The mountain Democrat., 1864-08-06
Any change must be for the Better.

Any Change Must be for Gho Better.
We beg the people Of this State, and
especially the labOring men, to keep this
fact in mind, for it is fact admitted by
even the friends Of the Administration
This war has been continued upwards Of
three years. The "loyal" States have
been called upon to contribute over two
millions of men, and it is estimated that
one third of these men have been sacri-
feed in the service. The aggregate war
debt Of the nation, the States and towns,
cannot be less than Eve thousand millions
of dollars. And what is the equivalent
for these enormous sacri6cesi What can
it be under such . policy? 1t is easy
enough to see to what end we are tending,
and it is not yet too late to avert the evil.
The President has just issued . call for
Eve hundred thousand more troops-ifh he
is kept in power he will issue still further
calls-it is not improbable that every man
liable to do military duty will eventually
be forced into the service-the Secretary
Of the Treasury will manufacture green
backs until all our money will be as worth
less as Confederate scrip-our debt will
increase beyond all possibility Of payment
our Constitution and our liberties will
be destroyed-and social, moral and po-
litical anarchy will exist everywhere.-
This is dark picture but it is not over
drawn and this estimate of our condition
is based upon the hypothesis that our mil
itary success will be as great as military
men anticipate. If it should be less, so
much the worse. In either case there can
be no peace. The Southern people must
fight, or submit to humiliation worse than
death-be yoked together with their own
slaves, and grow cotton at the point Of the
bayonet for the benefit Of the "lords of
the loom" Of New England, the Abolition
traitors who provoked the war in order
to "crush the South to powder" Does
any intelligent man suppose they will do
it? Certainly not. Hence the war will
be continued until the country is com.
pletely drained of men and money-until
our almshouses are filled to overlooking
with destitute women and starving or
phans.
Any change must be for the better
The Southern people know that the only
sincere and unwavering Union men be-
long to the Democratic party; and there
never was time when that party was
more unanimous and rcsolute to save the
Union, and the Constitution also. This
is its holy mission. 1t has the will, the
ability and the patriotism to accomplish
its mission. Its success is all that is
needed, and that we no longer Doubt
No proclamation of its desires and pur-
poses will be called for. The Southern
people would know what they could get
and how-peace and Union by submiss.
ion. They would be treated as equals,
not as interiors, and their rights would be
respected. 1t is reported and believed
that the Southern people are tired of the
war, and their Intellectual attempt to send
commissioners to Washington to treat for
peace proves the report correct. Would
they not, then, gladly resume their posi-
ton in the Union, if they could do so on
such terms as repentance and submission
are always entitled to? AS the matter
stands now, they have nothing but an
ignominious life to expect by repentance
and submission, and they will not submit
so long as this is the case. The Admin
istratioD, controlled by fanatics and trai-
tors, is determined to prevent them from
coming back into the Union unless they
change their domestic institutions to suit
the Abolitionists Of the North and q
proud, high.spirited and brave people, as
they have proved themselves, will pever
accept terms so humiliating and disgrace
full. A change of Administration, there.
fore, to restore peace and the Union, is
absolutely necessary.