Swift and Short War
Indianapolis
Daily Journal, May 1, 1861
Two weeks have now elapsed since the President’s
proclamation was issued, calling for 75,000 volunteers to preserve the Capital
and defend the constitutional Government. The response to that call was prompt
and overwhelming. History affords no parallel to the joyful alacrity, the
almost fierce enthusiasm of loyalty, with which the Northern legions have
rushed to arms and rallied to the preservation of the Republic. Millions of
men and money are ready at the tap of a drum to be used in the holy cause.
The Government, if it is only true to itself and executes the present bidding
of its loyal citizens, can make no draft upon the patriotism of the North
that will not be cheerfully responded to. The issue has been fairly made up
and forced upon them; their long forbearance has at last been replaced by
a burning desire to avenge the insults heaped upon the Government, and to
purge the country at once and forever of traitors. The loyal North demands
a clean victory or a clean defeat.
In this position of affairs what is the duty of the administration?
The unanimous voice of the Northern millions is for the swift and terrible
punishment of those who have attempted the overthrow of the government. This
sublime exhibition of loyalty means that the time has come when the tremendous
machinery of our Constitution must be set in motion against rebels; it means
that every resource of States whose resources are
exhaustless, is fully pledged on the side of the Union and the enforcement
of the laws. All the President of the Republic has to do, therefore, is to
execute the mandate of the people upon traitorous States and individuals.
Any disposition on the part of the administration to parley with traitors,
or to compromise the Federal authority, will show that the administration
is not true to the country, and that it fearfully and fatally misapprehends
the present temper of the North. We want no phrase-making; we do not want
this tremendous march of events to be thwarted by diplomatic notes or talk
of arbitration or compromise.
The work to be done now is to be done for all time; the interests involved
are the vast concerns of humanity and posterity. The President must
not mistake the scope and meaning of the people’s voice. If any
Governor or Mayor stands in the way, let him be extinguished. If any
city or State offers to thwart or oppose the military operations of
the Federal Government, let every gutter run with blood, and every foot
of ground within the State be furrowed by cannon, if necessary to vindicate
the supremacy of the constitution. We are not making war upon the rights
of any section; the rebels know this as well as we do. We have simply
set about putting down usurpation and treason. The people, in thunder
tones, are declaring that they will be true to the government, if the
government is only true to them. It is the constitution that is on trial,
and the time has come to test its reserve of selfsupporting power. Let
there be no compromise, no concession, until every nullifier and traitor
in the land is hung or sworn to new allegiance. We do not want peace
now, nor do we desire a slow or merely defensive war. We want war, swift
and overwhelming. The more terrible the war is made, the shorter it
will be, and the more humane the policy. Let not the President suppose
that the loyal North desires the war cloud to be gently and gradually
discharged of its electricity; they [sic] demand rather that it should
burst, and rend and blast forever every enemy of the government.
