Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-30
The CINCINNATI CommerciaI.

olumn of its room in its issue of Saturday
m an explanation of aohy it advocated
'Peaceable Separation" A few days be
IRE it advanced the idea that it had alway!
cen opposed to separation" and was ont
those who never were disposed ''to sub
lit to the minority"
Now, we are given to understand tina
ne reason the Commercial advocated
Peaceable Separation" "iand "gave many
substantial reasons for so doing" was
lat "some months before the war com
lenced," it was '.profoundly impressed tha
Z was coming-that it was more Imminent
nd would be more destructive than was
enerally believed in the Nortb;" that il
ad seen enough of the Southern leaders
1860 to convince its editor that "they
we're in deadly earnest, and that the pas
ions of the Southern people were sc
reused that in the hands of few design.
ng men, then conspiring against the Gov.
ernment-if that can be called conspira.
cy which is public and notorious-was re-
posed the power to do an awful mischief
And yet the Commercial throughout the
Presidential contest of 1860 labored with
industry and zeal to convince its readers
that there never was conceived a greater
absurdity than the allegation that trouble
or san awful mischief" would result to the
country by the election of LINCOLN, repre-
senting, as he did, the sort of sectional
party that WASHINGTON, JACKSON and
CLAY deprecated as deadly in its hostility
to the peace and safety of the Union. Oi
course, the Commercial can not be held to
have been an intelligent helper to this con-
dition OF things, because it now pleads, in
extenuation of its advocating "Peaceable
for 'good and substantial
that "before the War" it .'could
not foresee" things very clearly; and while
it may be measurably excused for want OF
knowledge, what right has it now to as
sumo the position of public teacher and to
discourse of things dogmatically When
was it endowed with powers of penetration
of such keenness that it can now "foresee"
things with more accuracy or clearness? ?
At what time-where, how and when-did
''a good Providence" hold conference with
IL, anu lHfCS1 ~ Win a PO"Ci VA POhS1Ao-
ton into the near and far future? 1t could
not have been when it declared with un-
hestating positiveness, that Hamilton
county could whip South Carolina and that
he whole South could easily be whipped
oy Pennsylvania?
The Commercial tells us, in the editorial
lnder consideration, that ''if the Southern
States had wanted to effect Peaceable
Separation, and had labored in good faith
% that end, they could have accomplished
to
The South could have accomplished
,Peaceable Separation" Through whom
what party? The Democratic
Senator's and Members in Congress, and the
Democratic press, until the last hour,
worked against War and against Separa-
ion. The Commercial confirms what Hon.
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS wrote to Hon. JOHN
T. TAYLOR, under date Washington, De-
ember 20, 1860, that the country was then
drifting rapidly into Civil War;" that
whether it was averted, depended ION the
- that many of their leaders de-
ired disunion on party grounds and here lay
he dificuly." 1t was through the leaders
# the Republican party, and not through
he leaders OF the Democratic party, that
he South could have had Separation. This
s what we have charged time and again,
md proven as often as we have charged it,
hat the Republican leaders, or many of
hem, aOere in fduor of a dissolution of the
Taaion were in favor OF a Peaceable
'eparation-the Democracy never; and
ret the Republican politicians, and the
with them, have the impudence
o claim that they are and always have been
n favor of the maintenance of the Union,
ghen their record convicts them with hav-
ng been in favor of Separation.
The Commercial asserts, without the least
quivocation, that the reason there was not
a Peaceable Separation was that the
outh would not have it on such terms
hat ''the secession leaders were rabid for
Varn
This is not in accordance with the histo-
y of those times. as we understand them
ut if true, ''the Secession leaders were not
abid for Wars because of an anxiety to
est aNorthern manhood" They may have
egarded War, or the semblance OF War,
8 essential to bringing about the Separa-
ion of all the Southern States from the
Union.
Had not the spring elections of 1861
hown tremendous reaction in favor of
he Democracy-in favor Of the preserva-
ion of the Union and against all schemes
nd devices that contemplated dismem-
erment of the Union-there aoould hare been
eacea6le Separation. 1t was this circum-
lance, we would have the Connae cial un-
ersta nd, and not the reluctance of the Sc
essionists of the South to accept "Peace-
BILE Separation" that thwarted that project.
upon the heels of those spring
lections the Northern Republican Gov
rnors hastened to Washington, and there
emanded of the President that something
must be done to stay the detection of the
,eople from the Republican party. 1t was
n accordance with this demand, that at
he instance of President LINCOLN the
;outh was challenged to fire upon the Star
# the West and to assault Fort Sumter
{ was estimated correctly that the chal-
enge would be accepted. Its acceptance
vas inevitable, and being accepted furnish
d ground for the Proclamation calling
nto service 5000 men 20 put down the in
direction. Had the people not responded
o this call but had they showed the fear
hat the Commercial says was upon it, that
nasmuch as LINCOLN was President
hrough a large minority of the votes of
he Union, there was no certainty that "the
majority would be prepared to fight for
he North: Separation would have followed
Without any further bloodshedding. 1t is
lot clear but that the Republican leaders
Who were willing to grant ''Peaceable Sep
Lration.n thought this necessary to secure