Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-09-09
THE TRUE TERMS OF PEACE.

Ihere Is so much SAID IN these DAYS, on
both sides of the military line concerning
terms of peace, that lookers-on have right
tosuspectan earnest desire for peace to exist
everywhereinth the United States, both in the
southern and in the northern, in tie eastern
as well as in the western, states No doubt
this is true; the people of the United States
everywhere wish for peace They, would
have it quickly, if it were not that the men
who in lS6O-l, suddenly usurped political
and military power over a great part of the
southern states firmly decline every prepo-
sition which has been made to them, and
demand, what no considerable party in the
country will grant them, tile destruction of
the Union. Unless they can destroy the
integrity of the nation they disdain the
very intimation of peace. We chance to-
know, from the best authority, that Mr.
Jefferson Davis but few weeks ago absol-
utely and finally refused to listen to. any
proposal of peace except on the ground of
southern Independence; tsand when say
southern independence" he remarked, 81
mean TO include in our Confederacy, Mary
land, all of Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky,
Arkansas and Missouri-nothing less"
This is Mr. Dayis's notion of peace--a no
ton IN which, we are sorry to say, he has
more than one coadjutor here at the North.
Most of the peaceJmen proper hold the same
notion, if they dared to avow it. But there
are others, thank Heaven, whose opinion
in regard to the right terms of peace do
not chime in with those of Wood and Val
landigham. The army, for instance, has
quite other convictions. These are well ex-
pressed in few simple verses BY ''Private
Miles O'Reilly, p which we reprint to day in
another column. Their whole view, in
deed, is admirably condensed in the cry,
eDown with the rebel rag and up with the
flag of the Union ii'Do what you please
with the negroes; put them in the army if
you want free them if you like-we care
little or nothing about thst-what we want
is to wipe out thatf which has no place
on this continent." There are several hun
dred thousand such earnest citizens face to
face with the enemy, who mean ito fight |
it out, come what may" This party, It |
must be admitted, has great influence, not
only by It's votes but by the letters which
its members are constantly writing home
to urge more devotion to the cause.
As for the people at home-that large
part ofthem which is not party ridden, but
thinks and works, and will vote steadily
for the good of the country, for honor and
It's permanent safety--their terms of peace
are, perhaps, most felicitously expressed
by phrase attributed to PresidentLincoln,
''The country win ask everything for secu-
rity-nothing for revenge" This is the
sentiment of the great mass Of people at
home who love American institutions and
hope to preserve them for their children.
1t is watchword with which any party
may appeal to the nation, for it includes
everything that an honorable, proud, and
hberty-loving nation could desire for itself,
while it excludes everything that it ought
to avoid. e'Everything for security, and
nothing for revenge" This is a far more
honorable watchword, even, and far more |
conciiiatory, than that which expressed our
just claims during the Mexican war when |
We demanded stndemnity for the past and |
security for the future" Now we ask only |
security against the recurrence of such |
war, against the intrigues and wicked am
bition of the class in the South which fore
ed this war upon the nation. Could any
people ask less! Will the American peo-
pie acceptless? Does any one believethey |
will with their eyes open, grant terms |
which viii not ensure their perfect security |
forthe future? Or, ON the other hand does
any one suppose them base enough TO insist
upon mere srevenge! 2"
But will Mr. Davis and his colnnaRi6As
the leaders of the rebellion, accept these
terms! Notthey. They haverefused them
already They viii have the Union de-
stroyed. They will have "Maryland, all of |
Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Miss
Ouri, " not to speaksofg New Orleans and
Louisiana. What then? Their power must
be broken; that is the only way to peace
and when these southern masters are swept /
away, when they no longer hold the peo- \
pie in bondage, then those peoples We are
sure, viii readily respond % the. fair and !
liberal offer which Mr. lincoln has reduo-
ed to so beautifqka fqrmula.-N 7. Post.