Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-12-17
The rebellion AImo.t Over.

The face of affairs, as seen through the
spectacles of The State Journal, begin to
wear cheerful aspect. We have a class
of people who do not look upon the Rebel
lion as quite extinguished and this class are
apprehensive that the blunderers at Wash
ington may embroil the United States in a
War with Great Britain before Il Rebellion
is wiped out. They think if this were
brought about that it would, viewed in its
least Objectionable feature, prove acalamity.
From The State Journal we get authority
for saying that the Rebellion is virtually
over. In an editorial yesterday, devoted to
a consideration of "the Canadian Raids" its
readers are assured that tour armies will
now very soon be relieved of their duties
down South, and will be ready to turn
their attention in another direction That
Is to say, we shall be abundantly able to at
tend to England and make her conduct
herself at least with apparent propriety,
when our armies shall have been ''relieved
from their duties down South"
Tpis sentence conveys the idea that The
State Journal entertains the opinion, that so
long as there is work for our armies to do
down South, War with England, or with
any other considerable European power.
would not be convenient for us to attend to.
The State Journal may be correct in its con-
clusion that the Rebellion is very nearly
over; but as Gov. ToD, in speech deliver
ed by him over two years ago in the city OF
Cincinnati, confessed that the War had then
continued longer tnan he expected it would
continue, when he turned his back upon the
party that had lifted him into consequence,
and exemplified his gratitude to it for the
great kindness it had done him in an effort to
discredit 1t as party devoted to the Union,
or as party of patriotic impulses; and as
President LINCOLN months ago, at Sani-
tary Fair at the city Of Baltimore, stated
that the War had then continued much long
er than he and great many other people
had expected it would continue when it
was embarked in; and as Gov. BRoUGH
was very confident in his address to the
National Guards, last May, that they, with
In the hundred days they were called out to
render service, would have the honor of be-
ing In at the death of the Rebellion; it comes
within the range of probability to suppose
that The State Journals assurance. that
"our armies will now very soon be re-
lieved Of their duties down South," is not
any more reliable than was the assurance of
Governors TOP and BRoUGH and the opin-
ion of President LINCOLN as to the dura-
tion of the War. To person who does not
move in the magic circle of the latter-day
Unionists, it seems that it would be well
for the Administration not to involve the
country IN another War until it is abso-
lutely certain that the Rebellion is over,
and our finances are in more satisfactory
condition than they now are. The Admin
istration should, if it has capacity enough
to do it, conduct itself with firmness and
dignity toward all foreign Governments,
and assume no position that is not recog-
nized by the law of nations as tenable, and
then, after having assumed it, maintain it
resolutely.