Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-02-27

army In fruitlesa marches and baffled assaults,
Ia day gained for us, who are on the defen.
sive. But, during the proposed six months OF
iuac,ion, Il is to be feared that they would gain
more than We should. Kentucky, Missouri,
Maryland, and parts Of Virginia, Tennessee,
Mississippi and Louisiana would be wholly
within their power; aud corruption, intrigue
and violence would have full scope to work.
Time would be running against us-not against
our foes. ,4g 81. -
I However, ii may be suggested that France
may mean something more than mere armis'
tlce for negotiation; that she has some specific
basis Of settlement to propose and to urge upon
both belligerents. II is possible. In that
case, France would offer to bargain With us for
European recognition OF our independence on
the terms of giving up certain portions Of the
States forming the Coniederacy, and making
m meatic institutions, which might concliate the
cantipg and sniveling public opinion Of Europe
Neither one nor the other of these things has
our Government right to do. No proposal OF
euch kind has 1t right to entertain. The
negotiation W. uld necessarily break down, and
at the end Of ak months, fighting would begin
again, IL the Yankees still had stomach for It.
Our army, We believe, would rather make one
ioh ofit ~ e.
We all knew, indeed, and are happy TO know,
that come Of the Northwestern States are very
sick of this war, heartily disaffeoted to the
Washington Government, strongly disposed to
sneak out Of the debt they have incurred. and
TO ask alliance, even union, with the Confeder-
acy, If sgreeable.' This is a wholesome state
of feeling, and must produce its fruits of dis
organic ltion and encouragement in the North
western troops. But let us not mistake the
matter. Not QUE Of those States has yet pro.
nounced itself in this sense, though some
..-,,,p osetopo hevO. WLv.. tl.Sy a. t-i-s s-.L
scuoi,--that is, when their Legislatures and
Governors accr edit Commissions to Richmond
for any such purpose, no doubt they will be
received and answered according to the nature
OF their proposal. We presume they will be
told that the first thing they have to do IL to
cali back their forces to their own country,
that then we will be willing to make treaties
with them, but as to union with the Conted
eracy, under the 'old Aag,' or any other, they
come two years too late. Two years, and an
abyss of horror and hatred, and the blood Of
our slaughtered brothers crying aloud fromthe
ground, all prohibit that impious union /; If they
repudiate the debt they have contracted, and
abandon the Government they have established,
and recant the VOWS, and break pledges, and
eat dirt, It is well we ehsll be charmed ; the
movement will suit us perfectly and, although
we shall lot exactly respect the actors in that
affair, yet we shall not be unwilling to trade
with ihem--holdiDg our noses little-and to
show them all suitable civiities-but at o prop
or distance.
Before those authorized Commissioners are
dispatched, however, we take the liberty OF
recommending to all Of our Generals and mill
tsry authorities that If any distinguished citi-
zens come prowling about our lines, purporting
to be Nor,hwe estern Commissioners, they ar
rest those persons and send them on to General
Winder. Let them look sharp after reliable
gentlemen, and overhaul intelligent ladies'
Otherwise, where is the use OF Castle Thunder2
The moral of all this, the lesson we have to
learn from all the rumors both OF French me-
diation and of Northwestern revolution, is, that
now, now more than ever, our army should be
kept full, and strong, and ready. Believe IL,
soldiers, you are our only friends. 1t is on your
style Of diplomacy werely. That was states
manlike stroke of policy you made at Feeder
icksburgh; you wrote on able State paper at
Murfreesboro, and we defy the world to produce
nobler official memorandum than you edited
on the hills Of Vicksburg.
If Europe makes oyeFtures of riendship-ii
the great Northwest comes crawling to our
feet--it Is because you stand there, Confederate
soldiers, under your glorious battle-hsg and
defy all the ends OF the earth to haul it down.