Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-22
NEWS FROM THE SOUTH.
The Peace QuestiOu-The letter Of II
seneII v. JOhnsOH-The Peace Pa
in rhe SO1th.
TFrOm tho Richmond Dispatch, Oct III

lFrom thu Richmond Dispatch, Oct H.
The letter of the Hon. Herschell V.
johnson on the peace propositions, which
we have not yet been enabled to publish, is
in striking contrast with the letters of
Messrs. Stephens and Brown, of Georgia,
and Mr.. Boyce, of South Carolina. Mr.:
johnson is as anxious for peace as either OF |
these gentlemen; but, under the circum-
stances, he can see no way to obtain it. As !
we are the party acting on the defensive, !
while the Yankees are still, as they have
been from the beginning, the aggressors,
he does not think it altogether becoming
in us to make the first proposal. Should
we, however, put our dignity in our pocket
and go forward as q suppliant, there Is no
appearance or probability that we should
be met in the spirit of peace. On the con-
| trary, reason ing from everything that
has occurred in this connection, there
is "a much greater probability
there is an absolute certsinty-that our
motives will be entirely misconstrued, and
that our approaches Will be attributed to
fear. The proposition for convention
meets with Senator Johnson's decided dis
approval he can see no difference be-
tween it AMI an absolute surrender Of all
we have been fighting for.
We cannot too highly applaud the man
ly tone and strong common sense views Of
. Senator johnson and they are presented
to the public at the precise point of time
at which they are most needed. Recent de-
-velo0me7Its in that quarter haze produced
DaiIlfsL impressions IN Virginia. TIE let
ters of Msssrs. Stephens and BOyee, and the
, ,gkols conduct of Coz. BTo1gn, haze not been
calculated to re-assure as A6ovs every
: thing else, there has been ertretne concern
to use no stronger teT8l-tO f1ad that
, there should be men of influence IN the t'OC
3 States that first lUent ostt of the Union, and
carried the Others along a5ith them to settLt
J matters with the enemy and lease otheI
1 States, srho left the Union later, the bag t.
! hold ; for that is the amount of it all. Ger
o tain States are to make their peace
u flor that is what it mesns) anC
e ne then to return to making cottoI
s once more. The Yankees, having them Of
II their hands, are then to take their satisfac
y tion out of Virginia; and that it will be
s, bitter one everybody can well understand
es These gentlemen may disguise their inten
tions as they may; but if their object D
y not reconstruction, their course leads II
ii evitsbly to it, and Senator Johnson's lette
C is the more acceptable from its provin
that the counsels of these men are nj
" shared by all in that section Of the eouI
- try.
"a It seems to US that Messrs. Brow
60 Stephens and Boyce propose very clun
ar sy machine for efecting their object. Not
-le, ing can be easier than to return to Il
III bosom of the Union. Lincoln himst
en- tells US how it can be done. Lay dow
no your arms in the fl st place. Acknowledl
OF that there is no such rights as State righi
re and that the federal government is sove
1et eign and supreme. Confess that the
ms tempt to establish separate independen
is wicked and Gamnable rebellion. A
ne knowledge that you, as one Of its abetto
w. are liable to all the penalties affixed to t
In crime of high treason. Admit that a p
sident Of the United States has right
he set all the negroes of the South free by
10 proclamation.
'ur These are the terms Abe offers Th
nd are the terms you will get by going int
convention. Why interpose the conV'
Inc ton at all