The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-25
The War Cry Against England.

| can party, Wnlcn is now SpuItluS W pleCes,
on what he calls :Ltside issues" the questions
OF tariff, the removal Of disabilities and
Civil Service Reform. The Democratic par
ty have indicated already their purpose to
fight the next battle for the Presidency on
lines remote from negro suffrage and recon-
struction, and this stroke Of craftsmanship
draws their opponents from the strong
ground upon which they have successfully
camped since'the ending of the war between
the States. The contest must be made upon
the open plain, and il, here and there, q
Democrat may threaten to pass over to the
Radical side, there are many more Republ-
cans who, letting bygones be bygones, are
ready to support Democratic movement
which promises the reform OF abuses, the
revival of industry, and an entire abandon
ment of sectionalism in both politics and
| finance.
The Northern people, as body, seem to
have come to the conclusion that, while
centraliziDg Radical policy, disregarding the
| limitations of the constitution, suits them
we'll enough wheL q gigantic war is to be
prosecuted to successful conclusion, the
Democratic Constitutional party is the one
which must be relied on to govern the coun-
try wisely and we'll in the piping times of
peace. War builded up the Union Republi-
can party; settled peace makes its disin-
tegration certain. This leads General But
ter to the conclusion that war policy alone
can nperpetuate RepublicaniSm as political
organization. There is no chance Of firing
the Northern heart by tales of imaginary
outrages in the South. All that remains,
then, from General Buffers point of view, is
the agitation OF the Alabama claims against
England; not with the ilea Of obtaining
their settlement, but to keep the sore open;
to persuade the people that there is at least
possibility OF war, which involves the
necessity of strengthening the hands OF the
Radical administration so that the country
! may be found ready for the probable con-
dict. The whole East and West is undoubt-
edy united in the desire to obtain settle
ment OF any just claims against the British
Government arising from the successful
cruise of the Alabama and her companions.
But the interests of the South and OF the
West are Numerically opposed to a war
upon any prete1t and this they will show in
an unmistakable manner, unless the coun.
try can be committed to belicose course
before there is time for remonstrance or e1-
planation. General Butler, we presume,
wishes to create an uneasy state OF feeling
which will serve the party purposes for The
present. With prudent and sagacious
President, he would he powerlesS for harm;
but we have no confidence in either the
sense or the patriotism Of General Grant.
A sollierly distinct, and q determination to
obtain i denomination in 1872, may out
weigh all considerations of the public well
fare and the common good There is, also,
the suggestion that General Butler, 10y press
ing war policy upon his party, may hope
to prevent the Democrats from making
firm demand for the settlement of the Ala
bama claims strong plank in their Nation
al platform.
There is no doubt that England is ready
to submit to Commission the determine
tion OF the damages to be paid to individuals
whose property was destroyed by the Con-
iederate cruisers which made their escape
from the British ports. But she will not at
present, nor do we expect that she will in
the future, submit to any tribunal the ques-
ton of her right to recognize the Confeder-
ate States as belligerent power. England,
if she has been careless in performing her
duty as q neutral power, is ready to pay the
penalty; but public opinion would not allow
the government to submit to the decision OF
any third power her own right to determine
when, and upon what terms, the belligereut
status should be granted to newly-formed
government. And if General Butler had
studied general history as carefully as
American politics, he would know that John
Bull is an obstinate animal, who may be led,
but is very hard to drive. No threat of nom
intercourse will produce any serious effect in
Great Britain, and, if General Butler thinks
: that a war with England, at this time, would
be inexpensive, he is woefully mistaken.
We undertake to say that a war with Eng
land would ruin the Southern States more
completely than two Confederate wars would
have done The West, deprived Of mar
ket for its provisions and breadstutls, would
find no compensation in sporadic demand
for government uses. The East, whatever
the gains of officials and contractors, would
find itself hopelessly bankrupt, as hundreds
Of. millions of United States bonds like
curses, came home to plague and undo the
people.
Thepoliticians of the country may desire
war; and, if they want war, they will be
accommodated. But we of the South, at
all events, demand an absolute peace, as
the only condition in which the Southern
States can retrieve their losses and renew