The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-25
TIE TRANsCENDENF ISSUE.

u
-om ne Times.
:, The great decision is to be made two weeks
ON to-day. The fate Of the American Union
= Ill thon be settled. Il Is almost impossible to
Salize that an issue OF such tremendous moment
so close upon u.s. and dependent upon the little
ct Of dropping one bit of paper into the btllotbox
ather than another. We naturally associate the
tettlement of the destiny of great nation
sith mighty conyulsions, or with the long
Operations of some silent influence. 1t is some.
Rlhing new that it should turn on so simple and
rief an act as casting votes between the rising
nd the setting of the sun
This is now the absolute fact in respec. 10 the
Hrandest nationality the world has ever seen.
4 he vote of the Sth of November will settle the
ate of this republic, because 1t will settle
Whether the national principle which holds il
Together is or is not to be maintained. There
Is no way whereby this principle can be main
aimed except by war against Rebels, its enc
nies. The choice lies between giving rule to the
lArty which is for such war, or to the party
(which has declared itself against it, II the
Uormer keeps the rule the war will be ended be-
Bore the next Presidential term expires, in the
complete overthrow of the Rebellion and the set
Element for all ii ue that the Federal Constitution
Is in very truth what it declares itself to be,
8'the supreme law of the land " to be interpreted
&And executed solely by public officers appointed
Binder its own regulations If the latter takes the
Fule, the war will be brought to an immediate
f;Ose, and 1t will be left to civil discussion
Shether actual reputation of the Federal Con-
sttution shall be confirmed, or merely the right
70 repudiate; or, in other words whether the
= Independence of the Confederacy shall be recog-
B1ized, or the Union be reconstructed on Confede-
I tate principles. This is but a minor question:
question of manner rather than of result. Shall
.he Union perish Dy the quick dividing stroke or
6oy deadly agency of slower operationl
n 1t is certain that the Coniederates will not
yretun to the Union under any peace policy,
T without a reserve to themselves of the right of
Future peaceAble secession, Their foremost peace
4 advocates have declared this In the most un-
iyocal terms. There is no possibility of meet
ing the Rebel leaders on peace ground short of
gthat mark. The leaders Of the peace party here
/ in the North themselves acknowledge it, by dis
claiming al right of coercion.
To abandon the war at this stage is to surren-
der that right, and to remit the Government to q
condition of mere trustceship, revocable at any
time at the pleasure of any State. Such IA Gov
eminent has no element of stability. Ii would
quickly meet the fate of our Old confederation,
shaped after the same principle. To adopt 1t,
would be to make the breaking up of the Union
a mere question of time, and would settle our
national fate just as inevitably as if we were to
recognize the Con.edcracy tomorrow.
OF course, the opponents of the present wa
Administration do not generally acknowledge
that any such resultwOud come from their success.
But they do not saywhat result would come from
it. They shun, ms much as possible, all reference to
that matter and devote themselves to assaults upon
1Iehlue0b 1IlnCul1t ana 10 producing ulhCOntent
with the war. Their conduct Of the canvass has
done absolutely nothing to develop whether the
Confederates can be induced to return to the
Union at all by a discontinuance of the war On
that vital point they have nothing to show, and
for the simple reason that there is nothing to
show that would make In their favor.
. Ftither than an Ousling OF President Lincoln
and Cessation Of hOstiltes," they are without
policy or programme. To the clearest demon
stration that the national authority, without
which no nation can live, is at stake, they uni
formly avoid all definite answer. They have
few incoherent generatics about maintaining the
! Union, but not the least scmblance of practical
measure calculated 10 insure il. Party success
is their sole nim Beyond that, they desire moth
ing, seek nothing.
Even II there were definite plans for the
restoration of the Union through peace, they
can rest only On theory, and ought not to bo
trusted There Is a "logC Of CYeats" In great
national juuc'urcs before which all precOnceiyed
designs are nuthiug. The COnfedcrates schemed
to take their Sta'es out of the Union without
serious war. and were sure they would accomplish
1t. But, once practically engaged in the move
ment, they found themselves borne, In spite Of
themselves, into the most terrible war of modern
times.
Every calculation was foiIed, every theory
scattered tolthe wines. Had they fOreseen what
they we're coming 10, they would have wOOed
destruction itset sooner than have uudert ken
this business Of secession. Precisely so will all
Northern theories and plans for restoration Of
the Union by negotiation fail. The peace move
meut once prevailing, il would sweep on, bearing
down every hing in its way, TO any extent OF
disorgan zatiun. Whatever the South demanded
would be yielded 90 them. Even their Con-
fedCr0Cy itself would probably be recognized,
if that were be on alternative 10 tie resumption
of a war which has been pronounced "IAlture.
IL is the height OF presumption for any mRn who
proe6ses 20 be for the Union to trust is fortunes
to what he merely hopes and supp1soi would
result fOm n peace policy. Considering the
almost Infinite interests at stake, we might we'll
call IL an ab, Olute iufaiuatln.
The safety of The Union can be secured only by
maintaining the principle Of national authority.
The Union party alone holds hrm 70 that prn-
ciple; and war is the only nstrumentality by
which il can be yndcated and secured. Shall
the Union party prevail Shall the war he main
tanned These are the questions that will be
determined two weeks from to-day. All that
constitutes the real life of the nation depends on
tba