The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-01-10
The Peace p opositions.
TIE ORGAN OF THE SOUTHERN CoNFEDERAcY ON
THE SUBJECT.
From the Richmond Enquirer, Jan. 6. /

to invite convention of all the Yankee States,
to meet at Louisville in February next. Accord
ing to this hopeful scheme the states in REBEL
ion " were to be invited to send delegates to rep
resent them in this savory conclave, and in case
they yielded to the proposition an armistce of SIX
months, by sea and land, was to be proclaimed.
We are told that the resolutions were "unani-
mously" passed, and that Mr.. Brooks, the ora
Tor Of the occasion, was enthusiastically applaud
ed.
From the above it is plain enough that the val
or of our soldiers, and the skill OF our generals
are beginning to tell. Richmond, Manassas,
Sharpsburg, and Fredericksburg have almost
wrought their lesson The tide is beginning to
turn at the North in favor of peace. The glorious
victories at Murfreesboro and Vlcksburg, which
have occurred since this meeting was held, will
doubtless give fresh impulse to the sentiment of
which it is manifestation. But while the North
begins to see the folly and mpossibility of at
tempting to conquer the South, they are not yet
ready to grant our just demands. They hope
still to chain US, by some specious compromise, TO
the corpse of the old Union or, at least, to gain
some advantage in determining boundary and
commercial relations.
1t would be a fac thing for them truly to have
the South agree to meet them in convention
which should recognize the Union as unbroken.
and look to its perpstuation. On this head, how
ever, they may as well know the truth. On no
terms whatever will the South consent to politi.
cal association with them. There is no concession
which they can grant, or whicA human magma
lion can frame, which could render the idea aught
but ntolerable and re,oltng 10 the southern mind.
We separated from them because they sought 10
put US on brand of social and political inferiority.
We would not reuuite with them If they would, one
and all, consent to occupy the same position of
degradation which they aimed to rivet on US. We
would not consent to hold the Northern States
even as PROVINCES. On this ubect there is hardly
a ripple upon the surface OF southern sentiment.
This was the feeling and the purpose, fixed and
unaIterable, of the South at time when all was
gloom and disaster-when Roanoke, Donelson and
New Orleans had surrendered to tae foe-and it
seemed as it Providence had aecreed to test to the
dttermost the fortitude of our people. Bot now
when Heaven has vouchsated to US so many crow
ming victories when the independence of the South
is accomplished fact and liberty fairly won, the
suggestion that the reward of all the sacrifices and
suferings of our people is to be basely discarded
for connection with Yankees, is not endurabs,
even as jest.
When the North wants peace she can obtain it
by recognizing the independence Of the Southern
States, and yielding the terms which Justice de-
mands. Her proper mode TO secure this result,
so desirable to her, would be at once TO withdraw
her armies from southern soil and seud her com.
nissioners to this capital. Not even to bring
about an honorable peace, can the South make the
slightest advance to the North, That was wise
ly and humanely done by the confederate govern
ment before the war but now any step in this
lsu p,r;,1 h.. /
interpreted by our enemies, and would only tend
to proong the war.
1t would be beneath the dignity of the confed
crate government to take any notice of the New
York meeting until the sentiment of which it is
an indication shall rpen toto sincere desire for
peace, and come clothed with the authority Of
the United States, or some of the Northern States,
acting independently, to make proposals on ba-
sis of southern independence as fact accomplish
ed. All propositions which ignore either our es-
tablished independence or the only channels Of
foreign intercourse appointed by the confederate
constitution, can only meet with silent contempt.
To pay any attention to them would at once lead |
the North to suppose that we were so eager for
peace as to be ready to submit to any terms.
Their hopes and mad dreams o. subjugation
would at once revive.
In the path of peace it is not to be disguised
that Lincoln and his cabinet form q natural obsta-
Gle. Pacifcaton is ruin and disgrace forever to
them. They must oppose it by virtue of their
position. In view of this impeachment, perhaps |
the shortest road to peace would be for the states
of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsy lvania, New
Jersey and New York, or portion of them, to
act on their own account to recall their quotas of
troops from the field, drive the ramp government
which now lords it over them to the congenial
soil of New England, and then make their own
separate treaty or treaties of peace with the South
1t is obvious that in the states ust mentioned the |
Lincoln government is viewed bya large majority |