The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-09-11
4lisrellaneOas Selettiuns.
PEACE OR WAR.
TFrom the Christian

From the Christian Advocated
Four years ago the National Conven-
ton of the Democratic party pronounc-
ed the war for the maintenance of the
Union ga failure" and demanded an
immediate restoration of peace. The
peace thus demanded implied the
granting to the rebels in arms all they
demanded and were fighting for-their
separation from the Union-for on no
other terms were they willing to make
peace. The people of the loyal States
declined the proposed peace policy, and
reinstated in power the party that de-
clared in favor of peace to be achieved
by the sword and based upon liberty.
-Four eventful years have passed over
the country, aud again the people are
called upon to choose President aud
Congress, and, in so doing, to determine
the future governmental policy of tho
nation; and strangely enough, now as
then, the parties are divided upon ques-
tions of peace aud war. The party
that carried to successful termination
the war for the Union, and npon which
devolved the delicate and difficult task
of restoring order in the States that
had gone into rebellion, in their Nation
al Convention speak hopefully of the
work of reconstruction, and anticipate
the not remote return of domestic quiet
and general prosperity to those parts of
the country lately desolated by war,
The most significant sentence in the
letter of acceptance of his nomination,
by the chosen candidate of the party
for the presidency, is an aspiration for
peace. He, better than almost any
other man, knows what war means,
aud, having witnessed its horrors during
four terrible years, he naturally abhors
the thought of its return, and almost
passionately invokes peace for the ma
ton. And in this feeling we cannot
doubt that General Grant expresses
the very generally prevalent sentiments
of the American people. They have
seen enough of war for one geneastion'
| 1t was only to save the life of the ma
ton that the loyal masses assented il
their feelings that there should be war
and now that the rebellion is put down
and the States that became anarchized
Inv secession are either fully restored tC
their functions, or fastening to become
80, the common heart Of the nation re
lechoes the noble words of the confess
eIIv greatest warrior of the age" LIE
us ha.-e peace"
But mo- the party that asked 70
peace, when it Implied not merely tn
Illumination of the uatiOn, but rathe
is dissolution, proposes - re-inauguraU
in, testiue war. In formal rtcsolVeS w
late Democratic National COnIentlol
decla ved the work of reconstruction ah'
the governments lately instituted IL
the Southern States to be revolution
ary, unco. .ostitutiouaI, and void" Ihl
declaration was inserted in the part,
platform at the instance Of one OF tn
most violent ot' the southern rebels
Major General in the Confederate army
(Wade Hampton)-who also Ostaata
tfiously proclaimed his unchanged Gd
herence to the principles for which h
fought against the flag of his country
1.-The meaning and design OF that decls
ration cannot therefore be doubted. 1
ifurtber evidence that the resolution re
lferred to contemplates forcible revolu
ition-that is, civil war-is the fact tha
ltbe candidate selected by the COnyer
ton with entire unanimity for the Vice
, ! oresidency, evidently won that dis
~ by the most direct and explic
tnctlv :. should his party succee
svowal tina, lection, it would be th
IN the coming er ~ant so chosen
duty of the governll whole wor
break down and undo the y n
Of reconstruction in the Soutn. :.
domination in such circumstances w
an implicit but unmistakable indors'
mAnt Of his declared doctrines; and {
course the Democratic party goes mi
the canvass as a revolutionary tactloE
its success would be the signal for
renewal of the bloodshed and slaught'
of the ever memorable and eveT,depl9
I, ,ble Though perhaps eventually sal
t ary) war Of the rebellion
Il will not do to say that it is inten
: d to effect the proposed changes
,eaceful and constitutional meal
/ very Observation-Disclosures Pers.
oust see that to be impossible. Shou
\ r. SeymourJe elected President, a
very member of the next Congre
and the Governors and Legislatures