The Chattanooga Daily Rebel. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1862-1864, 1863-03-15

IleqhIeu pioOd letting, the peace measures
we're aforementioned and our country swept
dong towards the bring of rgin.g
but there was yet another chance to we
tue Union. Let us see how that was thrown
away also. The next chance or saving thC
Union and preventing bloodshol, was at rtit
Peace Conference Of Maach, 1861. That hody
came togethersom time early in March; it wal
! composed OF representatives from the borde
States, and from the Middle, Western ant
! Northern States. The proceedings of the con
ference were highly honorable to the ability
FaDd patriotism OF the border Sa'3 deleg.,es
They did what they could to save the Union
The part that Virginia took in-those prOcee
Iings was pure Yea national one, as everybod,
lcQud see. Though suffering from the effects
Of the John Brown raid, She nevertheless
showed herself anxious to keep the peace
whatever might be said of others But in vain
The Conference broke up without having &C
comyIished anything it was failure.
And who. let me ask is responsible for iha
! failure? Who prevented the Conference iron
tadoptihg the measures which wore iieeded q
prevent a fratricidal war ? The same class G
men who defeated the Crittenden Bill They
defeated the peace proposition of the Confer
ence. Unfortunately for our country, the del
egates from the free States appear to have
been selected by Republican Governors, OF
iaccouut of the known hatred Of these men tC
compromises of all kinds Those who were
sent from this State voted, with one exception
against the peace measuresof the Conference
That assembly, which for brief period had
IgiyCn us some hopes of preserving the Union
broke Up in despair, and the brink of destruc
ton seemed reached at last. Another failure
to restore harmony, and the ruin BNOpld be
complete. 1t seemed 10 DO pre- determined
hat there should be another failure anyway
and the gulf of perditpn resohed at last. Bat
before come to speak of the last and worse
phase Of this question, a single word as to Ger
tain conservative opinions which began to pre-
vail after the Administration went into power
| Shortly after MIR. Lincoln was sworn into
Office, the question began to be seriously de.
bafed as to whether sovereign State could
lrightfully be coegcod by force of arms. am
not going into the discussion of it at the pres
ept time only wish TO remind you that such
question was raised, and that the negative
of il was ably sustained by men of great wortt
and ability, and by no one mere ably than our
worthy fellow-citizen, Mr.. Eaton 1T was
proved beyond controversy that the founders
IVl bllO NOlbblluAlOh HNNOl plOFiNNh, vi lUlCiAl
ed TO provide, for any such military schemes
as are now on foot for the conquest Of the
Southern States. Never! On the contrary, il
was shown that the founders of that Instrument
voted down every proposition Of the sort Al
| this was proved, and more than need trouble
youSvith at this time. Now what ] mean il
this, before | come 10 another natter--tbat
these undeniable proofs Of the true Intent ano
meaning Of the Constitution on tho subject o.
coercion oFfeFee ought to have impressed the
tnen0ih power,at Waslhngto6 with tie abso
lutte necessity Tor using great forbearance il
| theiFdoalipgs with the seoeding States. ! Fol
a while these considerations may have had
some weight witFthem, but theg were soon to
give way for otherse ,1L q rW I'@''
This brings me to speak of one cha ice more
which if it had been rightuily improved
might have averted the no rois of, civil war.
We shall sec how that WAS thrown awai also,
land the Union dashed on thelrOcks. It sd
IbapFened tliatsthe whOequestion Of peace or
war was destined tottrn on single pivots-i
and thatR7 fort, in Charleston harbOr. BY, a
concurrence Is circumstances, Fort Sumter
became the point upon sYhieh tho very eKiS'
eHce of the Union hinged. But ino0hparison
with tho worth of the Union, and the direrul
evils which might follow a serious collision
in that quarter, the fort was of little cofIse-
'qpehcs 70 any body.i,,A collision betweenthe|
State and Federal troops should, if possible
be avoided,,~Al that was wanted was TO gain
time Toe feasofito Have its tirn. The Govern
meht' Ihiglit' 90 on with its blockade but
should do nothing to provoke the Shedding OF
blood. Now it was seen, and plainly Seen,
that any attempt toFPwforce Samter would
provoke die very crisis which s0ne Iof the
best men, in our country wished TO 'hfoid,
And thiswas not only seen Ebut the Fedetall
authorities atthe capital gave their -pledgetDl
Justice ,Campbely yof the Supreme Courtoi the
United States, that no such attempt should be !
niad6 to reinforce Fort oS1mterl IN ptopfoit
this, ] refer yot to the Jndge's letter on abe
the subject---a letter which was published in !
tho Jo@41dl OF Commerce, and other papers,
goihe two months after the waf broke out. |
"Put not your faith in, Princes.7 ,1'hos pledge
/ have Just referred to, had scarcely been
made when measures were yactualyCtakeh byl
tho Federal authorities fOrdoing what seemed
to benthe very tlilng which Che GoyerAnenti
had solbmnly agreed flnot 40 do.S.A a HgFSrn |
meht taYtilla s,w4s senf tQa Charl 9Aq harbof.f
soiueWhere between stlicH 10th andalpth' OF
Aprilgt86l; andissnt the fer What4 ilt Tasl
sCntTthsre % accomplish certain purpose,
and thatprrposo was to drdW the fire OF Fprt
in occupation of SOuthemtroop IN
order that the Eedesll authorities, and tie
men who erourgiDg tbemto X1ood letting
might have the iOyerf act they required to jpsdi
tify ddclaration'of war against, The South n
Their plan succeeded, and wb Wore pushed
over tho brink, offuin, aud plunged into the
Very vortex oEhomibly.destrtlctiye, awful and
ruinous civil war th6r endiofl whicltno man
can tell. m1'al' 70 hN'' % e'qF11tt II
Having done with occurrences which preceded te
war, let me briefly hdQeh TO what has since takeu
place, The war having bfenlinangnrsted, we were
old that n wla 10 be wpr foFthr Constitution pndl
ne Union., ] deny that u has boen O. wariorehper
rkS denial yru will and sust pned by almOat every
eadpg act of The Adpni,iratlonslpc theiIaa boEl
vas airuck ErOm the lpsnleat troops were int or'
ieftd 70 Wpahlng0n, an April Aa6l, the Constitution
ls scarcely been regarasd asallby Ahe mon 10 poW-f
". Some - their nast zralO Iona supporters more tnan
luly Adult this Bntg say they itlic South haVnga 10