American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1863-02-06
A RAY OF PEACE.

Special to the Richmond Examiner, Jan. "a
On the vast expanse of scum and froth
which the war has called into existence.
an idea at least floats into view. The
speech Of VallanGigham lately made 10
the Federal Congress. and synopsis OF
which is now published. contains the
first practical and tangible plan for end
ing this struggle. the first solid thought
which The mind of the United States has
produced for two years.
The wav TO end the war is indeed diff
cult problem. Both the beligerents are
so committed that neither would agree to
any treaty that the other could propose
or permit. Foreign nations might COM
pei the peace if they possessed motive :
but so lille do they understand the feel
ings and the interests of The contending
countries. that any arrangement which
they would invent would certainly be
considered an iasuit and an outrage by
one or the other. IL is difficult indeed
TO conceive definite conclusion of the
business other than that which would
come of anarchy Oh one side and exhaus-
ton on the other.
Vallandigham proposes a termination
of the combat which evades these mani
fest difficulties. lie suggests peace
without treaty. He would have the
war ended by an armistice. and the in
vincible repugnance OF the people to
take up arms again when once they are
/ laid down. For some time America
would present an unparalleled spectacle
of two nations nominally at war. without
q boundary, and carrying on an extern
sive commerce which would be instantly
resumed without tariff. 10 this situa-
ton. he believes that the passions now
animaiing both parties. would soon sub
side. and that after few years q conven-
ton might settle the causes of quarrel
and restore the Union.
Those who believe the restoration OF
the Union possible. under any circum-
stances. must look on this precious scheme
with considerable apprehension. 1t is
certainly the most taking net that Yam
kee ingenuity has yet contrived TO catch
the South. But those who believe il
dangerous do not know or realize the
profound depth of hatred which the con-
duct of the United States has dug in the
Southern heart. Nor do they know the
true cause or the origin of this war. /,
was not slavery it was not the tariff il
was the great fact that in the process oil
time and under the influence of many
circumstances the North and the South
bad come to be two distinct people, two
rival nations. National antipathv. moi
temporary interests. dissolved the Union.
and will keep the fragments alternately
sundered. We entertain no fear that
they will, under the influence of Vallan-
digham's armistice, like the pieces oil
fractured bone" unite and grow again.
/ AT the conclusion of such an interval
in the war the belligerents would prob
ably conclude that mutual interest would
be best served by the formation Of a
! boundary. the arrangement of a com
mercial treaty. and the envoy of embas-
sailors.
But many things yet intervene between
the present hour and the day Of Vallan-
digham's armistice. The emission OF
the idea will, however. not fail to attract
universal attention. and is. in fact. the
first plan for finishing the war yet heard
of, involving the fain.est shadow of posi-
BILE success.