The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-19
II OF THE NEW YORK PRESS,
WHAT ~ AN HoNORARLE PEACE.


Prom ns SYs1As.
"An honorable peace" Is becoming pct phrase
OF the Copperhoads. II figures constantly 10 their
party organs, aud Is finding place In all their
party platforms. The Copperhcad State Couven-
tion of Maine, just held, took pains to inlay It in
three successive resolutions. They resolved that
" the Only hope Of securing an honorable peace
is by txpelllug the present corrupt, imbecie, and
revolutionary Administration !" that "thc Ad-
minlstration IA mantle silly incapable Of negotiating
an honorable peace" and that they arc in favor
Otan honorable peace at the earliest practicable
momeut." 1t is high time TO understand what
shis qualifying term " honorable" means.
The man would he accounted an Imbecile who
ehould talk OF an honorable peace with the high
waymAn whose pistol was at his heart, or with
nc inc ndlary whose torch was at his roof. II
be did not choose TO fight, he might parley, and
induce his enemy TO hold off by consentng 10 all
demands. But Il would be absurd 20 style a
deliveTance thus Obtained an honorable peace
IL might I've necessity, but it would be humili-
.atiDg one at best. In meeting the violence of
scutiaws the question Is not how to save your
VhonOr, but how 10 save your life.
You may buy off the villains by surrender Of
eyour property, If you do not like to play the man
Aby sell. defense; but the moment you begin TO
pirate about your honor, you make yourself not
Nsimpy q coward, but a fool. An honorable
hpeace prc.supposes a respectable cause or at
Uiebs' Respectable color OF n cause Tor the war,
hPr respectable standing In the parties to IT, II
Em 70 hard bargain for one of these parties,
tag D whom the fortune of tie war has turn ed
~, necessarily implies II not equal power on
~ des, at least an equal status.
\. war with the selfstyled Southern Con-
Ye cy" has been prosecuted by our Govern
Hnt pm che sole ground that this organization
fEh~ Rebellion, pure aud simple. President
.ncoln, as the head Of the Government, has been
$ghtiug traitors banded to destroy tho Govern
fnent which he had sworn TO defend and preserve.
fhll the supporters of the Government have recog-
hised that there could BE- no peace with these
yrnitors but in their submission to the Govern
Fneut, or else In their absolute Independence.
dhat has been the only real issue in the war.
n The Government could know no other, for It's
BTst duty Is the maintenance of its constitutional
kuthcrity, which Is It's vital essence. IL Is this
{Hldne which has made Its prosecution Of the war
Fright. II Is this alone which has made the 10
distance OF the Rebels wrong. The Government
Ns not fighting for its honor, but for its life. The
Iiebes arc not fighting for their honor but TO bo
Nlet alone in their crime. The only truly
\ memorable peace" possible must como from
Bindication Of vital authority on the one side,
Eaud submission to constitutional duty on tho
btheT.
n The Copperheads do not claim that thore Is
Nny way Of concentrating this Vindication and
Ihis submission but through force and because
Ehcy are no longer In favor Of force, they nov
habiluaiy avoid all sllus0n 70 either the vindi-
fatioa of authority or tho duty of submission.
Ehey have dropped the word Rebellion altogether.
III n tuef6 nlhlut IoSOluuOub NOT Lnb TeLnOWst
L killing II given that the war Is one between the
j Overnment and a Rebellion. The Qatjonsl
I cubic Is styled simply "a fratricidal ScAlam-
us war, the result of the political asccndsncy in
)wer OF fsnatical factions aud eXtremists"-im-
\ !ying that there Is wrong, and a similar wrong,
w both parties to the wsr.
n instead of presenting the struggle as one be-
Vueen a caueelcss revolt and n Government
compelled TO defend its authority and its life,
vhe two sides are plt IN the same category, aud
pested as entirely equal. The term honorable
,Eeace," in the mouths of Copperheads, must
mean something else then than what the phrase
Sonveys " national man who believes in the
supremacy of the National Government We
have yet to learn what this something else Is,
lnless It be the peace of national death-the peace
Which the assassin grants his victim.
II Is certain that the men with whom we are at
WAR declared their independence of the Govern
tnept before blow WAS struck at them and it is
tust as certain that up to this hour they have not
hbated that declaration ono ota. The most recent
btterances ofJef. Davis and ofthe Rebel Congress
vave been as decided and as emphatic rs ever for
p continuance of The war until the independence
.Sf the "Confederacy" Is knowledged. THO last
popular election held within the limits of the Re
beIlion, though it took place in North Carolina
(Which has always been deemed the least disloyal
State OF the South, developed an overwhelming
Inajority for Governor Vance, who was pledged
10 the support os Confederate independence.
i The Rebels, universally, both leaders and
people, recognise no peace possible, but either
That of unqualified Independence or that of un-
HuaifCd submission 10 the Federal Government
They understand the original issue, and the iu-
Irritable sequences of the war too well 70 think
bf the possibility OF anything else. Not even their
tDxiety 20 further the interests OF the Copper
beads eau induce any of them, except the msor-
hbe squad on the Canada border, to pretend
There is any chanOe for compromise. With
nanliuess worthy OF better cause, they
IDLY refuse 20 lend themselves to such despi-
ie decOys as this party phrase of an "honor-
c peace" They have but one idea OF an
R.lornbie peace aud that is the destruction of