Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-05
RECONSTRUCTION.
important Extract fgOm Vice Presf-
dent BtePhens---s;e epIy to Gen. Sher-
mau's Conference Proposition.

The letter from Wee PRESIDENT stephens
to William King,ths messenger from Gener
al Sherman, with propositions to negotiate,
is published. The invitation was for the
Vice President to meet the Yankee IN At
lants. After expressing his anxiety to
promote the termination Of the "fratricidal
war; Mr.. Stephens says =
But. in the present instance, the entire
absence of any power on my psrtto enter
into such negotiations, and the like absence
of any such power on his part, 20 far as
appears from his message, necessarily pre-
cludes my acceptance of the invitation
thus rendered. In communicating this to
General Sherman, you may also say to him.
that If he is Of opinion that there Is any
prospect Of our agreeing upon terms OF ad-
iustTnent, to be submitted TO the action Of
our respective governments, even though
he has no power to act Il advance In the
premises, and will make this known to me.
in some formal and authoritative manner
fbeing so desirous for peace himself, as you
represent him to have expressed himself
would most cheerfully and willingly, with
the consent of our authorities, accede to his
request thus manifested, and enter with
all the earnestness of my nature, upon the
responsibIe and arduous task of restoring
peace and harmony to the country upon
principles of honor, right and justice tO-all
parties. This dees not seenn TO me at all
impossible, if truth and reason should be
permitted to have their full sway.
Yours, most respectfully.
ALEXANDER Il. STEPHENS.
NEGOTIATIONS To -oesEE ONLY VIXEN TEE
BELLIaEREETs ARE EXHAUSTED.
TFron TIE Richmond sSptlnsl1
aPeaoe cannot be secured by fighting "
is a cry that we hear sometimes from the.
fainthearted. It must be made by ne
gotiajon," they say. Very true; and yet
such is the nature of belligerent man that
fighting is often the only road to negotia-
tions. Two men on the court-green en-
gage In a combat to settle some difficulty,
efforts of friends having been unavsiling.
In the first shock and fury ofthe tight woe
to him who attempts to part them and to
institute negotiations" But wait until
they are well blown, until blackenea
bruises and bleeding wounds have taken
away the ardor of combat, and then boy
can separate them, and negotiations :
ending in peace" is the most natural of
things. Peace is finally established
through the negotiation, but the fighting
had made negotiation practicable and
easy. r--.f .sa-l II. ....=.--.f.g
In the war which the United States is
waging upon US it is in vain to expect ne
gotiati0ns- until the asssiling party has
been pummeled out of his fury, or comes.
to despair of success. The failure of hope
will be attended with q sense of WEAKNESS
and exhaustion that will prepare our adj
versaries for negotiation. Til then, and
while they are raining their blows upon
US with all their fury, and filling the air
with vauntings of victory, the petition for
peace coming from us would d-be as snivel-
ling as the supPlicsting "Please, SIR
which is heard at the whipping post in
answer to each fall of thelash. The duty
of the present hour is to deal right lusty
blows upon our enemy, and to make him
disguised with his undertaking. Peace
viii then come of its owR accord. It can
never come before but bg submission. II
those among US who cry out for negotis
ton mean submission, their conduct is
logical, though not frank. If they do not
mean Submission they are encouraging the
enemy snd injuring the cause of the eOun-.
try BY their whimperings; and they ought
to respect the public judgment sufficiently
to give over their timid and Unmanly
counsels. nTF 10
4 R1ooDTHIRsTI REBEL VIEW OF RECON-
sTRUCTIoE. ~
Correspondence Of the RIShmond Wing, Oct. 81
Taking Of reconstruction, there is but
one means for q thorough reunion, and
that Is by a combination between the Con
fedeTate and the Northern conservatives,
cemented by the blood of the black repubr
licaus. If the Northern conservatives
would at once and actively cooperate with
US on this basis, there may be hopes Of
happy and permanent reunion. But moth
ing Short of the DloOd-the determination
of the monsters who have made this wsr
will suffice. -..--.....
If the Northern conservatives are ready
for this combination, the next, and pos
sibly our best alternative, is annexation TO
England or france This would render
reunion impossible, and at the same
timesgratify that which is the absorbing pas
sion OF every Southern heart-vengeanc
on the Internal Yankees 1 would make
the application for annexation in the first
instance to England as the mother country.
If she declines, we could then apply TO
France. The advantages to either would
be so great thai refusal could not be eX-
pected. E -- "ey
The advantages TO US would be, eternal
separation from the Yankees, and the ability
of Wresking upon that Goddess race "A
rich and sweet revenge. AT present, how
ever! able we may be TO maintain our in
dependence, we are not able TO desolate
their land as they have desolated ours
Until that Is effected the dead cannot rest
quietly in their graves.
q. s.