Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-07-22
IFrsn Harpsr's Weekly.
ave Can't Subdue The Rebels"

To the dssponding or exulting sxelam-
alton, "Oh, We cant subdue the rebelsi
there is but one reply. II il be indsed
true then the Government is at an end;
the Union is dissolved; and every State
is again an individual political comma
nifty, for the bond which hold New York
TO Pennsylvania is exactly the same that
unitss NeW York and Georgia. aud il it
lie broken anywhere it is broken every
where. IL d be true eur national flag
has disappeared, the national honor is
gone; and most of the States OF the
American Union are separate powers
OF smaller population than the cities of
London or Paris There is no navy, no
army, no common force, no collective
glory. The work OF hHndred years is
undone, aud what State, section, party,
or individual isthe gamer Of the least
real advantage.
If we can'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 Copper
heads, will be content, because they will
hope to prostitute the character Of the
North to new Union upon terms dicta-
ted by slavery The foreign enemies Of
1 the Union will be content; for they have
hated to see a Republic which might one
day completely indicate the great truth
of equal human rights as the onlg Sc
cure foundation ofgovernment. But there
can be no real advantage gained by any
Of these. Davis will have founded a
kingdom which civilization will abhor
Wood will share the fate, thousand-fold
more terrible, of Benedict Arnold and
Aaron Burr; while the foreign powers
will soon be IN worse straits from their
quarrels over our remains than they
would ever have been from our united
policy Of peace. The Government OF
the United States will be overthrow
there will be universal anarchy upon its
late domain; there will be q universal
hopelesspess of any new Union upon any
honorable terms; each State, prey to
passionate party spirit, will fall into civil
war, and those who so triumphsntly as.
sert that 1--WE can't subdue the rebels,
will learn what il is 20 be a citizen of q
nation utterly shattered; degraded, and
dsspised.
The alternative. 81 We have already
said, is very clear Either the people
must conquer, or the rebellion will
Either the authority of the Government
must be maintained snconditionally, or
it must be ovsrthrown; for q Govern
ment which allows citizens to dictst,
the terms upon which they will obey the
laws has ceased to bek Government Tn.
J talk shout negotiation and settlement il
idle, and unworthy sensible men. Tht
, moment that We tolerate the thought o
negotiation We begin to yield the Govern
ment Mr. Wood and his followers in
sist that the war must end in compro
, mise, because they know that eompro
: they wish the rebellion to succeed Fo
; when they insist that the war is vieke'
and ought TO stop, and propose to sem
: commissioners to Richmond to arrsng
: terms honorable to the South" the
2 propose the destruction of tie Govern
{ ment, which is the success of the rebel
5 lion.
5 When such men say, 1--WE cant sui
= due the rebels, their meaning is a
clear as their patriotism. But when th
/ same phrase is used merely in desponc
s ency BY those who sincerely wish the ns
r tional honor TO be maintained, the
:. should be asked TO remember what th
s. prospects of the war were one year Ag'
i and what they are now. Gold is highe
II but so il the spirit of the people. Th
army that drove Lee from Gettysbur
is now thrstsns both his supplies and b