New-York tribune., 1876-09-29
PROSECUTE THE PEACE.

PROSECUTE THE PEACE.
Mr. Tilden,s friends, who wanted to settle
the war 10y diplomacy, now think it fine to
demand "a vigorous prosecution of the peace"
Very good; we heartily second the motion.
No journal has given better proof of its con-
slstent and sincere desire for departure from
war, its spirit and its methOds-fOr genuine
and lasting reconciliation. Nor will its efforts
to that end cease. But it takes two to make
a war, and it also takes two to make peace.
A vigorous prosecution of the peace on one
side only is a palpable fraud, precisely like
the proposal of Mr.. Tilden and his friends in
1864 to resist the armies OF rebellion by the
resources of diplomacy. 0ne-sided peace means
unconditional surrender. If the Democrats are
to continue vigorous prosecution of the war
against the public honor, against loyal tax
payers and soldiers, against free suffrage and
free speech, they may rest assured that the
war will not be met by peaceful submission,
excepting on the part of those sympathizers
with rebellion who wanted TO surrender at
each and every moment from the beginning TO
the end of the war.
Unbappily, this war is still prosecuted with
great vigOr by Democrats. 1t is an absolutely
un deniable fact that they have virtually de-
prived large part of the people OF Alabama
of their freedom of suffrage, About the
methods used there may be dispute. But the
vote speaks for itself in many counties, thou
sands Of Republican votes were cast at the
election two years ago, and only hundreds,
and in some cases less than one hundred.
at the election this year. Whether this
result was reached by the systematic
refusal to employ cOlOred Republicans, of
which abundant proof appears in the
Southern papers, or by armed organizations
attending Republican meetings, or by assassi-
nation of leading men, in any case there Is
war against that freedom of suffrage which
the Constitution guarantees. The war VIII
not cease. peace will not become anything ex-
cept base surrender, 20 long as the attempt is
made by any unlawful or unfair means to
deprive voters of their freedom of choice.
This, it seems to us undeniable, has in many
cases been done by Southern Democrats, and
precisely to that extent they are making war
upon the Constitution, and rendering impossl-
BILE the peace which Northern Democrats pre-
tend to desire.
What is it but war, when any Union soldier
is prosecuted in the courts for damages done
b. him at the South A Democratic Judge,
Mr. Clifford of the Supreme Court, decides
that Gen. Dow is personally liable for sugar
taken by him during the war for the use
of his command. If he can be prosecuted
for supplies taken during the war for the Use
of troops, every soldier of Sheridan's army
can be prosecuted by inhabitants OF the
Shenandoah, every soldier Of Shcrman's
army by inhabitants OF Tennessee, Geor-
gia, Alabama, and the CarOlinas, and
every soldier of Grants army by residents
of Richmond and Petersburg; nay, Grant
himself can be made to pay for damages to
the apple orchard at Appomattox. This is not
peace, nor is peace possible as long as these
claims are set up on behalf of the Southern
Democrats. They may talk of reform till they
are speechless. Union soldiers will not vote
10 plaster their own homes with lawsuits. The
fair consideration of questions of adminlstra-
tive and economic reform becomes absolutely
impossible so long as. pretensioDs like these
are made by Southern and encouraged by
Northern Democrats. The war will not end at
present if it is proposed to punish the soldiers
who suppressed the rebellion.
Neither will it end so long as war is waged
upon those who trusted the Union in its time
of peril. The public credit is assailed by Dem
ocrats at the West and South, with vindic-
tiveness OF spirit which leaves no room to
doubt that it is the rebellion which raises the
CRY of reputation. The trouble is that ma
jority of Democrats cannot forget that the
debt is q war debt. They sullenly remember
that the grecnlacli helped to suppress the
Democratic rebellion. They will not forget
that when the nation was in peril they re-
fused to trust its pledges, and predicted that its
notes would never be paid They insist upon
regarding the payment of those notes-specie
resulnption--as a Republican victory, which
the Democratic party in its platform formally
proposes to postpone indefinitely. But this is
the reputation of pledge; war upon public
honor. 1t is revenge upon those who trusted
the pledges of the Union when the majority of
Democrats refused There can be no peace so
long as the Democratic party persists in
vigorous prosecution of this war upon public
creditors and public honor.
BY all means let US have vigorous prosecu-