Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1863-01-29

"Tnc Firs. step"
Under the above heading we find in tho
Courier des Eiats Unis Of the 18th in.
stant the following iuiicious remarks in
regard to the past, present and future
states of the Union. 1t is the organ oI
the French population Of New York:
"ln taking brief view, fortnight
since, OF the general events which had
r transpircd in the past year, and glanciue
at the prospects o, tho new one, ray oI
hope pierced the dark overshadowiug
cloud, Of the future. Circumstances even
now indicate that this expectation was
not a vain one. After so many months,
when The war. cry alone was heard, we at
last began TO hear more gcrieH sounds
the word Armisticc, Convention, and
even Peace arc no longer strangers to us.
"'lhe spirit Of these terms was brcathed
in the Message of Governor Seymour,
who, without however transgressing the
reserve which his peculiar position impose
upon him, clearly indicated the necessity
seeking by other means than in a dcves-
tating war a solution OF the national diff.
fcuIty. At the opening of the New Jcr-
sey Legislature a member reproduced the
same idea in an explicit form, and one
more susceptible of practical results since
il squarely and catcgorically demanded an
armistce of six months and the calling
Of a convention. We have no doubt as
to the adoption of this motion. at least
in its sense and principle 1t will also,
in all probability, be ratified by tie Leg.
jslature of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
Pennsy sylvania; the Legislature of these
/ two last-namcd States have already Civ
en- indications Of their sentiments toward
/ the General Government in electing as
Senators to the United States Congress
Messrs. Richardson aud Buckalew, both
representing the party desirous Of con-
ciialion.
Thus we find the question of peace
leaving its vague form, aud as it is now
/ openly proposed in legislative bodies, it
becomes accessible to the public press,
which had not TIL now dared to take the
initiation, and has been content to aludc
to it. The liberty ofspaech and freedom
.of discussion no longer belongs cXclu-
sivcy to the false prophets Of easy victo.
ries, orto the party adherents of conquest
at any price.
"ln losing the monopoly Of publicity
which they had arrogatel to Themselves
they lose the omnipotencc Of which they
have so fatal a usage. for their only
strength laid in the forced silence Of men
Of prudence and moderation
The party which has brought the coun-
try to this fatal abyss feel the ground so
perceptb'y crumbling beneath them, are
now attempting by the most desperate ef-
forts to take tho guidance Of this new
movement. Its most influential organ,
the New York If1bN7e, to the astonish-
mant ani stupor OF every one, has hoist
ed the signal for mediation or foreign ar
bi'rament' For several days past Mr..
Horace Greeley speaks OF nothing less
nan to submit the American question to
the dec'Nlon OF France or any other pow
el5 mutually agreed upon, before which
the elected delegates OF the contonding
sections could plead thcrrespecti,e cause
mat such a proposition, coming from
tins source, should be looked upon with
dl-trnst aud be considered by many, as a
snare, IS quite natural. But whether in
splreI ny sincere conviction that this
struggle Is hopeless one, or by ruse, it is
none the le5T.aluahle aS an indication on