Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-08-04

They mean to Eight for it, and they will
fight for it to the last. They have never
yet given the slightest sign of abatlng
their claim, and they only utter the abb
solute truth when they say they never will.
The very spirit of the arch-rebel himself
possesses them. They have an untama-
BILE lust of power, and would sooner reign
in hell than serve in Heaven An Eng
lish correspondent in Richmond, as he re-
ports, recently asked jeff. Davis when
this war would close? Putting his hand
on his little sons head, the rebel replies ::
"Not till this boy becomes an old man"
Edmund Kirke who went with Col. JAG
ques to Richmond. as he writes to to the
Boston Transcript, was told by JEFF. Da-
Wis week ago yesterday: This war
must 90 on till the last of this generation
falls in his tracks, and bis children seize
his musket and fight our battle, unless
you acknowledge our right to self-gov-
eminent. We are not fighting for Sla-
very. We are fighting for INDEPENDENCE
and that or determination we wiR haze"
1t is weakness to doubt that the rebel ru-
Ter, in declaring these three things, spoke
his fixed purpose. All of his past histo-
ry shows him to be n man who means
what he says and no rebel of his mould
ever took backward steps.
Independence jeff. Davis cannot have.
Here and there is creature in the North
who would yield it, but the great body of
the Northern people are incapable of any
such treachery to their fathers and to
their children, With only that alterna-
tive before them, they will fight this war
for years, and, if need be, until the ex-
termination of which the rebel chief talks
is made dire reality. At whatever cost
to this generation, this Republic. which
wars made for centuries and ages, shall
be saved.
How then is peace attainable? In two
ways. BY separate State action in the
South, or by conquest.
Peace is to be attained by separate
State action through the power of the
people We arc now having practical
illustration of the process in North Car
olina. A Governor is to be elected in
that State next month. Two candidates
are before the people Governor Vance,
the present incumbent, and w. c. Hol-
den. The former of these is an adherent
of the Richmond Government, willing to
stand by its fortunes to the last. The
latter is an enemy to that Government,
and is pledged, if elected, to call con-
venton to sever all connection with it
The last accounts make it seem very pro-
bablo that he may be elected. There are
two tremendous motives operating to pro-
duce this result First, the general fall
ing condition of the "Confederacy, which
is becoming evident, in spite of all mis-
representations. Second, the fact. staring
the people of North Carolina full in the
face, that when Lee is driven from Vir-
GINA he will fall back into their State,
and, if once allowed foothold there, will
make it the same terrible scene of desola-
ton Virginia now is. The only way to
prevent this is for n sovereign convention
of the State to assemble, to declare the
State no longer member of the Con
federacy," to call home its forty or fifty
thousand soldiers to protect the State,
and to ask the Federal Government to as
sist in that work. This request would
be met with ready and liberal spirit
Gov. Holden if SO elected, would have
but to utter the first syllable of such a
solicitation to insure from the Northern
people special army of a hundred thou
sand volunteers, il they were needed, to
defend the old North State from Soon
fcdcrate" invasion. Northern men would
leap to her deliverancc, as brother leaps to
the rescue of brother. Such action upon
the part of North Carolina would bring
out a show of national good will that
would make an instant end of every mis-
conception and ill-fceling. and would put
the State back into the Union with hard
ly an effort. Every question of dispute
would melt to nothing, every difficulty
would vanish. What the people of North
Carolina can now do so easily, if they
but will, the people of any other Southern
State can do. They simply have to quit
the rebel flag. to be hailed as fellow-en-
emcs of the Richmond usurpation, and
to be welcomed back as fellow partners
in all our countless national blessings.
Peace, so far as there is no such vol
untary action by the Southern people, is
to be attained by conquest, in precisely
the same way that it has been already Sc
cured in Tennessee. in Louisiana, and in
Arkansas What has been effected in
the past demonstrates what can be effec-
ted in the future. 1t may cost a great
deal more of blood and of money, great
deal more of sacrifice and of suffering in
every form, but the only possible end
must be an utter powerlessness on the
part of the Southern people to resist lon
ger. We pray to heaven that no such
extremity shall come but it is as inev-
table as fate. if the Southern people per-
sist in casting their lot with the despera-
ton of JEFF. Davis. If the Southern
people will not give us peace as their fell
low-countrymen, we shall secure it as
their conquerors. We know this is not
gracious language But it is naked
fact. If the salvation of this Republic
is to depend upon the humiliation of its
enemies. if the word which JEFF. Davis
has spoken is to be the accepted device of
the Southern people, then the war shall
come to that, and the sword shall thus
cleave the way to security and peace.
Our faith is that the Southern people
will refuse to follow JEFF. Davis much
longer in his mad career. 1t does not
seem to us possible that they can keep up
their rebel spirit in the face Of such cam
paigns as that of Sherman's-in the face
of such immense reinforcements to our
armies as the last draft will secure--in
the face Of such an expression Of unyiel-
ding determination Of the Northern peo-