The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-08-25
From the Fayetteville Observer
MOVEMENTS FOR PEACE.

confidence Of<our readers-fui confidence in our
sincerity, and some confidence in our judgment
/ We never deceived or knowingly 'mised them
We never have asked or desired anything at lie
hands of the people, nor do we now. What we
say to them therefore is uninfuenced by any other
desire than for the public good. The very safety
of the people, and of all they possess and all they
I hold dear,-now aud hereafter is involved in their
present action Knowing this we feel that It Is a
duty we cannot sufficiently perform, to press upon
our readers most solemn convictions of the fatal
tendency OF certain movements recently set on
foot, by some who, like ourselves and every one
else in the South, desire peace but who are taking
the very steps Of all others most calculated to pro-
long the war.
We say we desire peace-it is our daily and
nightly prayer All that we have is in jeopardy
by the war. One as dear as life itself, now ex-
posed to the hazards of battle, would be restored
to the quiet and safe pursuits of life by peace At
therefore, there were the sg htest hope that any
one thing that the people of North Carolina can
do outside Of the army would ensure or facilitate
peace, how eagerly would we urge them TO do that
one thing But it is not so. The people of
North Carolina, outside of the army, are not only
powerless to give Than their prayers for
peace, but all else that they do-all that some of
them are doing-is for war. All the victories that
our enemies have gained are not so encouraging to
them to continue the war, the conviction they
are too ready to receive that any considerable
portion of the people Of State and especially of
State that has sent so many gallant soldiers to
the field, are tired Of battling for liberty, for life
for property, for peace, and ready to make any
terms short OF final separation, and full recogui
tion of independence.
We.impugn not the motives of those who are
pursuing in our deliberate opinion so fatal
to their own and their countrys honor and welfare;
bat we warn them that they cam do nothing but
evil by talking of peace, so long the enemy is
fired with bitter and malignant hate, covetous
hankerlng after eur property, and a.determinaton
to degrade us below the level of the meanest slave
that ever breathed They are engaged in de-
berate scheme of erterni nation of the white race
of the South They hate this race for it's actual
superiority, and yet more 70: the superiority if
boasts of, themselves, in morals, manners, .in-
t'llisence and wealth. They hate for thesucccss
with which five millions have withstQod twenty five
millions, backed by all the appliances Of war ahd
assisted by the desperadoes of the old world
They hate fanatics only hate. They have
given not the first remote On Of willingness to
listen to proposals for peace. They will not give
such sign as long as they are successful in bat.
tile, or see i"chnotions Of gieiag ac0y By the
people Of the South.
What sort Of peace would the so-called peace
men propose? What would they accept? Any
thing short of the independence Of the Confed-
eracy? Surely not And that Is exactly what the
enemy will never agree to until whipped into it.
Anything short OF that-any reconstruction OF the
Union-Would be the basest, most disastrous end
of great and glorious struggle that any people
ever submitted to- And it would not be peace
Far from it-it would be the beginning Of more
bloody than is now upon us-a of exter
minaion-a war between raccs--n which the
inferior would have the active aid of our present
enemies. Tell US not that we could get guarantees
Of ri ghts from the enemy. Such guarantees
cannot be had, bat if they could be, they would
not be worth the paper which they were writ
ten. We had those guarantees in the old Union.
and they were worthless They could not BE-
otherwise now.
We will not pursue the subject further at pres
ent But we tell readers, with all the solemn
ity Of the great issue stake, that the only hope
of having peace at ALL lies in CoNoUERING IT.
No paper resolutions no proposals, no conferences,
will be of any avail TO life, liberty, and prop
erty unless enforced at the point OF the bay6net
A great victory by Gen Lee, which the country
may feel assured Of when the next battle is fought
or "a war between England and the United States,
which is more than probable: will disperse the
clouds which have gathered before the visions of
the timid and desponding, and, with the blessing
of God, give us independence and safety dis
tnct, and great and prosperous Nation.