Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-02-16

The PEACE CoNFERKScB w ashington 10 filed
with rumors to-day concerning violent opposition
In this body TO coming to any settlement Of the
questions before them. There is doubtless too
much foundation for them. The radical wing Of
the Republican party in the body as in Congress,
are bent on trying the dangerous experiment Of
pooh pooling the troubles Of the times and rely
Ing upon the next Congress to appropriate the
means Of maintaining the authority Of The United
States over the seeded States, and upon the peo-
pie Of the border slaveholding States to aid in
upholding that authority under circumstances in
which they win find their Institution OF slavery
liable to be disposed Of by northern majority Of
twothirds or threefourhs Of the States in accord
ance with the terms Of the Constitution seven or
eight extreme Southern States having withdrawn
from the Union.
Now, they may not reasonably rely upon either.
IL the Peace Congress fail to initiate satisfactory
terms Of settlement, the party which is now as
Stunning to be the regulators Of the policy Of the
incoming administration, the coercionists, will
ind themselves utterly unable to control the next
Congress; and ere that meet In called session,
the border slaveholding States will be in conven-
hOn by themselves devising means for the protec-
ton Of their rights out Of the Union. That they
are 10th, indeed, to take any such step, all now
realize. But II the ideas Of Messrs. Sumner
Wade, Fields Il Co, are to prevail in the Govern
ment, with seven or eight slaveholding States out
OF IT. the question Of the secession Of the rest of
them is simply one Of time-and very short III me
at that
We have done our best as all know to resist
the current Of secession, and still believe tina,
under almost any circumstances IL will be best
for the border slaveholding States to remain in
tbs Union. But it Is our duty to state frankly
that there is no more prospec. that the incoming
Administration will End them under its govern
ment six months hence, with the Gulf States gone
and Sumnerism and Wadeism the policy control
ing ia councils, than that they will be under the
government Of the man in the moon. Our private
edVices from Richmond assure us that the Vir.
GINA Convention will cordially accept any reason
able settlement OF the questions in issue by the
Peace Congress-not tying themselves down to
the Criuenden platform; but that IL the upshot OF
the action Of the Peace Congress, be, simply, 10
leave the remaining slaveholding States to look
TO the radical wing of the Republican party here.
after, to conserve their rights in the Union, with
half the late slavehoding power Of self protection
In the Government gone of, those in the Conven.
ton who think with upon the issues of the
times, will 60 to the wall in twenty-four hours
after IL Is known that such Is the result of III.
action OF the Peace Congress
The report Of the committee Of that BODY will
be accepted by the Virginia Convention promptly
Messrs Tyler, Seldom and Brockenbrough to
the contrary notwithstanding; for no border slave
holding State will follow the Guar States ont q,
the Union, because, forsooth, an amendment OF
the Constitution regulating the domestic institu.
hons Of territory whose condition this Govern.
ment has no more lawful or constitutional rioht
to interfere with than with that Of the French
Empire or tbs Kingdom Of Great Britain, may no,
be consented to By the North. II, however, Id
adoption by the Convention be defeated by
the votes Of Iowa, Wisconsin, Massachusett,
ana other extreme Northern States, and the in.
rigues Of Southern Disunionists pc, Sc, all tina,
has recently been gained for the cause of the
Union in the Virginia and Tennessee election.
will be instantly lost, under circumstances.
making assurance doubly sure that permanen,
osunlon on the line Of Mason and Dixon's line a
not upon three-confederacies plan) is to be the
future condition Of our lately so happy and pro-.
porous country.