The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-09-19


missioners are Grant, sherman, and Farragut, and
that the only treating" for an aTnistice must be
done, not by civilians, but through them, at the cam
mons mouth.
The Daily Ne,cs, you will sec in its issue Of thi.
morning, has this significant paragraph
We are happy in being able to state that pre-
liminary steps are being taken by the friends Of
peace to call National Convention of the Demo-
dent and Tice-President."
The preliminary steps" above referred to are
understood to be: first, correspondence between
the Woods here and the Chairman of the Democratic
reconvene the Chicago Convention and the latter
begging leave to decline second, the consideration
OF call from the party OF the second part upon all
delegates to that convention who in favor of the
platform, to assemble in the same city to nominate
candidates for President and President and
third, the appointment of a committee to wait at
once upon Mr.. Pendleton to whether he, too,
stands by or repudiatcs the platform.
THE ENTRANCE OF THE TALLAHASSEE INTO wILMfNe-
TON, NORTH CAROLINA.
A letter to the New York Herald, from Beaufort
North Carolina, gives description of the running
into Wilmington Of the Confederate cruiser Talla-
hassee. 1t says:
On the night of the 18th instant, at twenty mi
nutes past ten, Captain Phelon, commanding the
gunboat Monticello, while cruising off New inlet
discovered steamer standing for the shore under
full head Of steam He immediately ordered all
men TO quarters; and when about five hundred yards
distant, challenged her, but elected no reply A
second challenge was met by silence. and he direct
ed that a package of nine-lnch grape should be
presented to the mysterious stranger. The arrival
Of the grape at its destination ascertained by
peculiar sound, caused by contact with resistance
and there Is no reason to doubt that the side of the
boat received II. The stranger then replied by
turning she'll Of large calibre, which passed be-
tween the foremost and mainmast of the Monticello
exploding on the other side, without intcting amy
damage. Captain Phelon now became more earnest,
and sent thirty FOUNDER shell, to which reply was
made i'll grape, striking almost under the stem o;
the Monticello. The Monticello then opened with
nine-inch and thiry-pounder shell, short fuse but
was disappointed at receiving shots in return,
and then, for the first time, discovered that the
stranger had suddenly disappeared
During the engagement, a rebel battery of Whit
worth guns stationed On the shore at point mile
so distant, kept up constant fire, directed
against the Monticello but, fortunately, doing no
damage, though frequently coming very ciose.
The steamer apparently made of from the shore
In direction southeast, and Captain Phelon fol-
lowed the beach in the hope that he might again in
tercept her. The battery the shore still eontin-
ued its fire, but with no great effect.
From the first momen. OF discovering the strange
craft, the Monticello commenced to throw rockets
signals understood by the rest OF the fleet, distant
over eight miles from the scene of action-an con-
nued to keep them applised of the condition of af-
fairs. At about ii p NJ, communication was es-
tabhshed between Captain Phelon and senior officer
OF contest Deeming further search III the dark
to be feeble it was abandoned, and vigorous look
out was kept up by all the feet during the rest Of
the night.
When day had dawned SO as to make distant OBJ
lects pereeptble, much to the surprise OF the
Dled Vessels there could be discerned lying sereney
and securely under the guns OF Fort Fisher the long
sought object of their search the rebel steamer
lahasSee.- As If to tantslize them the more, Fort
Fisher gave her salute Of eleven guns, to which
she in the same manner replied. Aud there she
still lays and probably will continue to stay, unless
some dark night be the closing era of her career
for it hardly seems possible that she will be permit.
ted TO go she came; which, by the way, rather
mysterious. AS she must have passed around BY
the western bar and IN any event necesstated pass
ing by several bloekaders, and as the night was
bright and starlight this adds to the mystery. Ad.
mira Lee designs taking all possible precautio, and
will Tomorrow leave this post to visit the blockade
off Wilmington.
