Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-01-30
Proving too Much.

The New York Tribune and In
dianapolis Journal, in the Fall and Win.
terzof 1860, after Mr.. Lincoln's election,
advocated the propriety, in case no other
settlement of disputed questions could
be agreed upon-of letting those States
which were anxious to withdraw from
the. Union "go in peace" They were
opposed to war, even to the extent of
allowing separation. of the States
This separation, however, they insisted
should take place upon the condition
that the matter should be submitted to
vote of the people composing them, az
ter full, free and open discussion
separation itself, and the terms thereof,
to be determined by National Conyen-
ton. In other words, they insisted that
if it was impossible for the people of the
different States toalive together any
longer in harmony, that it was better to
separate peaceably through the instru
mentality Of National Convention,
than to go to war.
This position taken by the Tribune and
Journal in lS6O-a position we took ex-
eeption to at the time-constituted the
principal "stock in trade" of the Demo
Gratis in 1852, and it is evident that they
intend to do business upon the same
capital during the present year.
The State Sentinel says these papers
reflected the views of the party they
represented, with only an occasional ex-
ception; meaning, we suppose, the Re
publican party, which had just been sue
cessful in electing its candidate for
President
We propose to look at this assertion of
the Sentinel, to see if, when examined,
it viii not place that paper and its friends
in an unpleasant dilemma. Suppose we
grant that the Tribune. and Indianapolis
Journal reflected the views of the Re
publican party. That organisation had
Just achieved great triumph at the
polls. Both Houses of Congress and the
National Executive were in its hands.
Now if the Republicans were anxious to
let the rebel States dissolve the Union
rather than fight for the preservation Of
the Union, what occasioued the war2
Whois responsible for all the blood that
has been shed2 The State Sentinel
has, heretofore, charged the Admin
istration with the responsibility OF
the war, and yet it also insists that the
Tribune and Journal reflected the views
of the Republicans when they urged
peace to the extent of permitting dis
olution of the Union. ia ssa
This is but specimen of the absurdi-
ties that are circulated among the peo-
pie to make them dissatisfied with fur
Their prosecution of the war for the per.
petuation of the Union.
We suggest another view of the case
for the consideration of the Sentinel
If the Tribune and Journal were in ia.
yor Of peace at any price, and they rep
resented the views of the Administration
and majority of the Members of Con-
gress, the South was unjustifa-
BILE in commencing hostilities, un-
less she wanted more than sim
pie permission to withdraw from
the Union; for the Republicans we're will
ing, according to its argument, to con-
cede, without fighting, all that they
could possibly accomplish by fighting
that is, simple dissolution of the I'm
ion. If, then, the South was not willing
to withdraw peaceably from the Union,
when those in power were willing they
should do so; if they would be content
with nothing but war-hoping, as they
did, they would be able to seize Wash.
ington and obtain control of the GOV
ernment-whatn nonsense and folly, to call
it by no harsher name, to charge Re
publicans with being responsible for the
war, and asserting that it might have
been avoided had a conciliatory policy
been pursued towards the South.
We show these absurdities with no ex.
pectation of stopping their circulation.
We have no hope of that. The papers
who argue them viii continue to do SO,
so long as they think they can deceive a
solitary voter They rely upon the ig-
noranee of their readers, and seem to
conclude that none of them will discover
the deception practiced upon them.
With the ultra peace men they expect to