Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-01-20

every revolted State without exception. Il
The South has had its victories; it has i
never gained an inch of ground. The c
has had its defeats; it has never fallen {
back Master to-day Of the entire course
of the Mississippi master of the Border
States and of Louisiana, all that remains
is to stihe the revolt in the narrow terri
tory where it first burst forth and back
to which it has been driven. We believe
that you will succeed in this; for Europe,
the only hope for the South, seems now
little disposed to give her aid.
In short, the rebellion IS already re-
duced to such. narrow proportions thar
should it ever become distinct Confeo-
Grafton, accepted as such from WEAKNESS
of war, the Confederacy thus created
will not be born with the functions OF
life. Neither European recognition nor
YOUR own could give it serious chance
of duration. 1t would end in return
to YOU. But we delight to believe the
re establishment of the Union less dis
tant. And, in the presence of that pros
pect which thrills our hearts with Joy,
permit US, your friends, to offer you |
some sincere advice The dangers OF
victory, you are aware, are not less than
those of the combat We give you,
therefore, our loyal, frank opinion, sure
that in the main it will agree with your
own, and feeling, also, that these COM |
munieations between US have an aim
more serious than simple exchange of
words of sympathy.
We hold it to be of the first Importance
that the cause of the war shall not sur
vive the war; that your real foe, slavery,
shall not remain upon the field. We
have often asked ourselves these last
three years, why God permitted the pro
longation of this bloody struggle. Was
it not that the real issue might present
itself with perfect clearness. Conquer
ing earlier, the Federal Government
would perhaps, have been led to make
concessions, to enter anewupon the fatal
path of compromise To-day all eyes,
not willingly blind, see clearly The
New York riot, breaking out at an APP
pointed daY to aid the invasion of Lee,
and falling instantly upon the negro in a
way to show to every witness of its cow
ardly ferocity what kind of spirit ami
mated certain friends of the South-the
New York riot was q supreme warning
to your country. Your line of action is
clearly traced. So long as anything of
slavery remains, there will be cause of
antagonism in the bosom of the Union.
There mnst no longer be any question of
slavery. 1t must be so ordered and set
tied as never to return. An amendment
to the Constitution to this end must be
proposed and adopted before the return
of the States
The condition of the free blacks must
also be secured against the iniquities
which they have so long endured. No
more plans of colonization abroad, nc
more disabling laws, no more inequality
Those whom you have armed, who fought
so bravely before the walls of Port Hud-
son and Fort Wagner, can never be 9th
er than citizens Leave the problem Of
the races to It's own solution-the most
natural solutions are always the best
Under the rule of the common law, the
free blacks of the South and the North
will find their legitimate place in your
society, of which they viii become use
full members, honorable and honored.
In thus ordering in defnitive man
ner all that relates to slavery and thu
colored race you will have done more
than is generally imagined for the last
ing pacifcation of the South VIVA
remains for you to do on this point MAJ
be stated in three words-ModerGtio
Generosity, Liberty.
There can be no question, as you hav,
often said, of an occupation of the South
of conquest of the South, of reducin;
the Southern States to the condition 0
provinces where the conqueror will main
tain his garrisons and the public life vii
be suspended Save the districts We
ravaged by gnerrillas and in the heart @
which the Federal troops must fnis
their work, victory will everywhere brin
with the establishment Of the Union
the re-establishment as promptly as pos
sible of Constitutional rights. You hope
Gentlemen, that those whom you cor
quer to-day viii tomorrow meet you in de
bate, and you will acceptin all their trut
the struggle of the press, of the legisla
tive hall, and of the ballot which vii
replace the strife of the battlefield.
We all feel it is much better that yo1
should have to encounter difficulties fruit
full of liberty, than that you should see
for yourselves the deceitful advantage
of a dictatorial regime. To apply to tn
South an exceptional rule would be
alas, quite easy It would be easy ais
to pronounce the death penalty, to ou
Law, to execute conGscation bills; bu
in treading this pate of vulgar tyrann
youwould sacrifice to things-your hig
renown in the present, lasting unio
d with the South in the future.
But if, on the other hand, you show til
world the novel spectacle of victor
without reprisals, of liberty strong enoug
to survive civil war; if your Constitutio
remain, and slavery alone fall in such
conflict; if on the morrow of the strue
gle the law remains supreme; if election
for the Senate and House CT Represents
tiYes be again open as in the old time,
the representatives Of the Southern State
reappear at Washington, if taking tn
oath to be faithful to the Union and I
support the modified Constitution the
find themselves on a footing of perfeC
equality with the Representatives of th
North, if it be permitted to them to- a
tack and to embarrass the Government
you viii have won the most glor
Gus directories and assured to your coul
try the best chance of prosperity an
greatness Il
Accept, gentlemen, in the advice whic
we tender to you, proof of our esteem
1t is not of every Government, it is ne
of every people, that such things can
asked. Protracted civil wars tend to a
bitrary customs, stir up passions an
hates, and at last engender a develop
ment of military power and irrespons
bic authority which generally hinders
return to control, to free opinion and t
the strict letter of the law. We hone
the United States enough to believe thi
they viii be capable of setting Us thi
too, after so many other examples.
The moderation which We hope fl
from you at home, we look for also frol
you abroad. Assuredly on the MORO
of the submission of the South thel
viii not be wanting class of person
eager to recall to you wrongs. real {
fancied suffered Of Tho h.nas "a 4L;a :