The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-11-26
The Conditions of a Lasting Peace.

The Conditions Of Lasting Peace.
Robert Dale Owen, formerly Democrat, has
written letter to Secretary Chase, on the con-
ditions OF lasting peace, IN which he says
A suspension of hostilities we can purchase
few years respite, probably, in which to re-
turn to our money getting, before the storm
bursts fcYta anew, with gathered force. But il
we look beyond selfshness and the present il
our children are IN our thoughts; if we are
suffering and expanding now, that they in a
land OF prosperity, may live and die III peace
then must we act so that the result shall en-
dure. We must not be content to put of the
evil day. The root of the ev-the pregnant
cause of the war-that must be eradlc
Report has il that w estern politician re-
Gently proposed, as the best solution of our diff
hcultles, the recognition Of elavery in all the
Statee. Such an idea has a basis of truth
namely, that state OF war is, among us, the
necessary result Of conhlJling labor systems
Such an idea might even be carried out and
lead TO peace, bur for that progressive spirit Of
Christian civilization which we dare not openly
outrage, how inperfectly soeyer We obey its ha
name behests.
There ore thousand reasors-geograp hcal,
commercial, political, internatlonsl--why We
should not consent to a separation into two con
iederacles; 1t Is a contingency not to be thought
OF, or entertained /; but If ,oe look merely 10 the
conditions Of lasting peace, the chances OF main
tanning it would be far better if the independ-
ence OF the South were to be recognized with
her negroes emancipated, than if she were to
return to her allegiance, retaining her slave sys-
tem.
For in the former case, the cause o: disgen-
sion being uprooted, the tendency would be to
-eunite, and a few years might see Us single
nation again, while in the latter, constantly
active source OF irritation still existing, three
years OF breathing time would not CLAUSE with
out bringing endless qnarrels and secoud re-
bellion.
Conceive reunion With slavery still in exist
once. Imagine Southern sympathizers in power
among US, offering compton, ises Suppose the
South, exhausted with military rcserses and de-
string few years armistlce to recruit. decides
to accept It under tho guise of peace and recon
struction? What next Thousands of slsves.
their excited hopes of emancipation crushed
fleeing across the border. A fugitive slave law
revived BY peace, demanding their rendition
Popular opinion in the North opposed to the
Law, and refusing the demand. Renewed war
NV va t"'h ooboStuShcC'
Or take. even the alternative OF recognition
recognition of an Independent conederacy,
still slaveholdipg. Are we, then - becoming
the sole exception among the nations of the
earth-to make Ourselves aiders and abettors Of
the slave system of a foreign nation, by agree
ing to return the negro refugees seeking lib-
erty and an asy lum among US? National SELL
respecs lmrarstiyey forblds this.
Public sentiment would compel the rej4cton
as base humiliation, of any proposed treaty
providing for rendition of runaway
slaves. Yet the South would regard ouch re.
jec,ion in no other light than as a standing me-
nace--a threat to deprive be. of what che re-
CARDS as her most valuable property. Co.er-
mlnous as for hundreds possibly thousands
of miles our boundaries would be, must not the
South, in common prudence, maintain all along
that endless border line an armed slave police
Are We to consent to this? And if We do shall
We escape border raids after fleeing fugitves
No sane man will expect it. Are We to suffer
these? We are disgraoed Are we to resent
them 1t ls renewal of hostlsies.
State elections may 60 as they will. Their
results can never change the fact that any party
obtaining the control of the government and
adopting the policy that the settlement Of the
emancipation question 10 to be postponed till the
war shall Do closed, " Ill never while it pursue.
that policy, see THIS war permanently closed
not even by accepting shameful dlsru ption oil
our country.