Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-03-25
THE DEFEAT OF LINCOLN PREREQUISITE TIC
THE RESTORATION OF PEACE.
A farmer.

In Senator Hlll's.speech at La Grange Ga. on the
ls nst he presented his views in regard to the pros
pects of termination Of the war. We copy the fol-
lowing extracts from the speech After stating the
momentous issues Involved in this struggle Mr.. Hill
said:
Not only to u.s. then but TO every not Victimzed
by fanaticsm this Continent, certainly TO every
rational man in the United States the query becomes
Of absorbing interests Where and by what means shall
this contest be determined? / answers TIE contes.
will continue as 0rg as the power and the idea repre-
senled by Abraham L'ncolu dominant in the United
States. 1t will end when that power ia defeated and
that idea repudiaed by the people OF the Northern
States. The contest certainly end uutil that
idea is repudated, and do not think it be repudi
ated exceps by the defeat, a; the bAlotbox of the
power which sustains and is sustained by that idea
do not belieVs there aGy raOna hope that either
Mr. Lincoln, any other representative of tina. idea
will ever repudate the idea or the purpose long
he has the power. .a.sB.l
The accession CT the party, organic ID upon that idea
70 power the elimination OF that sectional hatred
which resulted in disruption Rni war and all the CO..
sequent eVls. The declens OF tha party and its
idea from both powe aud responsibility, is the only
naturA, proper Effective remedy for these evils
And the people who did the wrong mus! correct it,
The people who gave power TO anaticsm must with
draw that power and must repudiae aad utterly crush
out tha, faaaIicsm. II Mr.. Line lin or any represen
tatve OF his party be iosen President in 1864 that
choice must be accepted by us and by the world as
popular rat caton not only OF aboltonism but oil the
war, Of the policy Of the war and OF the system on
which the is waged and Of the purposes Tor which
i! is Wagsd Thus ratified the war must continus four
years longer. Ga the other hand, the defeat of Mr.
Lincoln any representative Of his party in this elec.
tion will be accepted by thepsope of these States as
reputation Of the war, OF the policy of the war; and
| OF the purposes for which il is waged and thus a
door will be opened Tor negotiation, which will result
=. l.. AZ. III.
and most conducive to the inter, of both parties
Tae Presidential election in the United STATES in 1864
then, is the event which determine the issue of
peace war, aud with IT, the desnies of both coun-
tries. For Lncolns defeat then let soldiers fight let
patriots hope ard let Christians pray
The practical question then is What G IN
We OF the Confederate Staes do to aid in this defeat
10 my opinion we can d. much In truth my language
isnot stronger than my CONVICTIONS, when / say we
control that election.
The frat agency which We can art 70 this end il to
defeat Mr. LncolnS armies in the last approaching cam
paigns. Without this nothing else can do will or
can avail With this, first accomplished, we can Sc
cure any rational the desirable results P.o-
posals Of negotiations from US, matters now stand
inconsistent with honor and futile Tor good. Mr.
ncon Will not NJ )tiate, aud h3 IL determined we
shall this end he keeps the Issue in such shape
to make IL dishonorabe even evidence of weak
ness-in TO propose negotiation. Madness is his
gument; sutjugation is his policy; and infantry ant l.
hry and cavalry are his oaly ft commissioner But
Mr. Lincoln and his adherens do constitute all the
North. There are many, very many there who oppose
his war, who oppose the system which his war Is
Waged and the purpose for which it is waged These
believe that Christian and civilized people ought at
least TO attempt the jusnert OF their difficulties by
the Christian and cVbz I'd agencies of pts,e We can.
not propose negotiations 10 these, because they canno.
respond They cannot nov propose negolat ons to us
because they are no. in authority BIE they declare
their willingness to discuss, TO neg .tats whenever
they get tina: authority Tney will appeal for that au-
thorLy 10 the bAllot-box in November next.
Nov, therefore, think that Of the Confederate
States both government and people, ought to declare
that, if the people Of the United States H. at that
election, With lraw authority from those who will not
themselves honorLbly PROPOSE snd will no; permit U.s.
in honor to propose, negotiations for peace and will
o ,nfer authority those who are willing either to
make, or TO respond such honorable proposal, that
then ready and willing to ks, to receive,
such proposal and to agree to terms consistent with the
honor both peoples and conducive to the interests of
ali parties.
Thus the issue will be: Whether the people OF the
United States will elec; M. Lincoln and continue the
war, whe her they will defea; him and accept an
hon 9rable psace vs. eau make that the ss1e. We do
make that the issue. Let all agree that that is thu
isue The people Of the North alone can decide that
issue AID with them must res! the responsibility