New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-10-13
LITTLE TO CHOOSE.

Inc ingenious gentleman VINO "filo ePiSlicS
| from New-York to The London Times, is oblig.
ing enough to say, in his last printed production,
that it makes no difference AZ all whether Abra-
ham Lincoln or George b. Mcclellan shall be
elected. Given Abraham according 10 this
scrbbing JEREMIAH and we have " fire, sword
abolition of Slavery, ard determination Of the
white people" Given George, and we have
concession TO tie Rebels "of everything they
can claim except independence" Failing this,
George must make peace" or go on with 1.-THE
fire, sword, abolition Of Slavery. and extermina-
ton Of the white people Altogether, the
coming events which cast their shadows before
the eyes of this seer are not Of Il mirthiul char
scter, VIC mean to US, whatever they may be TO
him.
What strikes one the hardest in the proenosti-
cations of this sccond-sighted sage, is his dis
covery that nc actually mean to put down the
Rebellion by " fire, sword, abolition Of Slavery.
and the determination of the white people
Great have been the belligerent inventions OF
our ingenious age; wonderful are our guns,
bombs. torpedoes and six-shoOters, monitors,
ron-clads, and what-not, but has this amlable
correspondent discovered any way, after all, of
waging war without " fire and sword" We
are profoundly Of the conviction that in carry.
ing on hostilities it is extremely necessary to
kill people and to destroy the eemy's property;
belligerents have not yet come to spirtng rose
water at each other through great syringes.
Tho II ain moral point t. be settled Is, whether
we shall fight at all, and, that adjusted in the
affirmative 4" fire and sword" follow as q matter
of course. As to the determination OF white
people," We beg leave to indicate, that If white
people" will get within range Of guns
which 1t is positively necessary for our safety
that NC should discharge, 1t Is not
our fault, no matter how many Of
them may be eXterninated." All war is more
or less DETERMINATION" aud that side which
" exterminates" most thoroughly, is usually
presented with the laurels. But in the present
case, we would remind this sensitive Observer
that q mere handful OF shareholders have done
far more toward oStermnoting the southern
white people than we have, for they have
dragged thousands upon thousands Of poor
whites te the battlefield aud 10 death, who had
no earthly interest in this quarrel, who owned
no slaves, who were themselves halfslaves.
who were dragooned. and pressed, and intimi-
dated. 1T the pistol point, into this service, and
forced to fight in cause, the success Of which
could only confirm their semi-vsssalnge and
social ncapacitiea. For u class like this there
is no hope, except in chat other wickedness,
"the abolition of slaYery." In comparison
with the misery which that institution has IL
hictcd upon " the white people, I'VE are inclined
to believe that their determination" long ago
would have been preferable fortune.
If the genius Of England has ever discovered
any method Of quashng q rebellion without The
aid Of fire and sword" IL has been slow
enough in profting by It's good luck. 4" Fire
and sword, to say nothing of - determination"
we're only yesterday employed with heroic alsc-
rityn India, and little more than half a century
ago ia Ireland. Arc We wrongi o. Is Mr..
Biglow right, when he says OF England:
She don't pm, down rsse!lion., le.. can bro-i
An . cler, w!liln' ireland should .eceie,
She's al thcts honest, honnablc. an fair.
aul when tho ysrtoos died, they made hes ha'f."
Whether from association with them, or
through having become the coniidan:o Of their
secrets, this Tines correspondent seems 20 IN
derstand the Mcclellan impolicy thoroughly.
He tells Us. as the result OF his observations,
that the Chicago.cs would "rcstore the Union
BY Offering the South everything it claims, or
can claim. except independence Ii this enol-
hent generosity should fail, Mcclellan will be
compelled "to make peace or 30 on fighting"
until one party or the other is exhausted. Now,
il seems to us that "go on fighting is moet
unfortunate phase to us in connection with the
probable policy Of u warrior, not especially
inclined TO "go on" whatever may BIO the
other martial virtues possessed by him. The
chief fault which has been found with this Gen.
eral is that ho was more ready to 60 OF than to
"go on" BE this trno or not, it has already
been officially, or half officially announced that,
If Gen. Mcclellan should be elected, the country
isto pass under the muliitudnous thumbs OF the
Chicago Convention, tho members Of which
have formally assured rs that they prefer nego-
tiaton. compromise, an armistice-anything,
Ia short bV, GShtin2, which they pine