Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-06-22
Tie Peace. Manifesto.

The Peace Manifesto.
We publish today the Peace Manifesto recently
adopted BY the Confederate Congress in secret ses
sion, which deserves to be regarded as one Of the
important documents of the day. While we
do not agree with this document to the origin Of
the war So far IS the States south of US are con-
cerned yet the picture it presents of the aggressive
conduct Of our enemies, and their disregard of all
constitutional restraints in their efforts to subju
gate our people, is founded 10 strict truth; and the
appeal which is made for peace, going out to them
and to the ear of Christanized humanity elsewhere,
is we'll conceived, well expressed, and cannot fail,
sooner or later, to produce good results.
1t is noteworthy fact that the Congress of the
Confederate States has at length made an appeal
for peace. This appeal is not only to the world
but tp our adversaries themselves. The great truth
is at length recognized and acted upon by the Con-
gress, that fighting merely will never close the war
but that negotiation must be resorted to in order
to secure this desirable end The recognition of
this truth is practical triumph as far as it goes,
of the views and feelings Of the Conservatives Of
Georgia and North Carolina. The voice of the
peace men Of these and other States has at last
made itself heard through the Congress at Rich
mond. Twelve months ago, when we commenced
to urge in this paper the adoption of some plan
which would lead to negotiations and treaty Rf
peace, we were assailed and maligned and at length
mobbed on account of our sentiments. But truth is
mighty aad will prevail. We have lived 70 see the
Congress itself take up the subject and in an able
dispassionate and imposing manifesto present an
appeal for peaoe which cannot fail TO interest the
public judgment of the world, and materially in.
Auence the result of the pending elections in the
United States. Let the good work go on. The
action of Congress may not be all that we desire,
but that which has been done shows disposition
on the part That body to take some steps to stop
the efuson of blood and restore peace to the
try. All that sneeded, to give increased vgor and
potency to these steps, is the machinery suggested
in the resolutions of the Hon. J. T. Leach, the
preventative of the Sd District Of this State Let
. the sooereign States be heard in this momentous
business through their Commissioners regularly ap.
pointed, either in Convention or by their Legsls-
lures !; and let these Commissioners, making common
cause with the Confederate Commissioners he en-
powered not only to make known condition, feel
ings expectations and rights to Europe and to the
United States butte agree upon peace with
federal Commissioners treaty to be first ap-
proved by the President and Senate and then SUBJ
mitted to the people of for their approval
or rejection.
Our people, while they will continue to support
the government and while they are ready to spare
every that be spared to aid in repelling the
enemy, are nevertheless tired and grevously oppres
sed by this war They desire tosee tstopped assoc
possible, on just and honorable terms. They be
lieve it can never be done solely by fghtng-that
the North cannot conquer the South, nor the South
| the North-that we may fight twelve months or
forty months longer, and lose thousands OLIVES and
millions of treasure in addition to those already lost
and still we shall be no nearer the end than we are
now-that wemay not grow stronger, but weaker
with the lapse of time; and therefore, taking tha
common sense view of the whole matter, they most
earnestly desire that n0w-and not the next month
or the next year-some steps should oe taken fGr
negotiations. The people do not agree with Gov.
Vance that the "efort to obtain peace is the prirl
cipal matter" The "princpal matter" is peace
Efforts which may be made to repress disconten t,
or to deceive the people by empty forms, would b
alike. idle and wicked. They demand that t1ei,
servants shall be in earnest in this matter, viii ch
involves their property and their very lives, ani
the lives Of their children; and that the prop osi
ton for peace on fair basis should be pressed rvtt
as much ardor, and constantly, and determine ito,
as is shown in the conduct Of the war itself aga ins
our enemies .--.~