Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-08-17
From the New fork Post
The Lesson Of Chambersburg.

The Lesson Of ChamDersDurs'
Some of our contemporaries taunt the
Pennsylvanians upon the burning Oh
Chambersburg by the belswith assertions
that it is their fault for not having SUI
fcient militia force organized to resist the
enemy. We do not concur in their visW'
We believe, of course, that PennsylVania'as
well as New York and other States, ought
to have in readiness military force; We
think the neglect of militia drill in the
| free States great mistake. But Cham
bersburg might have been burned BY the
rebels, even If the militia of Pennsylys-
mia had been perfectly drilled.
We see another, and even more impor-
tant lesson in this sad affair, BY which
town of five thousand inhabitants Is sud
delv blotted from the map, and its people
forced to fly for their lives, leaving to de-
struction all their property. what mas
happened to Chambersburg viii some
day hsbpsn to Pittsburg. The fate OF this
town of five thousand people will De
shared by many border cities OF hfty
or hundred or two hundred thousand
If we do not crush out the rebellion. Al
ready Cincinnati has been threstsnsd'
twice. Louisville twice, Nashville twice.
st. Louis once. Already many Thousands
of dollars have been spent in defences Tor
these cities, and still they are not safe
from attack. How many millions would
IT cost to erect defences along our whole
border? How many years would be need
ed to complete themf How many nun
drsd thousand soldiers would be required
to guard tnemf
And without such defenses, without
a Chinese wall to separate Us from the
south, does any one believe the border
land would be safe or habitable IN casa
the rebels triumph and their Confsderacy
is acknowledged What security Is thers
> against the repetition of such raids as
: Early's and Breckinridge's, FORESTS
Morosns q and Quantreu,si What farmer
" of Penn,vlyanis, or Ohio, or Illinois or
Missouri, could sleep in peace, could plant
his corn. or SOW his wheat, or herd his cat
= tie. with a reasonable hope Of reaping the
fru;t Of his laborsi Our whole border line
= for fifteen hundred miles would be sup)ec'
daily or nightly to massacre and ROBBERY
!, ON the slightest prstsxt.
For remember, these southern gentle
: men have slaves to toll for them' tnelf
:, own bread is secure, they are idlers, ,toray
= across the border wolud be as much sport
= for them as it was in the last century TO
Rob Row and his clansmen' They would
n n like nothing better than to harry the
:. Yankees; and they would always be ao'e
:. - to raise company,a a regiment brigade
- a division, for such an expedition.
= But it will be said, We should punish
them for such outrages; the United
NJ States government would still be power
. ful enough to command aad enforce
rsspect. That is just where We should
make a fatal mistake. The Confederaey
" i NOW weaker than it will ever be again
VI The power, the means, the prestige OF
the slayeholders are all nearly broken
IF now we are uuable to beat them;
now we give up the contest, if now W
permit ourselves to fail they will nevel
fear US hereafter; they will know the.
-, may do nearly what they please sgslns
~ us without fear For they..will say; W
whipped the Yankees when we were Tn
: weakest, and they will never dare attsci
~, Us again. :,
But, the reader replies, they Woui'
' make a great mistake-they would dra'
down destruction upon their heads
- thew would act upon any such theory; "
should 90 to war, annihilate their powe
,ha If it costs US every cent and every lIfe.-
,,n Now this is true-but why is it not bette
and cheaper to "make one job OF IT,
70 do that now which is easier now tha
IL will ever be again, and which yet
now failf Two nations cannot h'
peaceably together within the bounds
:, this Union; we must crush the rebelllo
now. or we shall have interminable vi
, unon the border, till another and mo
- enduring generation undertakes the on
measures which can restore permane
peace to the country. That is the less
ma of Chambersburg.