Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-19
The Prospect OF a Compromises.

The Peace Congress, body composer OF
most respectable gentlclncn from, we believe,
twentv.oue States, is now assembled in Washing.
ton, and they are looked to by the people OF the
United States for propositions of amendment,
which shall restore peace to the country, and
bring back the seeded States. While the OBJ.
iect of the Congress is most laudable and
praiseworthy, the prospect of success is by no
means bright and cheering. Not the tirst In
tiu,ation, that We have seen, has been given
from any source, worthy or unworthy OF con-
sidcration, within any one of the seeded States,
that these States will, under any compromise,
concession or amendment, hasten to return to
union with the Free States. The formation oil
Provisional Government, the election and In
auguration of executive officers, the prepara.
ton for permanent Government, all plainly
forbid any expectation Of any tacile aoandoQ.
ment of their present position to again re-nn'te
themselves with all the States of the Federal
Union. Hopeful, indeed, and credu!ous bs'
vond wisdom. must Le the men who look Tor
q reunion of the Gulf States with the Free
States under the terms Of any patchwork COM
promise The character Of Jefferson Davis and
and A. Ii. Stephens forbids the supposltion oi
the child's play that is implied in the eSpecta-
ton that they will abandon permanent peace
in confederacy homogeneous in institutions
and interests, to again seek security IN Onioh'
the dominant section of which has just driven
their States beyond its pale, and whose present
and prospective authorities are threatening ano
prepurinr for forcible conquest and sub]uga-
ton.
The prompt manner and unparalleled una
nimity with which the people of the Seeded
States have braved war, incurred the loss OIL
commerce, the prostration Of business, all
combine 10 demonstrate that no idle threat, no
mere blnster, is intended, but that permanent
and final separation has been determined upon
by the people Of those States.
In vain will intinatOns of back down be
looked for in any State from South Carolina to
Texas Everywhere throughout these States
the settled purpose of final separation, with
war and invasion, If forced upon them, mani
tests itself to the most careless and inattentlve
observer The Seeded States are not the
parties which instituted the Peace Con-
gress, they are not represented they
have declined to take part in its dciibc-
rations, and no evidence has been furnish
ed that llcy care one iota as to what may be
the character of its propositions. What ration
al hope is there that these States will respect
the labors or regard the conclusions OF the
Peace CongressY None whatever.
How stands the case with the Northern
States. Is the prospect Of final adoption ol
the recommendations of the Peace Congress,
encouraging to men Of common sense a''u
observation? Does the fact of appointing
Commissioners imply concession, or evidence
purpose to yield the just rights, and conccae
the perfect equality of the slave States? Inc
people Of Virginia have evidently construed
these appointments Of Commissioners as lndi-
cative ofreviving justice at the North, and though
we have no faith in any such prospect Of fu-