Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-01-12


ordeal of the last three years, TO make or &C
I oept peace upon any other than honorable
terms, or without the promise Of permanent
adjustment and endurance We cannot ne
I gotiate with rebels in arms, or admit OF any
thing from them but unconditional surrender
and submission Much We an pardon to the
masses Of the people, but the leaders must
/ reap OF lhe harvest they have sown. The
| past has its punishments that may be mitigat
cd or fOrgiven but the future must have full
and ample security.
1t is simple folly to talk of suppressing this
rebellion and restoring the unity Of the c0un-
| uy without first subjugaung the military power
of the Confederacy, or relieving the people OF
the seeding States from its controlling nilu
ence--and in many cases, oppression, Il
does not follow that the destruction Of the
military power OF the South is the subjuga-
tlon Of the people. In many cases it will
( prove their enfranchsement There is n loyal
sentiment and population in nearly, il not
quite all the Southern States Where too
strong or too open in its manifestations the
military power has essayed, by every possible
means to keep it in Gubjection. Men holding
and expressing loyal sentiments have been
| fined, imprisoned, hunted into the forest and
mountains; aud many Of them suffered death,
while their families have been impoverished
and ruined Political acknowledging
men, who had secretly plotted the overthrow
of our Governmenl-led few-but actually
forced q uajority OF thu Southern States into
secession and rebellion-and the military
power now holds them there.
| Future history will record that, perhaps
with two exceptions, the ordinance of seces
sion would not have been carried in any Of
the seeding States, il the people could have
been permitted fair, uncontrolled election,
| by ballot, upon it, But they were overwheln-
ed by fraud and iorce--and then they we're
told, according to the improved theory of
State Rights that whenever majority Of
State had resolved to commit treason, the
minority were bound not only to submit, but
to share the sin and shame Those whom
argument failed to convince, the military des
| po ism has senced, for the time being.
| There has been great deal said about the
North seeking TO subugate the South. We
have sought nothing OF the kind The politi
cal and military leaders of this rebellion il is
who have subiugated the people Of the South.
ern States, trampled upon their political rights
and involved them IN the crime of treason,
with its accompaniment OF civ war. The
tr iumph of the Northern armies, and the re-
storalion OF the old Government, is, in truth,
the deliyerance OF the people of the South.a and
they will 50 hail it hereafter
There are but two ways in which the restor-
alton OF peace and the Union is to be accom-
plishedi-f the unconditional surrender of
the leaders, and the abandonment OF the re-
bellion;-or second, the continued progress
aud conquests Of our arms, until the military
power OF the Confederacy is broken, aud the
heart of the rebellion crushed. All lintermed- (
late plans or schemes are merely palliatves, /.
that, like our compromises Of the past fifty
years, will only serve 10 procrastinate existing
evils; restoring peace that will require con
slant wRtchfulness and CONCESSIONS and pros.
perity that will he dependent upon almost an.
nuHl sacrifices to avoid future demands aud
instructions. In view of the psrmauence OF
our Government aud the integrity of our Union
there is no such thing as compromise with re-,
bells in arms against both Turn from it as
we may, the great truth is apparent to every
reasoning mind, thai submission or subugn.
ton for the leaders OF this rebellion, are the
only effective means Of restoring peace and
good government
The FIRST of ssthese Is not likely to occur in
the present posture of affairs; nor as long AS
hope, however blind or unreasonable, will serve
to shield from despair the fortunes of the civil
and military heads of the rebellion. The sec.
ond, therefore, constitutes our only certain
means of success. In its progress to this end,
our gallant army has n two fold mission to
fulfil The first is 10 press back step by step,
II necessary, the military power of the Conied-
eracy from the usurped soil of tho reding
States aud eventually to subdue that power,
aud bring it to terms OF peace. The second,
to develop the principle Of loyalty in the re-
lieved people, and protect them in its exer-
cises and enjoyment, while they restore the
civil functions of their State Governments,
and unite them again with their sister States
under the provisions Of the National Const-
tuition.
1t iS objected, perhaps, that the loyal peo.
pie Of the South are too few in Numbers to
assume or to be trusted with the powers of
the State Governments A fair test will de-
monstrste this assumption to be unwarranled.
In addition TO the large body who, in almost
every Southern State opposed the ordinances
of secession, many thousands have been con
verted by the progress, and many thousands
more will be released and flock to the stand
ard upon the suppression of the rebellion, and
the subjugation of its military power. The
lessons of privation, suffering and misery en-
tailed upon the people Of the South by the
wicked leaders in this war wi II suffice, at least,
for the present generation; and with whole /
some and banheeut government again restor-
ed to loyal or repentant people, will live in
history as warning 10 future generations not
slightly to put in peril of destruction such a
form OF Government, at the command of wick.
ed and unprinciped leaders, ONLY for the es.
Enlistment OF an oligarchy in its stead, with
nothing but civil war as lis means, and des.
potiam as its result Bat the loyal people of
the Southern States, bs they few or many, can
alone be pntrustel with this eraat v,,rl. al ,o