Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1864-05-26
9 aFS6D0PER -ANNIIlE


|of invasion, and though ahorn Of im
strength by the raising Of great armisss
and despite It's many short comings,4 4it has Z
been of great service both to the State aud u
Confederacy during this war.15 lo esassse7ee.
On theTimpoftapt topic Of spssoaa tho }
Governor holds forth thus: esonf yi@saiAaoaas
| Nor have Il amid all the embarrasa-s2
ments and perplexitiess Of the; situation, "a
been unmindful oe the great object Of al
our blood and suffering or neg :
lectful of all proper and honorable eforta
to obtain it-knowing the great desire Of
lour people to save the precious blood of
their children, if BY any possibility an
opening might be found for the statesfnan =
80 stipercede the soldier, I'll approachsde
the President on the first opportunity
presented by the cessation of hostilitiss
last winter, and urged him to appoint
commissioners and try. what might DO
done by negotiation. l had little hope
indeed, OF those commissioners being rec
ceived by the government Of our enemy,
but thought it our duty, for hunanity's Z
sake, to make the effort and to convin ce o
our own suffering people, that their gov.
ernment was tender of their lives aud .
property and happiness. -. +; i.
! Ny letter to the President last Decem-
Der, and his reply, are sent herewith tor
your information.
/ respectfully recommend that you, -
Representatives of the people of North Car
olina, should lay down what you would
consider fair basis of peace, and call up d
on our Representative in Congress, and
those to whom is committed the power Of
making treaties, by the Constitution, to
neglect no fitting opportunity of Offering
such to the enemy. These terms IN nay
Judgment should be nothing less than the
independence of those States, whose dsstt-
nies have been fairly united with the Com
fe6eracy by the voice of their people, and
the privilege Of free choice to thoss
which have been considered doubtful. sisrs
! I presume that no honorable man or pa
ltrot could think of anything less than in
! dependence. Less would be subjugation,
ruinous and dishonorable. Nobody at tho
North thinks of reconstruction, simply be~
cause 1t is impossible. With a constitu>s
! ton torE into shreds, with slavery abolish.
ed, with our property con6scated arid
ourselves and our children reduced to beg
, gary, our slaves put in possession of our
!! lands. and invested with equal rights so<
cial and political, and a great gulf yawn-
ing between the North and South flled
with the blood of our murdered sons, and
it's waves laden with the debris Of our
ruined homes, how can there be any rs-
construction with the authors Of Theses
evils, or how can it be desirable If II were
! possible : Lincoln himself says it is not
i possible-so does Mr.. Fillmore, whom We.
4 once respected; and 80 do nine-tenths Of
their orators and preases. The only terms
! ever offered us, contained in Mr.. L:ncolRs
/ Infamous proclamation, were alike degrads
! ing ia matter and insulting in manner, be-
/ ipg addressed not to the authorities, Con.
/ federate Or State, of the Souths bnt to in-
dividuals, who by the very act Of accept
ing its terms would prove themselves the
4 vilest of mankind. .es F.,s @1 81, g 4 ..ss adas
/ 4 cannot too earnestly warn you, gem
. tien,en, and the country, against the great
4 danger of these insidious attempts ofyathe
. enemy to seduce our people into treating
with him for peace, individually orby the
) formation Of spurious States or parts o.
States. Indeed Imight add, that l., look
4 upon any attempts 20 treat for peace, 9th.
; er than through the regular channela proc
! vided by our constitution, % long - our
/ government is maintained, as almost eqnalr
! " dangero Ir is the real peril of tho
hour. The long continuance and bloody
character, Of the war, have SO sxhansted
the patience Of our suffering people that
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