all the
cities and the dispersion of the armies of
the Confederacy will only bring increasing
difficulties and enshroud the country In a
deeper gloom. Your means of support will
be distracted by increasing taxation, your
sons snatched from you by frequently re-
curing conscription. Large standing ar
mics will be necessary to preserve the
country in its forced allegiance. The SIM
plicity of your republican institutions will
disappear, and in their stead the costly ma
chinery of Government which enforces
obedience by the fear it eXcites rather than
by the affection 1t induces.