The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1864-06-09
Questions and Answers.

Questions and Answers.
The Republican last week asked us the
following questions, viz: do you not
believe that the rebels, men, women and
children will have to be totally annihilated
before they can be subjugatedy And are
you not in favor Of acknowledging their
independence at once ~
To the first Of the above questions we
answer no, so far as the women and chill
dren are concerned, but as to those capa-
bic of bearing arms, We do not believe that
under present policies of the Federal adj
ministration they can ever be subjugated.
With three years and half of relentless
warfare, urged with all the ferocity Of
barbarism, so far from being subjugated
they are moro thoroughly united in their de-
termination to resist the Federal armies
than they have ever been before This
result was foreseen by democrats and the
patriotic conservative portion Of the re-
publican party from the beginning. 1t
was this knowledge that caused Congress
in July, 1861, to adopt the Crittenden
Resolution, and the correctness of which
even President Lincoln, as late as the
middle of September following, acknowl-
edged The cause Of the absolute unanim-
ity of sentiment in the rebellious States
adverse to return to the Union, is owing
in no small degree to the radical measures
inaugurated by the administration. There
have been times since the commencement
of the war when if terms Of amnesty and
reunion in accordance with the usages of
civilized and christian nations, had heen
offered them, the rebels would have laid
down their arms and returned to their al
legiance, and it is yet even possible that
they would do SO provided an assurance
were given them that their persons and
rights as individuals and as States under
the Constitution would be protected by the
Government, but so long as a felon's death
and the confiscation Of their property arc
the only terms offered them, what worse
pray, will it be for them to fight on to the
last, even with the prospect Of failure =
They can only die, and their property be
confscated and their wives and little ones
reduced to beggary in either event.
Would any brave man ignobly yield his
all, all that is dear to himself or to those
dearest on earth to him,-as long "a it IS
in his mower to resist
In answer to the Republicans secoad
question, We say, that depends upon the
policy to be hereafter pursued. If exist
ing policies are to be continued we say
yes; If they are to be allowed to return
upon the laying down of their arms and
yielding obedience to the Constitution,
and when returned, they are to be permit
ted to enjoy the rights guaranteed them
by that instrument, We say that VIC are not
in favor of acknowledging their indepen-
dence. The reason why We entertain these
preferences is that, we do not believe it
either wise, humane, or christian to 90 on
numbering people and desolating their
country only to carry out the insane idea
of fanaticism, without the least hope in
the world of succeeding in making them
our friends and orderly fellow citizens by
this process, but if they were offered just
and christian terms We still think they
might possibly return, and under just
Government learn, in time, to forget the
bitterness and folly ofthe present