The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-30 00:00:00

The Peace Movement in New York.

The following is the chief portion of the article
of the New York Herald, published on the 13th
inst., advocating a six months' armistice and tale
appointment of Federal commissions to proceed to
Richmond with a view to arranging conditions of
peace:—" In the present state of affairs, if we can
do nothing more, it is all important to the safety of
the country and the administration that we should
place the leaders of the rebellion clearly in the
wrong before their own people and the civilised.
world, and the Government as clearly in the right
before all the people of the loyal States in the fur.
ther prosecution of this dreadful war. We can do
this through a special embassy of three peace com-
missioners to Richmond, if we can do no more.
We believe, however, that through a movement of
this hind, comprehending an armistice of six. months,
and a convention of all the States, subject
ea etrosfutcehr
conditions and ratifications asmay be h
agreed upon, we can secure a permanent peace
upon the basis of the Union and the Constitu-
tion. Let us suppose, for instance, that Mr Lin-
coln assuming this responsibility for the sake of
peace and a' decent respect for the opinions of man-
kind,' has detailed three peace commissioners to
Richmond with these simple propositions :—First,
for an armistice for six months; and, second, for a
convention of all the States, to consist of one
delegate from each Congressional district, and two
additional delegates at large from each State ; and
that said convention, thus constituted, shall meet,
say in Baltimore, on the first Monday in December
next, to consider the ways and means for peace—
could anything, in any event, but the greatest ad-
vantage result to the Union side of the house ? No.
Rejected or accepted, the loyal States and the
Government have everything to gain and nothing
to lose in the undertaking, If Jefferson Davis, his
Cabinet and Congress, accept the armistice and the
convention, we shall still retain under the first our
blockade, and all the forts and places wrested from
the enemy as now held by our land and naval forces;
and if the convention shall come to nothing we shall
be in a position to resume the war with all, and
more than all, the advantages which wo now com-
mand, But we have great faith in the opinion that
the representatives of the rebellious States, in being
brought into familiar council with those of the
loyal States, where they will be relieved of the
despotic authority of Davis, will be so charmed
with the suspension of the war that they will find
a treaty of peace and reunion, satisfactory to
the North and to the South, an easy achieve-
ment. It is probable that Davis may reject
this convention ; it is possible that he may
reject the armistice, or couple its acceptance with
prosperous conditions of Southern independence;
but the overtures suggested will compel him to show
his hand, and if he shall flatly refuse to listen to
any propositions of peace, expect upon the basis of
a Southern Confederacy, all doubts, all divisions,
and all discords among the people of the loyal States
will be at an end. The copperhead peace faction
will be disarmed and powerless for furthermischief,
the North will be united, and divisions and dissen-
sions will break out in the South. Let it be made
to appear to those people, in their present crippled,
exhausted, and desperate position, under Davis,
that the Government does not seek their subjuga-
tion to an abolition idea, or their destruction, but
their reclamation and salvation in the Union, and
President Lincoln will soon realise the immense
advantages of this peace movement, It will serve
the country and make sure his re.election, accepted
or rejected at Richmond ; but, short of some con-
cession to public opinion, he may now even read
the handwriting on the wall. Surely, after having
been so far led astray and betrayed, as Mr. Lincoln
has been, by such treacherous guides as Ben. Wade
and Winter Davis, he must now be in a frame of
mind to listen to good advice."