The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-07-03
THE IMPENDING COMPROMISE

W
is not so much feeble aimless. ineffective
prosecution of the war for the Union. as pre-
mature and shameful peace, which shall render
all the perils and sacrifices already incurred OF
| no avail. We are assured that already secret
agents of the traitors are In Washington and
this city, trying to ensnare leading Democrats
into backstairs arrangements fer putting an end
to the struggle by some muddle that can be
called compromise. They profess to desire a
formal separation and a recognition of the in
dependence of the rebel COnfed.racy; bat, as
they know this will not be entertained, they
hint that perhaps reconstruction which invOl
we'd full guaranty of ''the rights of the South,
might not prove inadmissible. In some quar-
ters. it is vaguely given out that the Crittenden
proposition, guaranteeing the existence of slave
| ry in all present and future territory south OF
80 deg. 80 min, would not be rejected withOu,
careful consideration. And from another quar-
| ter We hear that President avis would be very
happy to accommodate President Lincoln with
an armistice of sixty or ninety DAYS, to afford
time for negotiations!
These various feelers all imply the same grea,
truth. The finances of the Confederate States
are in condition of hopeless collapse. The
new and desperate expedient of making their
Treasury Notes legal tender and exchanging
them for the notes Of all their banks. is simply
! "a cOntrivance for absorbing the specie of the
Nsw 2saps na Sans an" in Re Su into Tie
gulf of universal bankruptcy. The I" "Confede-
rate armies are cOwed if not disOrganized.-
They dare not step on the soil OF the loyal
States. They dare not attack Cairo. nor Pick
ems, nor our lines in front of Alexandria and
Arlington. They dare not meet the UniOnist;
in fair and open battle. These rebel soldiers
get no pay. and their ranksrequire constant re-
enforcement by drafts and cOnscriptions.-
Washington having become sour grapes to theiI
leaders. who are at their. wits end for prOvis
ions, arms, and munitions, they would like t.
| improve their solemn circumstances iu any pos
sble Misunderstanding being the recourse tina
| they have least stomach for. Yet they may b'
driven even to that.
| There are Il few primary truths that should
be borne in mind-these, namely:
l. To enter into an armistice with the trai
| tors is in effect to acknowledge their indepen
dence. An armistice between warning nation
may be proper; between rightful government
and a wicked rebellion. its advantages must al
ensure to the latter. Equality is the implied
basis Of every armistice.
| 2. The rebels are in a state of virtual fam
| inc, from which an armistice would instantly
relieve them. They would sell their remaining
tobacco, sugar and cotton. buying in return
arms. ammunition and breadstuffs. They woul'
thus be enabled to resume hOstilities with i'm
mensely increased power of doing mischief
| 3. Their wheat crop is already ripe or ripen
ing at the far South. Forty or sixty days henc
they will be grinding new corn and eating il
They might then subsist large army at hal
the present cost.
! 4. They now pretend that they have $4,000
men under arms in Virginia. We do not be
lieve it; and it is morally certain that they can
not concentrate 100000 and hold them tOgett
er through bare fortnight, for want of tents
wagons provisions, &c. Their bOasted numbers
then, if they had them would avail little agains
a large, compact, well-appionted, advancing al
my.
5. Were Union force of one hundred thor
sand men, with artillery, cavalry, and ampl
supplies. now ready to move from Washingto
on Richmond, it would not he necessary to a
tack strongly-ntrenched and fortified positions
such as Manassas Gap is said to he. or is to b.
Such positions might be safely turned or oil
served. so long as it is morally certain tha
famine must soon compel their abandonment
default Of fresh and constant supplies; it ma
or may not be the same after harvest.
As to the coming project of compromis
hence is certain to inaugurate We ask that the.
7 facts be maturely considered:
l. The moral effect of General Jackson's d,
cisive dealing with Notification in 1888, W;
greatly impaired if not destroyed by the simu
taneous passage of the Compromise Tariff. I
this day, the ignorant Southern multitude b
lieve that Notification compelled or ..coerced
the repeal of the Tariff of 1882.
H. There is no pretence that there is no
any law on the statu e book of the Union tn:
at all trenches on the rights of the slave State
On the contrary, the Territorial acts of la
winter were such as they could not and did N
compain of. And the traitors were perfect
aware. at the time they inaugurated Secession
that they had the next Cong gress already secure
to Slavery in either branch, had they chose
simply to stay in the Union and behave ther
,, selves. They bolted from the Union. just
they bolted year ago from the Democrat
National Convention. because they didn't ra
. and raise a breeze over it. They wanted
, grievance. If they now force a new comprol
ise upon US. it will not be because they thir
; they need one. but because they want to boa
and enjoy the prestige of backing down Il
North.
Ill. No matter what NAV be the terms of
new Compromise or fix-up respecting slavery
the Territories, the naked fact that one is ma
: the essential condition of peace, will be trul
I peted through the South as the triumph of I
+ bellion. ''They wouldn't give us this till
T declared our independence" will be the CT
n .' but that brought them to book" If. then.
e were the most Insignificant and matter-of-cour
e proposition respecting slavery in the Terrii
e ries that was insisted ON as condition of pea.
o We should strenuously object to it. The obj,
tion to submitting to dictation of the poll