Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-12-08
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1864.
WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR

We are glad to observe that many among the
most influential journals of the Republican press
continue to recur to the first principles" Of the
great struggle in which the nation is engaged with
sn armed sedition. After promising that the con-
tinuance of this war, with all its terrible work,
day beyond an actual necessity, would be the most
enormous Of crimes, the New York Times justly
holds that 1t is of supreme moment to both sides
t, know just what constitutes this necessity and
Just where it will ccase." While Northern opin-
ions and Southern opinions widely differ on these
points, this difference, it thinks is not broad as
is sometimes represented, since "a great many fig
ments and great many non-essertials have been
constantly wrapped about the real issue" Aimifg
to strip these DISCUSSES from the "pith of the
matter at issue between the North and the
South" our contemporary, in answer to the ques-
tion "What is the North lighting for?" holds the
following language:
"The Southern have been made TO believe that
ths North has fighting to destroy slavery to overthrow
State rights and to and degrade Southern whites
All this is false The North though it may destroy slay
cry in wagng war; does not wage to destroy slavery
There is nothing about slavery that would prevent the
North from making peace tomorrow II 1T could 1t is
quite willing to leave the whole disposal of that to
future peaceful and constitutional action. In form
degree is the adherence of the South to slavery part of
our casus bei.
aNor do fight to overthrow State rghts The North
still for maintaining to the last ota every right reserved
to the States BY the Constitution. We want consoi
dated Government and would tolerate none So far as
respects verabe Constitutional State rights make
quarrel with the South
"Nor do fight subdue grade the Southern people
We want them fellow. citizens, not subjects
We would share equally with them every constitutional
fight and privilege We ask nothing inconsistent with
honor with Understanding but what their fathers and
fathers deemed their greatest advantage and their
highest glory
"The North is fighting purely and simply to the
unity OF the nation 1t has absolute assurance that this
unity indispensable to the continuance OF free and good
government this contnent-that without it there will
be ceaseess conflict which will be forever exhausrg the
and draining the blood of both regions until ell
ends in chaos 1t in sometimes eaid that fighting
for the supremacy of the Constitution. But the supre
macy of the Constitution is not ultimate end Iudeed,
the Constitution is end at sl but simply instrument
for securing the end which end is the perpeuaon OF the
Republic Our only OBJ ect 10 keep the nation unbroken
That object secured there is no domestic controversy
whether relating to the Constitution not, which may not
be peacefully settled That ect abandoned strife must
reign till all goes down in ruin
The Times also has an answer to the question,
"What is the South fighting for?" 1t says that
there is prevalent opinion in the North that the
Southern people are fighting for slavery, but this
opinion, it thinks, is erroneous. "Though pas
sion for slavery was the immediate occasion of the
war; it does not now sustain the war" IL adds :
''The South would buy triumph tomorrow. if it could,
BY complete sacrifice of slavery. IL would not now
yield though il could take bond OF fate that by yield
ing it could rave slavery What jeff Davis told Col
jacques in his confidential interview is perfectly true
that slavery had nothing to do with the war and that
the only question now involved is the question oi Southern
independence that ia TO say the independence OF the
sConfederacy Mr.. Ale xander II. Stephens in his let
ter which published yesterday, treats the ultimate
of tha tha
issue. So does Mr.. Hisrd He says that the great
object which the South seeks to accomplish to establish
the right Of each State to decide Independently its own
political system and to determine for itself the relations
which it will hold with other Sts!es. MIR. Boyce ssye in
his speech that independence and sovereignty Of the
States is the great principle without which we could not
carry the war Even Mr.. Leach, Of North Carolina,
who're resolutions to the rebel Congress we publish this
morning. and who is by far the most advanced peace man
in Southern public life, talks Of peace agreed to by
commissioners appointed by the respective Govern
nentp which will il clude least 10 the frat stage
recognition OF Confederate pendeDce by the States
acting 10 their socsTeign aud Independent character
JET Davis and hs opponents OF every shade that the sole
object of the South TO vndicate and forever establish
State independence and sovereignty 1t precise that
for which The South is ghtngexactly the converse Of
this national principle for which the North Is lighting
It will thus be seen that these views exclude
the status of slavery from the ultimate issues OF
either party to the present war. The North, says
the Ilnesy "ls not HRhJiuB W uesSIoy siSVciyj
and the South is not fighting to preserve slavery,
as there is no doubt that cit would buy triumph
tomorrow, if it could, by complete sacrifice OF
slavery" If these views are just, what commen'
tary they offer on the delusions cherished by two
classes of zealots one at the South aud the other
at the North The zeaot, of slavery at the South
precipitated the issue of disunion in the hope o.
building Republic based on the cornerstone o
domestic servitude To-day they would sacrifice
slavery to win their political independence Tn,
aut-slavery zealots at the North have steadily in
sisted that if slavery could be destroyed the Unoi
would restore itself, the only element Of division
between the North and the South would be elimi
nated and the hearts Of the people in both sections
would flow together like kindred drops of water
The drift of events has sufficiently showed the fal
lacy OF such hopes. After slavery shall have ceas
ed to be an issue between the National Governmen
and the insurgents the antagonistic principles OF Sc
cession and Of national unity confront each othe
none the less The strength expended on = sid
issue" will be only so much strength lost to tn
great paramount issue which will still remain un
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