The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-10-01
A TEsI1E PEACE.

Theological Seminary, New York, we make
the following extract, which we commend
to the careful perusal of our readers:
Cries of peace ae on the wind We
heard them at the start. We have heard
them all along. We hear thrn now louder
than ever. But cries of peace from whom.
aud to whom? Some are the prayers of all
the saints ascending since the war began,
that God will be pleased, in His own good
time. to send US peace by righteousness that
so ii may be a lasting peace. But no cry is
heard as yet from the rebels in arms, who
might have peace to morrow, by simply
throwing down their weapons and striking
their flag. No cry as yet from our own
brave boys, their blue jackets fragrant with
the smell of victories. No cry from the
bloody graves of fallen heroes, who would
as gladly fight and die again for the old flag.
No cry even from widows and orphans, who
have lost all they had to lose, and now only
pray it may not have been in vain. No
where any cry do we hear, but from the lips
of rebels not in arms, or who. if not rebels,
are the dupcs and the tools Of rebels, doing
the work OF rebels, and doing it better now
and here than though they had followed their
hearts down over the lines. These are the
men who now cry Cor peace at any price,
our arms when they know, some Of them,
better even than We for they have learned
it from Richmond, that the rebellion is on
the verge of grounding its arms. Peace,
they cry, as over Il drawn battle. when they
know the battle is nearly finished in victory.
Peace. they cry, when they know that peace
now, without another blow, would be sub
stantialy the triumph of our foes. Some of
these men who cry tor peace are bold, bad
men as bold and rs bad rs Catalina
Others are only sensual and sordd, not will
ing to pay blood and gold for TRUTH freedom
and righteousness. Others are only timid,
shrinking from further trial. Others. tired
but not timld, are only mistaken, honestly
thinking the war can be ended in no other
way. Others. again, arc only the rank and
file of old political organizations, who know
no other voice than that Of their old shcp-
herds. Taking them all together, their
name is legion. They are found in all por-
tons of the loyal States, and in numbers are
probably about as strong, relatively. as the
Tories OF the Revolution perhaps a little
stronger. They are now, by the confession
Of the rebels themselves, the forlorn hope OF
their Conederacy. Foreign Intervention
was abandoned long ago rs AN idle dream.
The rebellion is standing literally on its
last legs it has conScripted everything 1t
could lay It's hands on that could be of any
use to it between the cradle and the grave.
The recruiting drum beat would not be more
out of place in the churchyards chan in the
streets of most of the Southern towns. A
few thousand of men more on our side. and
the thing is ended. Peace would then come.
not by an armistice. which would lead to no
peace that could last, but by victories so
overwhelming and conclusive that no man
Il, Il i III 1.
SO says the Lieutenant. General of our
armies, God bless him for his sublime ten
acty of purpose, tor his stcadlast faith, for
his many victories. 50 say all our best
generals. SO say all our best soldiers. And
the rebels know it TO be true Only one
hope now sustains them. and that is their
hope of seeing yet, ut the eleventh hour. a
divided and palSicd North.
Shall they see it? Tell me, Christian
friends and nei2hbors, tell me, my fellow
countrymen, shall they see it? This is now
the grand question before us. And it is the
only question. The question of Slavery. in
its relation to our politics. our industry, our
religion even, is just now Supremacy impcr-
tnent; impairment, | say not because sla-
very can be cleared of the guilt of this rebel.
lion, or can be thought compatible with the
revived prosperity and permanent peace of
the Republic. or can be looked upon with
moral indifference by moral men: but sim
ply because, hy its own act, it now lies at
the mercy of events, which must have their
course. OF the four millions of Southern
bondmen at the beginning of this rebellion,
more than one million-Mr Davis has said
nearly two millions--havc been freed al
ready. Others yet will snatch their freedom
as our armies advance. And they would
have snai ched 1t all the same had there been
no Proclamation of 1868. That military
edict is, therefore, but 4 poor apology for
turning against the Government now. Be-
yond ali controversy. it has weakened the
rebellion, and strcngt hcncd the Government:
weakened the rebellion by making cmanc-
patton. not merely military incident, but
a well advised and avowcd purpose, in order
to the quicker and surcr triumph of our
arms: strengthened the Government by
all the thousands of colored troops now in
its service, by arraylng on our side the sym
pathies Of the best men in Europe, and Sc
curing for ourselves the inspiration, not of
patriotism alone. but also of philanthropy
and the fear OF God. To re-enslave these
freedmen would be not merely infamous, it
would he insane. These, then, are wholly
out OF the problem. The eagles are uncagei,
and gone. What shall be done with such as
may not have been actually liberated along
the paths of our armies, what shall be done
with the ahsttution of Slavery tself-these
are questions of the future, questions to be
taken up and disposed of after the war is
ended and the Union, which, according to
the loyal theory of the war, has never been
dissolved, shall have been in fact restored
For the future, the immediate future, to
which they belong, they are questions of the
greatest moment. Perhaps we shall all
soon feel them to oe the crucial questions OF
our destiny. Perhaps the hour is nearer
than some of us suppose, when the whole
nation shall be standing in awe of Him
whose Office it is to say, lnasmuch as We
have done it, or have not done it, unto orc
of the least of these my brethren We have
done it, or have not done it, unto me- But
just at this most critical conjuncture OF our
affairs Just emerging, as we ave, from the
lowest depths of our dependency, the ma
lional brain oppressed, the national pulse
fevcrish, and the spirits of mischief busy as
| never before-thesc questions are not IN
| time. The only question now, if we arc
wise, is the question Of mor or armistice. -
| This is the question offered us. Let us
accept it, ana hold its apostles to it, and
| hold ourselves to it, and hold each other tc
| it, and hold the nation to 1t. If Ajax fails
of victory for the want of light, be it nc
fault of ours.
1rmistice is the watch-word. But what i.
armstice? Not peace only hostility sus
pended But hostility suspended in ordel
to peace, they tell us. BE not deceived, my
countremen. Peace Will never come in thi:
l.way The rebellion is still in arms enpi