Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-23


with which the air is thick If Stanton
viii resign to Butler, let it be done. IF
Father Welles is to resign his trident and
Farragut to rule over the sea, let that be
done. And if Walker must take the place
of Fessenden, let that also come to pass
Thus only will peace coma to the public
mind.
Horace Greeley on the RumOrs of
Peace.
We presume none of our readers have
credited the Washington reports that
President Lincoln was about to send Com
missioners TO Mr.. Jefferson Davis at Rich
mond, in quest of Peace. Probably moth
ing else could be done SO cartain as this to
protract the War by encouraging and
strengthening the Rebels It would be
interpreted, even in Virginia, as confess
sion of failure and impotence; while by
the time it had reached Louisiana and
Texas it would be magniaed and distorted
into an offer 10 surrender at discretion re.
cognize the Southern Confederscy, and
pay the expense of the War. If our
President were desirous, as our adversaries
have slanderously charged, to make the
War eternal, this would be his most prom
ising resort.
But that the President, his Cabinet, and
the loycl people ardently desire peace,
and hope for its early achievement, Is we'll
known. They doubtless differ from their
European and rebel tradueers Is to what
constitutes peace, and how it is to be
achieved; but that is natural. A treaty
which should arrest the war by giving Us
a hostile frontier, zigzsg in direction, aud
three thousand miles long, through the
heart Of what was formerly our country,
would bring no true peace. A treaty
/ which should even restore a semblsnce OF
Union, but affirm or imply the right OF
/ any State 10 break up that Union at dis
cretion, would be only sowing the seed Of
many and Inevitable wars. And q treaty
which should leave slavery still vital snd
strong enough to fly at the throat of the
Nation atthe earliest chance afforded by
foreign hostility or domestic agitation
would afford but precsrious and slender
promise Of lasting peace.
Hence we conclude that no thought Of
sending Commissioners to Richmond is
entertained at Washington. The peace that
might be grsciously conceded by the
potentste who bears sway in that city
would not be such as the nation could &C
cept as a guarantee of quiet and stability
No man believes that Jefferson Davis is
prepared to make any such peace as the
| loyal millions would regard with satisfsc
i ton or the world sccept as a vindicatior
of the nations righth to exist.
But we are well assured that the party
of Peace on the basis of the Union anC
Of Impartial Freedom steadily increases Al
the South-thst hopelessness of the tri
umph Of the rebellion, forcibly expressed
in the fact broadly stated by Secretary
Cre3 holm, that the addition of each hun
dred dollars to the Confederate debt put!
but six dollars into the Confederate Treas
ury, while each dollar of gold commands
in Richmond from twenty five to twenty
eight dollars of the Confederate currency
grows daily more intense-st that the
point at which the means of casting can
non, bnying arms preparing ammuni-
ton, &c, q, can no longer be effected
by the most lavish. outlay Of rebel treas
ury Notes, Is very nearly attained. Proba
bly, fifty thousand horses would be rather
under than over the necessary annual ex
penditure of Mr.. Davis military opera
tions; and all the Confederate bonds tina
could be printed in year, no matter o
what denomination, would not buy tina
number of horses OonscrIption net only
alls the Rebel ranks, but the Rebel com
missariat as well. And when the partI
sans of rebellion have sunk into des
pondeney so abject that they dislike u
part with thoir products for its obligation!
at any price, the end cannot be far dis
tant- - -
We believe, therefore, that the time ha
come for detaching the Southern rnssse
from the frtunes Of the Rebellion, anC
that overtures looking to that end vii
soon be made by the President, eithe
through his forthcoming Message or 9th
erwise, as circumstances shall seem to rem
der expedient. And, should these over
lures be rejected, the blame will rest no
on the loyal millions nor yet on the gres
body of the Southern people, but rathe
on the guilty and desperate faction whicl
plunged the country into civil war in de
lance ofthe American People whether il
the North or in the South.