The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-10-21


his views Of peace. 1t 10 . safely an
studiously non-committal attempt to max
rebel capital, and ! kind inquiry-of "Ho'
are you. Chicago Platform r. from it
Confederate friends. But the New Yorl
World halls the production as ''glean
of light" Is III II it be 90, then, We
too, will hail its radiAtions with pleasure
Mr. Stephens says that no man Twins
"can possibly feel a more ardent desi..
for an end TO be put to this unnatural
and merciless war than himself. We'll
said, Alexander H.. but as he afterward.
makes us the parties guilty Of "waqinp
this unholy crusade" against the South
and as he Immediately says that he really
does not see as it is in his power, or o,
those whom he addresses, or any numbe,
of persons in bis and their condition to
bring about peace, and when we remen
Der that he occupies the second highest
position in the rebel Confederacy, then
Mr.. Ssephenss "gleam" of peace becomes
a very "Will O. the wi.p."
1t was by the voluntary action Of Mr..
Stephens that be became an instrument
Of war; is he powerless now to become
"a agent of peace? For text upon
which to b'se his peace projections, he
enunclstes the most ultra phase of the
States Rights doctrine, finding in the
"ul,imate absolute sovereignty of the
States" ''tbe fundamental prlncple and
truth upon which all American coosti,u.
tionsl liberty is founded" He says:
Easy and perfect solutions to all pres.
en-. troubles, and those FAR more grievous
ones which loom 10 prospect and porten-
tously threaten in the coming future, is
nothing more than the simple recognition
OF the fundamental principle aud truth
upon which oil American constitutional
liberty is founded, and upon the main
tenauce of which alone it can be presery-
ed-that is, the sovereignty, the ultimate
absolute sovereignty of the States. This
doctrine our L 'gislature announce-to the
people at the North and to the world. IT.
is the only key note to pesce-permanent
lasting peace-consistent with the secu.
rity of the public liberty"
Jefferson Davis would say acknowledge
the independence of the Southern Con-
federacy. In more studied phrase Mr..
Stephens says acknowledge the "absolute
sovereignty of the States," and either in
wolves he other aud one involves both
The proposition of either Mr.. Davis or
M Stephens is equivalent to conces.
sion Of all for which the rebels have been
fighting, and involves, de facto, the dis
rupton of the Union.
The rebel Vice President does not claim
for every State the right to control ils own
domestic institutions under the Constitu-
ton and without interference by the Fed.
eral Government or sister States. He
doesn t claim for the States their relation
to the Government. His proposition em.
braces no States co-equal with each other
and the General Government over them
all I; it does not embrace any Union at
ali it igGores the Government of our
fathers-the Government OF the United
Slstes-and instead gives US the "ulli
timase absolute sovereignty Of the States"
The South claimed the right, in the doe
tIine Of secession, TO destroy this Govern
ment whenever it saw proper SO to do.
This rebellion is the effor, 10 enforce that
assumed right by the stern argument of
war and to resist such pernicious claim,
and TO preserve the Union which the South
would destroy, We are waging this con-
test.
Mr., S.ephens comes talking abou. terms
Of peace. and his FIRST demand is that We
reliBquish the ground upon which We
stand in the effort 10 pul down the re-
beI,on.
But lie is in favor of Convention of
the States. The World saws:
''Does MI. Stephens say, as the aboli-
tlonlsts say, that the Southern States
would not meet those of the North 10 con
vehtiou, To consider and discuss the points
OF DIFF sgeuco? M. On the contrary, the
DRIFT of his letter is favorable to the ac-
ceptanca o. such purpose"
Mr. Stephens $ favorable inclination to-
wards tins measure he explains thus:
1.-The prominent and leading idea OF the
Chicago Convention seems to have been
q desire to reach a peaceful adjustment of
our present difficulties and strife through
the medium Of a convention Of the States.
They propose 10 suspend hostifties to see
what can be done, If any ything, by uego-
tia,ions of some sort. Tnis is one step in
the right direction. To such a conven
ton OF the States have no objection, az
q peaceful conference and an interchange
OF views between equal and Sovereign
powers, just as the Convention of 1877
was called and assembled.
g The properly constituted authorities
at Washington and Richmond, the duly
authorized representatives Of the two
confederacies OF States now at war with
each other, might give their assent to
such a proposition. Good might result
from it.
aBut should favor such q propositiop