Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-12-20
How Wars Begin and End.

IN the Norfolk Land mark recently
Mr. {. l.. g. Minor, of Baltimore. dis
cussed the assertion, often made. that
the struggle Of the Southern States
for separation from the Union in
1861 50 was ''hopeless from the be
ginning" The idea prevails with
ttose who have given no close study
to the conditions prevailing Just be-
fore and during the Civil War that
the North went into the war with
clear purpose aud great unanimity.
1t Is believed, says Mr.. Minor. to be
correct 70 say that "at the firing on
Font sumter the people of the North
ern States rose with one mind. and
Tor four years ungrudgingly poured
forth their treasure and blood to re
establish the Union and to free the
slave, and that their unanimltv in
ardOr for the preservation Of the Tn
ION and IN eXecration Of slavery made
resistance to them hopeless from the
beginning. In every particular, he
shows. this is false. Northern histo-
riaus may be cited to show that at
the beginning of the struggle there
was great iudecision. and that persis-
tence in 1t was. perhaps. due chiefly
to the Efforts of minority of the
Northern people
The conviction. it Is shown. was
widespread throughout the North i'm
1861 that the use of force to retain
states in the Unfon was lnadmissible
under the Constitution. SO general
was the conviction that secession was
the right of an aggrieved State that
the Southern States had reason to be-
hcvc that their Withdrawal would not
be opposed. Many responsible pub
hc men la the North asserted the
right of secession and the wrong of
coercion, hot only at the beginning
of the Civil War, but throughout its
continuance. At the outset the Pres
ident. Congress and the Supreme
Court disavowed the purpose to coerce
the States or free the slaves. With
the growth of the power of the party
In control at Washington grew little
by little the drastic policies that af-
terwards prevailed, their predomi-
nance being secured largely by the
Imprisonment of political opponents.
the subsection Of the press and the
suppression of free speech, the writ
of habeas corpus and trial by Jury.
During the war popular demonstra-
tions of opposition 70 coercion were
put down with violence in Cincinnati.
ii, Chicago, Boston and New York.
Prominent citizens were banished on
account of their advocacy of opinions
unfavorable to the action of the mil
itary authorities at WASHINGTON. The
circumstance is mentioned bv Mr..
Minor that when a delegation urged
Mr.. Lincoln to emancipate the slaves
by proclamation" D." He answered." he
should do as they wished 10000 rifles
from the border State would 90 over
to the opposite side" Itis noted also
that at one period Mr.. Lincoln OPP
posed the enlistment of negroes on
the ground that such course would
cause him the loss of 100000 mus
kets. The emancipation and enlist
ment OF slaves were, for long time
after the war began, ideas confined to
few extremists of the dominant
party.
Even the Federal army. engaged in
coercion. was not deemed favorable to
emancipation. 1t Is said there was
danger of revolt against it when
Burnside was succeeded by Hooker.
General Rosecrans reported a secret
order in the West numbering 100000
members, sworn to oppose the pur-
poses of dominant party. New
York actually rebelled against the
Federal Government, and only the
arrest at Gettysburg of Lees north
ward movement secured its sabmis-
sion. As late as June. 1864. the
emancipation proclamation failed to
get two thirds vote in Congles and
had to go over to the next session.
when the war was virtually ended.
The platform of the Democracy of
the North in 1864 demanded the
abandonment of the war because IL
was leading to emancipation an 2,-
idence that Northern sentiment was