The Washington herald., 1917-12-07
THE MENACE OF PEACE
Timely Precedent Cited from the Pleas
OF Faint-hearted Pacifsts in the Cos.
By GEORGE HAVEN PUTNAM

Editor Washington Herald: TIE vet
Grams Of the civil war period may re-
call to the citizens Of this latter gen.
Grafton that at various critical times
during the war the advocates for an
immediate peace were as strenuous, as
fierce. as hysterical and as short
sighted as they are today.
Then as now the people who were
clamoring that 1.-The war was hope
less" that there was no possibility of
overcoming the enemies Of the Repdb-
lie. that 1t was the duty of the Presi-
dent and Of the country to accept
peace without victory" were made
up Of two classes: there were the paid
emissaries and the direct representa-
tives of the Confederacy. such as VAL
landigham and his knights of the
Golden Circle In the West and Benja-
min Wood and his DAILY News" in
New York. doing what they could to
discourage volunteering. to obstruct
the draft, TO incite strikes and riots
and to block transportation: and fol-
lowing this leadership came the senti-
mentalists. shrieking from platforms
and ia widely distributed appeals TO
the pepole" that fighting was wicked,
and that the issue should be adjusted
not by war but by peace arguments.
These paid emissaries and shortsight-
ed idealists were working together for
the cause of the Confederacy; they
were alike serving the purpose of the
slave holding autocracy. The clamors
for peaceful settlement which began
in July. 1861. after the battle of Bull
Run. were renewed with fresh bitter
ness in June. 1865. after Hooker's defeat
at Chancellorsville. and in June. 1864.
after Grants repulse at Cold Harbor.
Lincoln's Firmness.
The President, carrying on his
shoulders all the weight OF the war.
was called upon to listen TO dele
cations of long-haired men and
short-haired women who crowded
10 the White House to give to poor
overburdened Lincoln "a message
from the Lord in behalf OF peace"
Lincoln's reply through all the
weary four years was in substance
the same: This war was begun
with a purpose-the saving of the
Republic-and. please God, it shall
be continued until that purpose is
accomplished"
A%ihNOlh hdu nldoe ClGdf IN many
statements that the war could be
brought to an assured settlement
that would prevent the renewal Of
war In the near future only through
the removal Of the cause that work
Cd for war. II was. said Lincoln,
the system OF slavery and the at
tempt to make slavery a national
instead OF q local institution that
had created the cleavage between
the two sections of the country.
We understand now that IL the
shriekers for peace had had their
way the autocracy of the South
would have established their state
with slavery as the cornerstone:
the Republic would have been brok-
en- up into three. or possibly into
four, communities. The continent
would have been crossed with po-
litical boundaries and with tariff
barriers and burdened with stand
ing armies. It was better TO give
the four years to fighting the fight
through than to accept for half a
century or more a condition Of war.
England and France are today
prepared to recognize that the death
of our Republic would have been
not only for America but
FOR the world.
We have today IN the conditions IN |