Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-03-28
OF the War-Exfract from the Mes
sage OF Governor Brown, of Geors

gin.
We extract from the message OF Gov. JosEPH /
B. Brown. Of Georgia, delivered at the opening
OF an extra session Of the Legislature of the State
the iollowing:
In view of these difficulties, IL nav be asked
when aud how is this war to terminated, Il is /
impossible to say when il will terminate. but IL Is
easy 10 say how il will end. We do not seek 10
conquer the Northern people. and, II We are true
to ourselves, they can never conquer Us. We
do not seek 10 take from them the right OF self |
government. or 70 govern them without their
consent. And they have not force enough toll
govern us without our consent or 70 deprive rs
of the right to govern ourselves The blood OF
hundreds of thousands may yet be spilled, and
the war will not still be terminated by force of
arms Negotiation will finally terminate it. The
pen OF the statesman, more Dotent than the sworq
Of the warrior must do what the latter has failed
70 do.
But 7 nav be asked how negotiations are to
commence when President Lincoln refuses to re
ceive commissioners sent by Us, and bis Congress
resolves TO hear no proposition for peace. re
Div that, In nv opinion. it is duty to keep it
always before the Northerp people and the civil
ized world that we are ready to negotiate for
peace whenever the people and government OF
the Northern States are prepared to recognize the
great fundamental principles of the Declaration
OF Independence, maintained by our common an
cestry-tbe right of all to sef-goyernment and
the sovereignty OF the States. In my judgment,
it is the duty of our government. after each i'm
poriant victory achieved by our glorious and gal
liant armies on the battlefield. to make a distinct
proposition TO the Northern government for peace
on these terms. By doing this, if the PROPOSE
ton is declined by them, we will hold them up
constantly in the wrong, before their own people
and the judgment of mankind Ii they refuse to
receive the commissioners who bear the PROPOSE
ton, publish IL in the newspapers, and let the
conduct of their rulers be known to the people,
aud there is reasonable ground TO hope that the
time may not be far distant when a returning
sense of justice and desire for self protection
against despotism at home will prompt the peo-
pie of the Northern States to hurl from power
those who deny the fundamental principle upon
which their own liberties rest, and who can never
be satated with human blood. Let US stand on
no delicate point OF etiquette or diplomatic cere-
mOny. If the proposition is rejected dozen
times, let Us tender it again after the next vic
tory-that the world may be treasured from
month to month, that we are not responsible
for the continuance of this devastation and car
mage.
Let it be repeated again and again to the north
ern people. that all ask is that they recognize
the great principle upon which their own govern
ment rests-the sovereignty of the StaieS-and
let our own people hold our own government TO
a strict account for every encroachment upon this
vital principle.
Herein lies the simple solution of all these
troubles
If there be any doubt any question of
doubt, as TO the sovereign will OF any one or all
the States of this ConreGeracy upon the subject
of their present or future alliance. let all armed
no with draU lpff hat W
he fairly expressed at the balOt-box by the legal
voters Of the State. and let all parties abide by
the decision
Let each State have. and freely exercise, the
right to determine its own destiny in its own way
This is all that we have been struggling for from
the beginning. 1t is a principle that secures
rights ineStimable to freemen, and formidable to
tyrants only"
/ Let both governments adopt this mode of set
/ Element, which was bequeathed to them by the
! great men of the Revolution, and which has
since been adopted by the Emperor Napoleon, as
the only mode for the government OF states, or
even provinces. and the ballot box will soon
achieve what the sword cannot accomplish-re-
store peace to the country. and uphold the great
doctrines of State sovereignty and constitutional
liberty.
If it is question of strife whether Kentucky
| or Maryland. any other State, shall cast her
|
States there l. no mode OF settling IL SO Justly
with little cost, and with much satisfaction
to her own people, 10 withdraw all military
force from her limits, aud leaye the decision, not
TO the sword but to the ballot box. If she should
decide for herself TO abolish slavery and 90 with
the North, the Confederate government can have
no Just cause for complaint. Tor that government
had its origin in the doctrine that all its lust
powers are derived from the consent of the gov
ing a sovereign State, against her will. But il
she shsud design to retain her Institutions, and
60 with the South. as we doubt not she will when
the question j. fairly submitted TO her people al
the polls, the Lincoln government must acquieSce
or it must repudiate and trample upon the very
essential principles on which it was founded, and
which were carried out in practice by the fathers
of the republic for the first half century of its
existence
What Southern can object to this mode
of settlement? Ii all that South Carolina
Virginia or Georgia claimed when she seeded
from the Union. 1t is all that either has At any
time claimed. and all thar either can Justly
claim And what friend of Southern indepen-
dence fears the RESULT What has the abolition
government done 10 cause the people of any
Southern State TO desire to reverse her decision
and return ingloriouslv TO its embrace Are We
afraid the people OF any seeded State will desire
To- place the State back in the abolition Union
under the Lincoln despotsm. after il has uevas-
tated their fields, laid waste their country
burned their cities. slaughtered their sons and
degraded their daughtersT There is no reason
for such fear
But NAV be told that Mr. Lincoln has re-
pudated this principle in advance. and that it i,
idle again to tender settlement upon these
terms There i no reason why should with
hold the repeated renewal of the proposition
Let il he made again and again till the mass OF
the Northern people underlined it; and SIR. Lin
coin cannot continue 70 stand before them anC
! the world, stained with the blood of their sons
their husbands, and their fathers and insist. wheT
a proposition so fair i constantly rendered, thu
thousands of victims shall sill continue t.
bleed. TO gratifv his abolition fanaricism satisfy
bis revenge and serve his ambition TO govern
these States upon the decision Of one-tenth o
the people in his favor, against the other nine
tenths lie, the Northhrn and Southern mind b,
brought TO contemplate this subject in all il.
! magnitude; and While there NAV be extreme met
on the Northern side satisfied with nothing les.
than the Sublugstion % the South. and the con-
tscailon OF our property. and, like extremes OF
the Souther side, whose morbid sensbities ar,
shocked At the mention of negotiation. or tn,
renewal of an offer by Us Tor settlement upOr
any terms, cannot doubt that the cool headed
thinking men. on both sides of the line who ar,
devoted TO the great principles of self govern
, ment and State sovereignty, including the scar
covered veterans OF the army. will finally settl,
down upon this a the true solution of the crea