1t would seem as if still another was to be added
to the rebel cruisers. few nights ago. large fas,
steamer, carrying at her stern the English ensign
at her foremost the rebel colors entered the port of
Wilmington. Fort Caswell and the battery fired q
feu de j0is. She is supposed to be a new rebel
CRUISER to have had board some distin2 vi shed
welcome Passenger. She, likewise, still remains
there.
The Tallahassee had but one mast standing when
engaged by the Monticello.
THE RESULT OF M'cLELLAN's LETTER-THE EDITORS
WANT A NEW CONVENTION.
The New York Ne,es of the 18th states that " pre-
liminary steps are being taken by the friends OF
peace to call a National Convention of the Demo-
crazy to place in nomination candidates for President
and yice-President." In its leader of the same
day, the Nescs says:
But the advocates of peace are welded to a prin-
ople which goes side by side WITH and is insepara-
BILE FROM their devotion OF the Union the great pru-
ciple OF selfgovernment, the consecrated American
principle that all legitimate government is derived
from the consent of the governed. Resting upon
this which they believe to be the historical corner
stone of their free institutions they believe the idea
of Union brought about by force to be, intrinsic
cally, proigate absurdity. They believe that war
never rebuild the blessed fabric raised for us by
our fathers, which the bloody hands of fanaticisn
and violence have already shattered into ruins
They believe that We cannot fight free men into
loving us; that we cannot slaughter and trample
them into brotherhood with Us and that, even if
we could, we should be immeasurably more infamous
than they. The Peace Democracy believe, further
that the armed coercion Of States constitutional
heresy, and that it cannot be contaminated without
striking vital blow at the first principles of the
Federal compact, and consolidating despotism at
Washington in the stead of the benignant and
limited power which meant to foster the peace.
full union of happy and eonsenting States.
These conditions organ of the Peace De-
mocracy, the Daily Ne,es has never tsased to pro-
mitigate and defend. They are the solemn creed of
the good men and true for whom it speaks. Every
event of the cursed which is upon us has Illus
trated and confirmed their truth, and il the Ford
and its co-relgioniss in blood had dedicated them
selves to the support OF such principles instead of
scattering the internal seeds of barbarty and hate
we should not be at the melancholy point where
the Democratic party and its candidate are disput-
ing, with abolitionism and its representative the
palm of devotion to policy Of determination. We
use this language deliberately and adyisedly. Gene
raj McClellan's words and purposes cannot be mis-
taken or misunderstood. After seeming to SEX
haust the resources OF statesmanship re-estabsh
the Union, he says:
"If frank earnest and persistent effort to obtain
these should fall the responsibility for ute-
rior consequences viii fall upon those who remain
in arms against the Union. But the Union must be
preserved at all hazards"
To what "ulterior consequences" does he allude
and what s. hazards"! He means war, and no hoi,-
est man will pretend that he means anything else
He means that If he cannot reconstruct the Uni0A
by negotiatiOn-nay, more, to use his own language
IN another part of the letter. if the people Of the
south not "ready for peace on the basis Of the
Union as condition precedent to negotiation
the consequences will be their own heads and he
will make war on them until tissy yield They may
have solemnly declared by Ssate conventions, Or
that they will not re-eiitel into conn
mon government with as; the people may be as
liked and unanimous as their leaders; they may
Davis has recently declared still, General MCCALL
an 10 pledged tooyerthrov their resolves by fire and
word. He 10 pledged TO light and slay them till
hey surrender the principle Of choosing their own
orm Of government. He Il pledged to an intsr,nn-
lbe strife il there IL permanent resistance. He il
chances Of ruin and overthrow which are within |
be "hasards" and curses Of civil conflict. He has
y hxsd point but Union, at which he will stay the
ide Of blood.
To policy 30 wicked, 80 inhumanly absurd, We |
annot, nor can any Peace Democrat, subscribe |
Iithout reneuadna from everv s,,viefioss and fra,