, 1864-07-29
THE WASHINGTON STATESMAN
FRIDAY EVENING. JULY 90, 1864.

Thompson, of mississippi, Beverly Tucker OF
Virginia, and Geo. N. Sanders, are at that place
devising basis of action for the Chicago Con-
venton, which shall end the war and secure a
triumph to the Democratic party, Though not
claiming to speak for the seeded States as yet,
they hold out strong hopes of getting their as
sent. The propositions are believed to be as
follows:
lst. The return of the seeded States to the
Union.
I'd. The assumption of the Confederate
debt.
Sd. The recognition of the freedom of the
slaves actually eEnancipated in the progress of
the war and the statu quo ante bellum as to all
others.
The above, which comes among this weeks
dispatches, is important if true. 1t would be
matter of great Importance alone to know
that there are many pro-siavery men in the Sc
ceded States who are still willing, condition
ally, to live within the Union and resume their
allegiance to the Federal Government. 1t is
but natural that these representative pro-slavery
men should place what propositions they have
to make before the Chicago Convention, which
is to assemble in August. The party which
will be represented in that Convention is the
only party this side of Mason and Dixon's line
that would for a moment give considerat lion to
either of the latter propositions. We do not
believe that the radical parties would be willing
to let the rebel States resume their allegiance
except through the total abolition of slavery,
though no doubt the Fremont party would be
willing to shoulder the Confederate debt and
every ether responsibility if the South would
submit to the immediate cxtinctinction of sla-
very and its twin sister, the recognition of ne
gro and white equality But the toughest of
the propositions is that relating to the mon
strous and odious Confederate debt To have
to deal with such q scare-crow as that, may well
appall even a Democratic Chicago Convention.
The Federal debt is immense enough to forbid
the idea that anything more than the interest
on it will ever be paid, and with the rebel debt
added, it would burthen the nation with much
heavier debt than that which hangs over tie
tax-ridden people of Great Britain. And should
this debt be assumed, what would the Govern
ment have accomplished by prosecuting this
bloody and devastating war? That's the ques-
ton! The nation would be left in the same
condition, so far as political questions are con-
cerned, that it was in before the war, yet with
hecatombs of dead and destruction of property
unparalleled, in so brief struggle, in the
worlds history. With a total debt of six bill
lion dollars and left in the same political condi-
ton, men mightwell look back and exclaim,
Iswhat causeless war I' It seems the height
of impudence, at least, that the chvalry should
ask the North to assume a debt which they
brought upon themselves by rebeling against
a government which had never harmed them
and which they were in duty bound to support.
But supposo the war continues as at present
conducted by the North, for the Subjugation of
the South, the confscation of rebel property
and turning the rebel lands over to the negroes.
This might be long and bloody road to travel
with the certainty of ruinous debt, and per-
haps discovered Union in the end. Looking
at the question of war in the light that Stephen
A. Douglas viewed it, that a needlessly protrac-
ted war would result in disunion, "fnal, eter-
nal separation" what better result than that
may reasonably be expected if a war of subju-
cation and determination be continued, and no
inducements, except of degrading nature,
held out for the rebels to resume allegiance to
the Government? To US it appears evident that
the war must be put upon its original, legiti-
mate basis, and conducted simply against the
rebellion to restore the Union, without reference
to the domestic institutions of the seeded
States or prove deplorable and miserable
failure. If the war policy be not changed and
the clash of arms continues may begin to
contemplate disunion in all its hideous proper
tions. The CONSERVATIVES everywhere take this
view. Then should the war continue with the
present policy adhered to and disunion follow
as one of the evil results, the debt for the
North alone might be still greater than at pres
ent with the federal and confederate debt COM
bined Mr.. Lincoln has said that ''it is easier
to pay large sum than larger sum-" and it
is easy to see which would be the larger sum
if the war should not prove successful. The
South cannot resume her place in the Union
with her own debt to pay and at the same time
assume her full proportion of the Northern
debt. That would be burthen which no peo
pie could bear and it were worse than folly to
contemplate such a scheme. One of two things
must inevitably follow the return of the rebels
to the federal fold, they must repudiate their
debt or bring it along with them and halve it
with the North. But will they repudiate Per-
haps not; but if the war continues much
longer both North ana South must repudiate.
That fact should be apparentto to the dullest COM
prehension 1t is time that people were begin
ming to look at these questions in rational
manner and cease their fanatical visionary spec
ulations about tho everlasting niger. They
must soon come to their senses or come to grief.
that VIC arc in doubt whether they have any,
but grief5, real or imaginary, they have in
abundance.
Arch Turner was nominated for Delegate to
Congress by the Idaho Union Convention, held