The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-08-26
The Alternative Of War.
BY HORACE GREELEY.

nald are rival candidates for Governor of
Indiana. Morton, having been chosen It,
Governor years ago, has been acting Cover
nor nearly ever since, vice Governor Henry
5. Lane, chosen U. S. Senator. Messrs.
Morton and Mcdonald. according to the ex-
cellent Western custom, are now canvassing
their State together, addressing the same
audiences in alternate speeches, criticizing
each others positions, associations, and past
political action, in perfect courtesy, yet with
entire freedom, thus illustrating one of the
best phases of our republican institutions
and contributing to the enlightenment of the
people. Each of them is able and forci6le (;
yet the perusal of their speeches at Laporte
as fully reported in the Cincinnati journals
-lmpels NE to hope that such discussions
will soon cease to be Western peculiarity
by becoming an American custom-a usual
and necessary incident of our political agi-
tations.
Both candidates are Of course devoted to
the Union-each is professedly and intensely
favorable to its preservation. Mr.. McDo-
nald will allow no man to outdo him in this
regard. But when Gov. Morton says in
substance Here are two great military
powers struggling desperately, the one to
maintain, the other to disrupt and destroy
the Union deem it my duty to do my ut
most to support the former and oppose tn
latter" he speaks in accordance with the
dictates of every true and loyal heart. And
when he turns upon his competitor and asks,
/" Now, Sir, will you tell us how you propose
to uphold the Union, or to prevent its de-
struction?" he elicits no answer. What re-
sponse could be given by one holding Mr..
McDonald's position
The Rebel platform is simple and inteli-
gible: Each State is sovereign; the Union
is league the Constitution is treaty be-
tween sovereign powers, whereof each is its
conclusive interpreter hence, each State
may withdraw at pleasure, and in such man
ner as to it shall seem good, from the Union,
and form such new alliance as 20 it shall
seem advisable" The intelligent have this
formula by heart, and know how thoroughly
crushed were its fundamental assumptions
by Webster in his discussion with Hayne,
and by Jackson in his manifestoes against
Notification. Whoever is Gecently read in
our country recent history needs no eluci
datinn of the Union or the Disuu;oii side of
this controversy.
But is there still another tenabe position !?
Are we. in truth, or are we not, Nation
Is there, or is there not such thing as allie
glance due to, ard treason possible against,
the Union? Suppose the Legislature or
Convention of any State to pass an Ordl-
nance of Notification or Secession. are the
citizens of that State absolved thereby from
their obligations and oa,hs of fidelity to the
Union? 1t is very late now to ask these
and kindred questions; but, after spending
Half a Million lives and untold millions Of
property on the problem, there should b e an
. American answer TO these qucstlons-spe-
citic unambigiouS, decisive. We cannot al
ford to have lavished all this blood and
/ treasure in vain.
IT to sccedc from the Union at pleasure is
the constitutional or reserved rihgt OF every
State, then the War for the Union is aggres-
sive, iniquitous, unjustifable IT., on the
other hand, there be no such right, then the
War agaiast the Union is the most atrocious
rebellion and treason.
If the Union has constitutional right to
defend its own existence, then to charge the
President and his supporters with the cost
of the War-to hold them responsible for
the mountains Of slain it has piled, the abys
ses, of debt it has opened, is most unjust
1t is like saying to the sheriff of New York
City,, Sir, you have, during the last year,
spent d ullIllOU vi uOIldiS III lCliCtluS Out
arresting, arraigning, trying, and punishlns
felons; what have you to say for yourself !?
I" Oaly this" the sheriff would doubtless re
ply, :" that committed none of the feonies
and did not elect myself sheriff; and, if i
was wrong to prosecute felons to conviction
and punishment, the law is in fault not |
If you would give impunity to felons, yo'
should neither enact laws nor choose sheritis
Gen. Mcclellan, in his recent West Poin
orstion forcibly says:
"To secure ourselves from the fate Of tn
divided republics of Italy and South Ameri
: ca, to preserve our Government from de
struction, to enforce its just power and laws
to maintain our very existence as nation
these were the causes which impelled US t
: draw the sword. Rebellion against a gov
! ernment like ours, which contains the mean
d of self-adj justment and a pacific remedy fo
evils, should never be confounded with revC
Il luton against despotic power, which refuse
: redress of wrongs. Such rebellion canno
:. be justified upon ethical grounds; and tn
r. only alternatives for our choice are its sup
preston or the destruction of our nationality
At such time as this, and in such strue
" gle, political partlsanship should be merge
h in true and brave patriotism, which :hink
y only of the good of the whole country.
: was in this cause, and with these motive
i that so many of our comrades have give
" their lives; and in this ne are all PERSONAL
n pledged in all honor and fidelity. Sha
/ such devotion as that of our dead comrade
be of no avail Shall it be said in afte
/ ages that we lacked the vigor to compile
st the uork thus begun that, after all the.
e noble lives, freely given, we hesitated an
10 failed to keep straight OIL, until our land W.