The Portland daily press., 1863-09-05


be consulted In this report they say that
they had most ample opportunities of ascer-
tanning the public opinion in the cotton states
and then add:
We regret to be constrained state as the result
OF our inquiries, made under such circumstances,
that only very decided minority of the unity
IN these States disposed to entertain favorably.
any proposition of adjustment, which looks towards
Reconstruction of our national Union. In this state
OF Things we have not deemed it our duty to attend
any OF the secret sessions of that Congress The Res
olutions of the General Assembly upon the table
of the congress. and having submitted them as
peace Offering we would poorly perform the duties
ass g9ed TO us by entering into discussions which
would serve only to enkindle strife.
The writer admits that additional guarran-
tees for slavery could not have been obtained
from the North, but he also asserts that no
sucy guarantees ,could hare been accepted By
the South, nor could their offer have prevented
secession and rebellion. To the foregoing ex-
tracts we invite the careful attention of those
who continue to assert the unfriendliness of
the government towards the South and her
institutions.
The Congress of the United States did
pass by the constitutional majority of two
thirds, the proposition reported by Mr.. Cor
win, from the committee of twenty-six, to so
amend the constitution rs TO perpetuate slave
ry in the States What stronger guarantees
could be given so far as the State was CON
cerned, it would be difficult to conceive
What then would have been fen to quarrel
about? The territories. During tire session
OF Congress which closed on the 4th of march
1861, acts were passed to provide temporary
governments for the three remaining terri
tories, to wit: Colorado, Nevada, Dacotah.
These acts contain no trace or indication of
the Wllmot Proyiso. nor any other prohi-
bition against the introduction of slavery,
but on the other hand, expressly declares
among other things, that mo law shall be
passed lmpairne the rights OF private property,
nor shall any discrimination be made in tax
ing different kinds OF property, but all proper
ty subject TO taxation shall be in proportion
to the value of the property taxed"
Now, when it is considered that all three of
these territories are north of 50 deg. 30 min.,
aud that the new territories now owned by
the United States, south of that line slavery
actually exists and is recognized by the teri
torial law, the question may well be asked,
what is there worth quarreling, much less
lighting aboutY Here was settlement of
the question in the territories made by Re-
publican Congress, which gave the South all
that, up to the time OF the Charleston Con-
venton, she had ever asked, and far more
than she could hope to gain, in any event, by
apparent that secession, even If it could have
been effected peaceably, would have been no
remedy for the grievances of which they
complained. Nay, SO far as any grievances
arising from a failure to obtain return of
fugitive slaves was concerned, l think it must
now be apparent that it would have been an
aggravation instead of remedy of the evil
l think all calm and dispassionate men every
where are now ready TO admit that it would
hara ka. 4. l,att tar for 10 bap t.I
the terms offered us and preserved peace aud
the Union, than to have plunged this once
happy country into the horrors OF this DESC
latng war. which has spread Gail over this
whole laDd-has brought mourning into
every family has rendered hundreds of
thousands of hearthst5nes desolate-has fill
ed the land with MANNED and disabled, with
widows and orpkdhs, and squalid poverty
has crowded our poor-houses and alms-houses
has sported away hundreds of thousands of
lives, and many hundreds Of millions of
treasure, only to find the institution for which
they profess to have goue to war, in thou
sand times greater jeopardy than ever before.
Having drawn so gloomy picture of the
Coniederacy and its prospects, the writer asks
sis there any remedy?" A full remedy can
not be had. The dead cannot be revived; the
mourning and desolation cannot be put aside.
There is remedy which, with the aid OF time,
will accomplish much. That remedy is peace,
SPEEDY PEACE! What stands in its way?
Only punctiiio. After quoting Mr.. Fox in
the English Parliament, at the end of long
and desolatng war, he exclaims:
In the imprisoned language of Mr.. Fox
would ask, are we to pay in blood and treasure
of the people for punctillo? Shall we pursue
the path OF pride and punctillo, which is tam
gled as it is serpentine, or shall we take the
simple, plain and direct road of common sense,
which may lead TO the happiest results? Four
fifths of the people Of North Carolina border
ing for many miles on the Yahdkin River, and
i believe of the whole State are in favor of the
latter course.
Peace, he says, is the one great demand Of
the people ofthat portion of the State. They
might prefer the independence of tho South,
bnt of that they see no reasonable hope. The
means of recruiting the army are exhausted,
while at the North new levies are being raised,
and the army can be kept up, if not to the
maximum number, at least to very great ex-
tent, from adventures constantly arriving in
their ports from every country in Europe. In
the absence of all hopes of Independence then,
says the writer of his people, "they are for any
terms that are honorable; any terms that do
not degrade u.s." He makes various sugges
tons as to the mode of approaching the question
of peace, says that sin what precise way over
lures shall be made, or the movement inangu-
rated, leave to wiser and ADLER statesmen
than myself to propose and concludes his
able papers In these eloquent aud touching