Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-15

Itssls ass .I.l
/, Russian and Indian dlAcaltSs There mayshave
been wars grander scale IN the days OF Attila,
! o. Gaenghi Khan, O. Timour ; but the achieve
I5ent nt those almost fabulous perSonages no more
I toUCE than when we hear "i 4 mOuntai0 ut To-
| Gusts blown into sea and then washed up Oh Ms
] shore. When the matter is quite out OF our
4 knowledge a million seems no more than hun-
! drcd But we are quite at home in this busipc IS
| hotOre MS. The language Of the men, he familiar
examinations and prchNeS of tNer names, with an
( occasional touch of mother wit thrown IN by the
principal actors, vc soft OF domestic interest 70
| the performance.
America is bearing the palm in at least the mag
nulc of her war, though We still have TO wait for
that marvellous reconciliation that is TO sStouiSh
] the world. Great a. she has been IN peace, aud
great as She has proved herself Ia war, she finds il
not 50 easy to repair the shattered vase. On the
cont rsry the vast misc iei spreads aud, do what
| We WILL we are doomed to see complications rising
4 North and South, on every sea, the Pacific as
well as the Atlantic coast. A great war is apt 10
become uncomfortable, because iilinntable, too
vast for control, with too many issues for tore
\ thought. h rises 10 the scale OF natural convl-
sion, the workings OF which may not be stayed or
ioreseen aud which can only be told when illi
over 10 many a long and sad history. How can We
he sure that some bf these fragments heaped upor
hurled alo0 win not come crushing down On lrs 3
Already commerce and manufacture throb at every
fears Of thousands among us rise aud fall some
new rage eXcteS the American breast or as il
yiel under some touch of grace, some quSln of
conscience or some voice OF reason and common
sense.
The present stage Of this great struggle is notice
able ior ats marked novelty upon the tenor OF the
last four years. The extreme exhaustion ct boz h
sides as 10 aud as 10 money appears To render
IL UpOs sle 10 carry on the war il has been car
RED on There will not be for.lhe futSre those stu
/ hat 4rRf mar al mi
those tar more dreadful sacrifices OF human hie.-
Theye Will not be such costly aud murderous Strug
ges for the pOSSeSsiOH of certain points, whether
inland or maritime. Both sides seem O. have dis
covered that they have nvade mistakes in attaching
au exaggerated Importance to positions fequired for
no purpose. We have, then before rs the alterna-
lives of 4 peace or war carried On more Ia The
open country, ethtf guerilla fashion or 10y move
nentS such aS that 10y which Sherman has in fact
changed the fortunes and the face OF the war Such
a change will involve others aud, not the least, It
will b. liable to bring forward military adventurers
Who do not depend Ou either Washington or Rich
moud for their resources or their plans, perhaps
not even their authority. Such result is irdught
with perous consequences TO every constituted. or
recognized Power elther the soIl or at all within
reach OF thIs great earth shaking. We have mo
thought Uttrg htehins the Americans into peace
nav, The danger Is much ours as theirs but, ii
the war proceeds, IL viii one day come 10 such
pass that neither We nor they will Ge able TO say
who are the men whose power, whose yengeauee,
or whose wisdom we have TO watch
That the war must enter on a new phase IS evil
dent iom the proved ipposSbiiity OF carrying iton
with the existing institutions, or rather cOuStitu-
l6n. The requisites iPvies whether OF men or
money cannot be made under system of much
divided and even diScordant authority. When the
President d obliged n employ detectvesto see that
the StGes do then duty the day cannot be distant
when the central power will do that duty as II is
h. ~, n -
other. Such was ever the result OF long wars M
times gone b, , aud the several States IN this in
stance have proved that they ale no more TO bc
trusted than the eudal chiefs the tributaries aud
allies, whose shortcomings, vaSciation, weak
ness have uften ruined the cause which depend
ed on their loyalty and zeal. For the prosecution
of a great war there must be not only a common
cause and a common ardor, hu. the sacrifice OF
everything that interiereS with perfect unity of
action. tine OF the earliest consequences OF bur
own great war wihi France the Irish Union, aud
the rrst result OF the luGiAn mulny WAS the trans
Ter OF the Indian government to the British Crown.
divided authority makes large demands
on time, aud ON that mutual Difference which con
tributes So much 10 the pleasures Of peace, hut be-
comes impossible When commands must.be execn-
ell immediately and thoroughly, which is the only
pace War can take 10 succeed. The Americans
iundly hope thai the suspension OF their con>titu-
tiOnal guarantees tOI liberty is incident that Mill
soon be a matter OF history. But years pass 10y,
great transactions take place, and new generation
Is rising meas e>tate--under reign OF arbitrary
power, aud in the sphere ct all-abSorbing pom
teSt. IN the State or the federation DC the more
important ia their thoughts! Or. ii they should
nave quarrel with the larger bond, will il BE- TO
tall back on the lesser The Americans have al
ready sacrificed liberty Tor Union, and they may
shortly lind that they will have to sacrifice Union
for empire. They will have To sacrifice that free
voluntary Union which their fathers framed and
lied Tor in rider to raise Power thai shall Su>-
tain itself al any cost, and hold its against all
corners, whatever political constitution may he
found best for that purpose.