The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-04-21
$ SELECTION + Ms.

tfIard Nuts for Peace Democrats to Crack.
The New York World-supposed political
ly 10 represent Gov. Seymour, Cox of Ohio,
aud Democrats of that stripe as opposed to
Messrs. Wood, Harris, Long & Co, thus
shows up the absurdity of Mr. Longs propo-
sition TO recognize the independence of the
South:
Even il we should concede Mr. Longs DO
sitlon that the Union once broken can never
be recemented, it does by no means follow, as
he tries to maintain, that the war should at
once end by the recognition of Southern inde-
pendence. III it be shown that this, his main
Inference, cannot be sustained, his views are
of no immediate practical consequence one
way or the other.
Suppose, then, it were TO be conceded that
the session is final and suppose further that
Mr.. Fernando Wood, Mr. Vallandigham and
MIR. Long were sent TO Richmond as commits
sioners TO negotiate a treaty of peace on the
basis oi southern independence. Ii we could
get over the slight obstacle of the unconouer-
able repugnance OF nine-tenths of the people
of the North, the appointment, the journey,
and the reception at the rebel capital, might
be as merry as marriage bell. But the mo-
ment the peace commissioners should descend
from vague generalities to business-like pre-
cisl0n, they would discover that they had
gone on FOOLS errand. The South Who
can tell what the South is, that demands
recognition? 1t is like a summer cloud.
which changes It's shape and dimensions with
every pull of wind, even while you are gaz-
ing at il. The question of boundaries would
meet the commissioners at the threshold of
lhe negotiation. precise description of
boundaries in terms borrowed from the vocab-
ulary OF the land surveyor, would form the
main body of the first article of the treaty.
Our commissioners, whatever their past
sympathies, could not forget that they were
negotiating tcih a foreign government. -
They could not without dishonor surrender
any fair or colorado claim of their oton gov
ernment without receiving therefor some
equivalent advantage. In war with any
other foreign government to maintain claim
TO disputed territory. we should insist on re-
taining all that we had conquered by our
arms aud hold in secure military possession.
In treating with the South Tor its indepen-
dence, our commissioners could not honora-
bly, coneede TO il larger territory than that
bounded by Its military lines. We should
claim New Orleans and the greater part OF
Louisiana, part of Texas, the greater part
OF Arkansas, the whole of Tennessee, half of
Virginia, the forts that command the Chesa--
peake, the eastern portion of North Carolina.
divers forts and military positions in Georgia.
Florida, and South Carolina, and all the cities
aud strongholds on the Mississippi. Would
the South negotiate on that basis? Only
fool can suppose ii. But as the United States
originally had unquestioned jurisdiction over
tue whole, what colorado claim could the
South have to any more territory than it had
wrested from us by its arms?
Mr.. Longs Is mere paper logic; it ignores
the more cogent logic of events war once
begun, ceases to be within the control of
either of the parties TO it, until they are mu-
tually exhausted, or one of them has gained
such decisive military advantages that it can
dictate terms to the other. In the present
balance OF advantages, neither the North nor
the South could propose anything which the
other would consent to accept, nay, which il
would not resolulely reject at the cannon's
mouth. The war can, at present, no more be
stopped than could a skifr midway ia the
cataract of the Niagara.
II, then, We should adopt Mr.. Longs stand
point, aud regard the South as a foreign n a.
ton, every patriotic instinct, every impulse OF
national pride, demands that our support be
glyen 20 our own nation. II the southern
people haze become foreigners, The logical in
ference could be that they are no longer en-
titled to our syHpdthies and consideration as
Jettolo-countrglReR. In that view, the nation
al honor requires that we should wrest from
them their territories with Just as little COM
Function as England conquered the Canadas
and all her North American possessions from
France IN the seven years war.