Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-09-29
An InkIing of Peace.

ling of peace. It entertains a strong con-
viction that the Confederate leaders will
not allow the Ist of January to approach
without very great efforts, though they
may be underhand TO stop the desolating
civil war which they SO recklessly inau-
gurated, under the gravest misconceptions
Of the military resources and tenacity Of
purpose of the loyal States. The Tribune,
after referring to the destitution Of the
South and the Southern army, says:
ain short, the rebellion don't pay, and
it will have to be given up. There must,
then, be an accommodation, and that fact
established, it seems to US very easy to
settle the terms. The obvious basis of an
adjustment is the Constitution Of the United
States lgithout note or comment That is, at
the very lowest estimate, q treaty; but
call it compact, alliance, or what you will,
1t is valid and binding contract. Our
fathers made it freely and heartily, and it
cannot degrade their sons to reafirm and
abide by it. If we repudiate that what
assurance can be given or trusted that any
new bargain would be lived up to
Whenever the rebels really desire peace
-as we think they very soon will if they
do not slready-they have but to notify
the Government that they are ready to re-
turn to loyalty, and to that end have abro-
gated all ordinances, acts, and oaths of al
legiRnce inconsistent Herewith. Presi-
dent Lincoln would thereupon feel war
ranted, we doubt not, in issuing Procla-
nation of Amnesty, inviting the States
lately in rebellion to elect Members of
Congress as if no rebellion had existed
The rebels would need no further assu-
rance Of immunity; their friends Of the
Vallandigham persuasion would guarantee
them practical ascendency in the House,
IL not in the Senate also, and thus shield
them from all serious harm. And, if they
should choose to have Convention to re-
wise the Federal Constitution, we have no
doubt that this would be easy Of attain
ment, though we should prefer to have no
stipulations on the subject They might
have had one without objection in 1861
they can have one without stipulation in
1868. But the true and sufficient basis Of
immediate peace is The Constitution as
it is Man can devise no better"
For our own part in the popular YER
naeular of the day, we "can't see it," We
give the rebels credit for greater tenacity
Of purpose than the Tribune does. We be-
heve their determination to be to over
throw the government, and that 8 prospect
Of short rations, and scarcity of blank
cts, winter overcoats, and other important
articles for the cold months, which the
rebels are popularity believed to possess a
limited quantity of, will not cause them
to foregO that cherished object. Neither
are we sufficiently sanguine to believe that
the threatened loss of their slaves will
bring them to their senses. They have
already made great sacrifices in property,
comfort and life ITSELF in their unholy
cause, and a remote prospect of lOOsing
their slaves, which after all is contingent
upon Union victories not yet won, will
not, in our opinion, impel them to sue for
peace. Proolamations may do much, but |
the decisive work must be accomplished |
by our armies in the field, else proclama-
tons are Of no avail. If our army on the |
Potomac is to spend the winter as it did |
last, inactively watching the rebel army
on the other side, and an anxious and |
waiting nation is to be Knocked day by day |
with the detested bulletin-"AH quiet on |
the Potomac" then the proclamation over
which the people have sent up such heart
felt hosannahs, might as well not have
been made; but if the declaration of
'Policy" by the President is to be accom-
panied by sn equally vigorous policy on
the part Of our military leaders, whereby
decisive victories are won, the effect of
that proclamation will be quickly visible
in q shaking of rebel knees and if they
come down upon their marrow bones and
sue for peace it would not surprise US.
In short, they must be whipped into desir-
ing peaee-there is no other way.