Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-05-26
Nc Tribune on VaIIandigham,

digham az being right in intention, but
unwise in execution. It has, also, a sin
Rular article upon the Punishment Of that
offender to the rebel lines. It argues that
he will be among friends and therefore
better Of, socially, then when he was among
those to whom he Was opposed in the
North. 1t gives Vallsndigham a better
reputation for honesty than we have any
idea he deserves, holding that he has been
g victim of lisrs, not a wilful liar himself,
Is TO the propositions of peace from the
rebels to the Federal Government. Wsdo
not give the traitor any such credit. He
has used the assertion that peace has been
proposed by the rebels, just as he has used
ether stateDents-to furnish material for
further attacks upon the administration.
Time will show which is the true estimate
Of his honesty, but Ohio has no faith in
Ysllandighsm's ~pretsnsiOns.
It is known that the Tribune has favor
ed "the best s~ttainable peace" if with a
vigorous use Of all the resources at COM
mand, the rebellion could not be crushed
inninety days, which period expired early
in May. Il is not fair, however, to assert
thst the Tribune fsvOrs peace nO1O, because
the rebellion was not crushed in that nine
ty days, because all the resources it ad-
Tised we're not employed, but sven if they
had been, and the desired result had not
been attained in that period, the people
would never agree to the T~ribune's propo-
sal for peace. They are ready, in the
language Of Q rebel paper, to enter
upon war as q life business, rather than to
have any peace short of ~uncondition-
al surrender Of the rebels. The Tribune,
again, in its efforts to achieve peace, favor
ed the intervention ofsome foreign power,
Switzerland f9r instance), to mediate be-
tween the parties. This, too, was justly
obnoxious to the Union men of the North.
They went into this war to vindicate the
power Of the Government to sustain itself,
and have no idea Of giving It up while the
resources Of the North are as inexhaustible
as they yet appear. And now the Tribune
takes the sending Of Vallandigham across
the lines, as an occasion Of r~eafirming its
desire for peace. It says that he will be
in q position to hear the designs and de-
sires Of the rebels, and adds:
"Whenever he will forward us a propo-
sitiOn, signed by the chiefs of the Rebel
lion, offering to give up their efforts to d.
vide and destroy the Union, on specific
terms, which he Wall shall certify to be
in his opinion reasonable and honorable,
we will give them an immediate circula-
ton Of more than TIVE Hundred Thousand
copies throughout every corner and at
nearly every post-ofice in the loyal States,
so that every citizen shall be able to judge
whether there is or is not any necessity
for further fighting. Is not this fair2"
No, it is not. In the first place, it is a
proposition Of 8 private individual to treat
with the rebels. The Government reserves
that power to itself alone, by its authOriz-
ed agents. We have not yet heard Of the
appointment of the editor Ofthe Tribune as
Peace Commissioner. Again, it is
making Of Clement L. Vallandigham,
-an avoWed enemy of the Fed
ersl GOvernment-an ambassador 10
the Confederate Government which course
both offers a highpremium upon such sedi-
tiOus character as V~allandigham has ex-
hibited, and recognizes the rebel Govern
msnt. For Vallandigham in his private
capacity has no more right to treat with
the rebel chiefs than Horace Greeley, and
to give any weight or value to the peace
officers Of either, they mus be representa-
tiyes Of the Federal Government. The
Tribune would even give to this man, thus
sent in disgrace into the rebel lines, a pow
er Of aeceptatiOn or rejection of the prof
fer Of peace, 8 necessary preliminary
to its reception by the editor of the Tribune
being that Vallandigham shall certify
it to be honorable and reasonable" If the
proposition is to be submitted to the Amer
lean people, what necessity is there for the
previous censorship Of the traitor Vallan-
dighsm2 Is he a fit person to say what
is REASONABLE" or honorable for a
loyal mar to accept? The Tribune will
ind ithard to SO convince the people.
But the Tribune proposes to distribute
these "specihc terms,"-no matter what
they may be, no matter how specious may
be their pleadings, no matter how skilIful-
y the treason Of "the chiefs of the rebel
hon" may be interviewer into them, no
matter what doctrines of Southern domi-
nation and Northern humiliation may be
ShreWdly set forth by them-by the two
hundred thousand, among the people. The
Peace men would think it an act Of kind
ness, but the experiment would be a dan
gerOus one. It is not safe to let arsenic
lie around loose, even though every pack
age is labelled aPOison-handle with
care
The article of the Tribune closes with
the following remarkable assertion:
Whenever the rebels shall suinee a read;-
ness to make such a Peace as even their friends
IN the North aiH not repot at, the ,Ogr ,Diu
be near It's end"
As their friends in the North de-
nOuncs the Federal Governments declare
the Union to be afailure, uphold the pc
euliar ideas and systems Of the South, and
are loud in their advocacy Of Estate
Rights" the Peace that they would not re-
volt ct would be one f~avorins all the de-
hands Of the rebels. Such a Peace the
Tribune ventures to predict; such a Peace,
let us pray God, the people will never be
mad enouph tn rafiFv