The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-12-13
Gentlemen who move peace PROPOSE

Gentlemen who move peace PROPOSE
tons in Congress and .tj.a various lie.
e,slatures ought TO he very. thankful to
President Lincoln. His late message
must have relieved them Of n vast deal
OF doubt and anxiety. Determined as
they seem 90 be TO have peace on any
terms, Mr. Lincoln has made il quite
plain that they eau have il on somF
terms Nay, the Yankee President goes
50 far rs to state specifically the terms
on which il car he had. The COniede-
rate States have only 10 submit, uncon-
diti0nslly, and such OF the inhabitants
rs have not been dctire IN rebelling
against Lincoln will be allowed to
breathe To this there can surely be 40
objection on the part Of those .peace-
loving gentlemen. The ancient dogma
that il is better to lose life and worldly
goods than TO sacrifice honor, can have
no Influence, OF course, upon enlight-
enei gentlemen 0f this class. A small
condition is annexed TO this gift Of life,
which, Of course, does not impair its
value The recipients must acquiesce in
ali the legislation of the Yankee Con.
gress and al the proclamations of Presi-
dent Lincoln. They are to DO left no
property of any kind whatever. Their
estates, real and personal, the whole
vast territory OF the Confederate States
has been declared confiscatcd, and Con
gress is called on to abolish slavery by
the iwo-thirds vote, which it requires TO
change any clause Of the Constitution
Bat your real psacs Iooing submissionist
rather prefers all this.
There can be no difficulty now as to
the means of making ourselves heard.
Before there was some doubt. Mr.. Lin
coin ard his Cabinet positively refused
to hear anything the rebels had to say
upon any subject whatever. Some very
wise and very notable schemes have been
preached to get over that obstacle. The
principal was, 10 call convention of all
the States, Confederate and Yankee, to
confer about the matter. But the re-
election OF Lincoln by 100000 majority
has pretty ef1ectnaily stopped all that
Besides, the tsking Of the peace makiDg
power out Of the Presidents hands aud
putting it IN the hands Of a convention
was the overthrow Of the Confederate
Constitution and the secession Of the
States. Now, however there is no neces-
sity for all this. The States can instruct
the President, or, il not, they can request
him, 70 make their submission in form.
lie vii! be heard, no doubt, on that sub
ject, though not upon any ether
But the chief benefit afforded by the
message, so far as we ara concerned, Is
that il will show tho reconstructonists
in their true colors. 1t affords a test
which is absolutely il fallible. The man
who offers peace propositions noe, after
this, IS rsconstrpcttoalst, and can be
nothing else. The object Of these mon.
heretofore, has been 10 render tie Presi-
dent unpopular by throwing upon ham
the odium Of continuing the war They
very well know that no prop non he
can make will be officially entertained, or
even rtce,ueI, by Lincoln. They require
him to Dc what is impossible, and rail
against him because he does not DO it,
Lincoln now save that he u Ill receive no
proposition but ofunqualifed submission,
II gentlemen, then, expect their peace
propositions 10 be heard, they must found
them upon absolute submission.