The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1864-05-05

L. 7
Lincoln was elected, and after the prclimi
nary steps for secession had beed taken
tie paper having the largest circulation o
any in the Republican PARTY and havin,
more influence than any other in the for
nation Of Republican opinion, declared
that it could see no reason why. if thre.
millions OF coicn;sts could separate fromth,
British Grown in 1916, that i've millions
OF Southerners could not separate from u:
in 1851.
have been IS much puzzled as the dis
,tinguished Republican editor, ,lr Greeley
TO find. looking at it as a Revolutionary
right, the difference in position. Ought
We to shrink from the application Of doe
trine to ourselves which We have been vii
! ling to apply to other nations, such as AUS
tria, Russia and Spain? il wc do. what
VIII be the judgment Of impartial history:
low much better il would have been Tor
Ia, and ior the cause cf Democracy
throughout the globe What splendid
tribute ii would have been to republican
goycrnmon; II We had parted III peace with
our dissatisfied SISTER States. as .'ir. Ever
cit recommended rs late as February.
1861, sustained by such leading Repudi;-
can journals rs the Cincinnati Commercial.
New York Tribune, indianapolis Journal,
Chicago Tribune, New Haven, (Connceti-
cut Palladium, Columbus Journal. and
Salmon L. Chase, nov Secretary CT the
Treasury. aud many others Of that school
v Whatin mo,iarchical countries had rcquir-
ed a long ana bloody war, would have been
accomplished by Democratic principles and
republican, sense What a splendid proof
it would have aferded of the capacity Of
the people iior self government.
Whai & valuable lesson 1t would have
convcved to The whole civilized world
The iact tha. we could rise superior to all
prejudice> and passions, and to have con
cuered ourselves. would have hecn The
highest triumph that we had ever achieved
regret as much. a.r. Chairman. as any
gentleman upon this .oor. that any OF our
sister States should have desired to cut
asun,ler the ligainents has bound them to
Us. None wo.i.i be more wiling than ny
self to make any reasonable sacrlhce 10
induce them to return totise:r partnership
with us; Lut still recogniz n the truth OF
The doctri:c iyneit hy tic taihers oi the
Republic aai So .air'y expressed By Nr.
John Ouincv .Ndg.ns. tiaa cur gorerlmens
was. after al. In Tic ;'ears. /; wo0'd bc
better. severe IS w,ei be the pane cl re
erct. to part =. friendship rather than
hold sovereign atatca pinned ID Il; by The
bavonet ~ tLr. Greeley expire seoi i in
1861. What advance have We made in the
science and principles + free government,
Nr. Chairman, ii Nc cannot oe above the
.Austro B,lSsian principle 81 holding sub
icct provinces by ihc lower of force and
coercion. What become ot he Deelara-
ton cf independence. af al oar teach
.ngs ior cigh.y years.
After all. ~. Chairman. it i not the ex-
tent of territory which shouh be the OBJ
iect OF our dcsires. Better sacrifice even
nine ten.hs OF the territory ,han destroy
our reaublican firm Of government =
What oar people desired in 1863, and
which | honorci. tAough regarded as
un,hal.cn, was ihc preservation Of the
government and the retention oi our ju-
risdiction over :he whole territory. They
are rightly wiling to sacrifice every mate
rial consideration ior that purpose. i-and
IS no!hiug. Mr Chairman, composed to
liberty. We existed as . Rcpu5lc when
the mouth Of the Mississippi VS. held by
4 foreign power. when We had nothing
west ef that river. when florida was neid
aeainst us; and We couid exist aea:n ii ny
the chastiscmcnt Of heaven We should be
crr.ailcd to our oil territorial dimensions.
inr fifteen millions of dollars We pur-
cbosod the y hole OF that immense territory,
md yere i a hu'.dred thousand times as
valuable lis prescription would not oe
w,rtb orr admirable foi ~ of government.
Pride OF territorial ambition Is yui@ar ana
low form OF national ;srcatnrSS I'a,sa aiiu
even China can even we with "Fih ''1"',
but who would not rather reside - Que ol
the Contons Of Switzerland. or il Glta'
;,ritian. than in those countries. 1t Is not
in the extent of territory that we possess,
but in the manner in which we govern It,
that renders us respectable. Many gen
tleman seem rather to look at the quantity
than the quality.
Ali republics have been da troyed by
the thirst OF territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
and Che lust Of conquest. ihe great OBJECT
of..nr government should be to develop
and cultivate the internal resources oi
those friendly to its jurisdiction, rather
than TO extend it over hostile and foreign
nconle It is in that character that true
rairiotism is 10 be cultivated and true ma
tiopal glory found. Especially should all
renublics cultivate the arts OF peace, since
it is by the war power that Tree govern
mcnts are commonly overturned. The
CHARGE has been made that Democracy Is IS
turbulent. warlko and aggressive; nus IL
il is terrible misconception oi It's i','c'-
ests, for upon the people fall the aw'al ca.
lamitics of armed collisions. IN eminent
poet has said-Lord Byron-ihaf war was
a game which, if the people were w'Sc'
kings and princes would never play at 1t,
The venerable DR.. Franklin, at the Ct, close
Of his illnstrious career, remarked: INA,
there was never a good war nor oad
peace" H.
We have made, Mr.. Chairman, by the
war, eight millions of bitter enemies upon
M