The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-06-29

OSStr AutoASos, may nave Tue gOOQ. sense
also to do it.. No sane man expects the
present Administration, or any other like
1t, to 1restoreithea Union by war or other
MEANS, Ito vindicats or upro omote the
rlghttul jurisdiction of the Government
North or South. The war in progress is
not our war; war cannot control, direct or
suppress 1t. 1t is an instrument in the
hands of the Administration which it can
and will use for its own purposes so long
as it remains in power with its ambitious
designs unaccomplished. But there is
one power within the power of the people
to settle the question, and end the war,
and bring good out of evil, without the
determination" of any thing except the
ruinous policy which now controls the
counsels of the nation. 1t is not by Civ
ing birth to a new Confederacy that such
good can be accomplished. but by restor-
ing the unity, Of the old one. The pro-
cess by which this could be accomplished
is clear to a Democrats perception. It
can be done by the accomplishment, at
the approaching Presidential election, of
such change as shall place the Admin
istratien of the Government in able and
faithful hands, where the now dormant
energies of that Government would re-
vive, and its grievous wounds be at least
measurably cured by the efficacy of its
redeemed Constitution Then would q
mighty, once sundere1, but reunited
nation, with the vast resources of all its
various sections recombined, with the eye
Of just anticipation pierce the thick
clouds of civil war and national and in
-dividuaI bankruptcy and ruin, and rejoice
n the prospect of coming years of restor-
d union, peace, and. prosperity; and the
aHernatiUe declared by Mr.. Long, and
indorsed by the Enquirer, will happily
be found to have no existence, except in
the vagaries of distorted imagination.
The men of the Southern States are
rational beings. governed by the same
regulate the conduct of any other Chris
tian people. They do not desire the con-
tinuanoe Of a bloody and exhausting war
which involves their slaughter by hun
dreds of thousands, and devotes their fair
country to ravage and spoliation, for the
mere motive ofrevenge to be gratified by
killing and destroying in turn. They
fight upon an argument and an assumed
justification, which however fallacious
they may appear to US, constitute, in their
Judgment justification of their acts; and
that they have many and serious aggres-
sioAs to complain of no reasonable man
has failed to- perceive. Take away that
argument, take away from them that as
sumed Justification, by a Democratic tri-
umph at the ballot-box, which will de-
monstrate to their understanding that the
reformed aud corrected sense of the
Northern people has tri1mphed over Sec
! tionalism, and reinaugurated the regime
| of Washington, Jefferson and jackson,
aud that the constitutional rights of all
sections are alike vindioated and assured
by the change, and no more armies would
or could, be raised in the South to main
tain rebellion or enforce their purpose OF
separation. Right, on the part of one
antagonist made conspicuous, disarms the
other. This state Of things would GER
tainly be preferable to the best results OF
many bloody battles. -
Then would we have peace achieved
By higher and holier instrum entalities
than the cannon and the sword; by
the moral sense, soul and justice of right
minded people. Let the Union then re-
main in theory, as it is; let those who
control the war, as they can and will,
manage it in their own way, and let the
peeple who lose the Government to the
inheritance of which they were born, take
care of the action which few bFiei
months will bring, aud: the employ every
power aud brave every danger to give, in
the legitimate way, q fair and full ex.
preston of that great popular voice upon
which the veal of the nation depends
| But to say that we would acknowledge
the Independence of that section .ovel
which we have sought and seek, not with.
out hope, to restore the authority of the
] Constitution, as we hope to restore it ovel
the demoralized and revolutionary North
would be to deny our position and aban'
don the great object for which we strive
by eschewing the only effective means fol
| its accomplishment, and to caus Dul
arms to be paralyzed at the very time
when we should strike the effective blow
If ever so much impressed with the be-
! lief that such a result must at some time
/ be reached, would insist that it be de
lferred till an Administration more com
petent than the present, to aGapt such
measure to the honor and interest of our
nation can be invested with trust. 1t ap
pears to me very much like insanity for 9
Democrat to propose to the party now II
power such measure, to be adjusted and
executed by that party. The person OF
press capable Of indorsing such a policy
can scarcely be; justified in claiming to be
a standard or exemplar of Democracy. .
we have any confidence in3 the capacity
of that Democracy which has ever mani
tested its superior ability to grapple with
! and dispose of that great question OF th'
country it. is proper for; us, above al
things, to insist that the whole subject Q
our our relations to the seeded States shall
4 be resolved in the councils of ! a Demo
cratic Administration, if to inaugurat'
such one be as [ trust it is possible Ii
such an event the exigencies OF the time
and the occasion will give sufficient in
struction 10 iudicious statesmen, laborins
i to promote the purity of the Government
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