Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-12-23

a sESsIBLE EDfr9AI o. THE NECESSARY STEPS
TOWARDS rEAcE-THE CONSERVATIVE PEOPLE 10
EFFEcT AZ HONORABLE PLACE.


Undoubtedly The truman mind ias been denied
the gift OF penetrating the murky mists OF the
future for wise purposes. here . \ celebrated
mountain pass ia Switzerland over which the
traveller is conducted blindfolded IL l. said
tba; he would lose biz footing With his reason az
a glimpse Of tue fearful abyss beueaih. In like
mercy God has dealt with the American people
ia having withheld RON them premonlion OF
the whirling maelstrom OF carnage and blood
shed into which they madiy plunged four years
ago
Could the people Of tne late United States have
caught glimpse Of the awful gull that yagned
beneath them, which ike the very genius Of DE
struction. threatened 10 swallow up in rs bloody
nav every interest and memory sacred 20 the
American name. thew would have shrunk from
taking the fearful lea ,, and both sections would
have abated somewhat Of their arrogance, IN
tolera' ce and fanaticsm They would have
sought and found tie means OF reconciliation,
and their conduct towards each Other would have
been characterized by Christian forbearance in
stead Of fanatical intolerance. And so now If
we could see what even the next sixty DAYS have
in store for Us, we might faint in the coniempla
ton. and thus fail 20 work out high destiny.
The war has purpose 1t will accomplish
great good amid great evil. Whether it il the
result Of special Provid' ntial instigaton or not
j, is evident that IL is the result of certain causes
and will not fail to reach certain effects. Among
the FIRST OF these were mutual and unreasonable
vlndlciiveness, elimination. hatred, jealousy
Islander. Each section bent all its mental facul
ties 10 the task of searching out the wickedness
of the other. Their Intercourse WAS devoid Of
all charity Of all fairness and of all magnanim
ity. In the eve of the one no virtue in the 9th
er could be seen They saw numberless notes
in their ne ghbor's eyes. but never could perceive
the immense beams IN their own.
For vcarsSO- v,,nre fho cou~-n n the W.
sections towards each other has been thus char
actcrized. Ia every moral and social point Of
view the Union has been dissolved twenty wears
be fore secession. 1t only held together,
seemingly to accommodate that spirit Of handy
ing epthets which promised to fan the flames Of
discord into general conhagraton and thus II
pen both sides for the impending crash
The North Was the first and the most pertina-
cious aggressor. aud therefore is the greater sin
ner OF the two; but it is needless TO deny that
the South met those aggressiOns in a spirit calcu
lated not to assuage but TO pour oil on the 3s
siOnate elements and 10 invite the collision The
North frantic: the South was arrogant
The North bullied; the South banterea Slave
~ was the rock that stipwrecked the ship OF
State Both sides betrayed the same eageTue.s
to keep this question ever prominent. Deml-
gOgues at the North rode into office on the anti
slavery hobby demagogues st the South rode
Into Office on the pro-slavery hobby. The two
antagoDiziug elements met a. Washington. and
there commenced the tug 90 war--the war 81
wind. the sure precursor OF tho war OF blows
Meantime the people on both sides were kept
in whirl of .eyerish excitement. They looked
TO Washington for ,heir political pabuum. Their
statesmen GOOD save the marki--taught them
only to hate, and drilled them in the vulgar arts
of billingsgate and bitter invectiye They made
themselves IN reality, the representatives of
wrath. with all their ingeuuity and power man
opolized in the one idea of spreading the flames
of dscord and ripening the minds of their con
stituents for the final catastrophe.
Thus our political cauldron fonented for
twenty wears or more. The war was inevitable
AT the time secession was cOnsummated there was
10 earthly way OF avoiding bat by the disgrace
of one section or the other Under all the cir
cumstances the Southern States were right in Sc
/ ceding. The elements of dscord had been
worked to such pitch OF anger that no other
alternative was lett them consistent with their
honor and self respect. They were literally com
PEELED to secede; but when We say this, We do
( not mean 10 have it inferred that they were
gulltess in those things which made secession
unavoidable In this matter they a. well as the
States OF the North. have to shoulder their
, share OF The original sin OF fostering the demon
Of di-cord The var was also necessity 1t
Z was needed to purge cle country OF its iniQuity
bring 10 the surface the monster of greed. ava
rice aud extortion, IN order that. in so FAR as tie
/ affected the State. be might be destroyed
10 was the only sure antioto for the bigoiry.
the arrogance, aud fanaticism which spread over
the land like caukeriug pestence The pco-
pie Of both sides had TO De taught in blood and
! dire adversely lesson which they had refused 10
learn under the benign influences OF peace and
prosperity They have already made great
| q i.
will not stop until they have mustered it most
/ clectually
/ We entertain a solemn conviction that the war
/ will go on until the people OF both sections Of
1 the late United States abate somewhat OF their
/ high pretensions. aud are willing 10 meet each
other upon the great half way ground OF mutual
compromise concession, and Cancellation There
Is no other possible way OF adjusting our Difficult
ties. except IN the dishonor OF one section the
other, and does any sane man, North or Sonth
desfe the consumation Of this dshonogg In the
height OF passion such sentiments undoubtedly
have and DO still prevail Blu, sober reason will
teach the Northern and Southern patriot alike
how suicidal would be such result
The Republicans Of the North are striving FOR
the absolute subjugation and degradation of the
South. Mad fools Do they not know that
submission OH our part is Dot peace There arc
those IA the South who would, ii they could,
eul.NEdit tue NoIlu t0uhuN INSANE anu SNcl
dal inialuation. THerc L. no pe0cs exceDf an
honorable pcace 10 both sides This is the only
peace thar promises permanencv. that Is even
worthy OF the name II Il tue only peace that
cin be Die 20 true patriots
II the South by any possibility Of erwhelm
ing force, could be compelled 90 aCcede 10 a dis
graceful treaty II would require standing army
OF hve hundred thousand men 70 enforce rs re
qu.iemcnts There would be perpetual insurree
ton TO end 40 last in imperial monarchy or per
maueu' military dictatorship
Let 40 man deceive himself There never
can be peace in this country. IT aRs State Is com
pelled 70 re,t under the stigma otdisgrace. Hence
it is thar We must make peace honorable alike
toall The var. therefore must kill iansticsm
bigotry. de-potism. and intolerance on both
sides Before Il ends these lea GEM OF dosirIc
ton ana enemies - COOL government will be
buried deep beneath the ocean OF blood aud
tears which they have caused to be shed to ap
pctse their insatats app, tites; and the good &c
MUS Of conservatism, OF Christian charity and
genuine repubcanism will rice up to govern and
bless the land When this j. done who can say
that the war was not necessary Let ~. hope
that the temper 90 the American people i even
nov nearing that contamination e. deyouuY to
be wished FOR. aud that II vii soon find means 90
making itself known and felt Bevoud all doubt
90 oar opinion, they are willing 10 conclude it
upon terms which will leave the escutoheons of
both governments untaintod with disgrace. and
70 they fail 20 make such peace. it will be at
~>.e