The New York herald., 1864-08-18
The Peace Question-Mr. SEWARD the
Marpl ot OF the Adminiasrafian.

/
Our agitation Of an armistice. in view Of nego
tiations fer peace through convention Of all
the States, has reached the ears of the Cabinet
A voice from the Cabinet responds but 1t il
not the voice of the administration. The hand
presented is that Of Esau; but the voice Is the
voice OF treacherous Jacob. In other words
through public journal professedly mouth
piece Of the administration, the Secretary OF
State has entered his protest and his argument
against an armistice.
He says that an armstice is "the last hope OF
the rebels;" that "next to peace they desire OF
copperheads are constantly clamoring-an ar
mistice and time to talk" that can armistice
means delay, and delay is the very thing for
| which Lee is now fghting;" that an armistce
would serve o better purpose to Lee than q
formidable line of intrenchments; "for it would
| entail no fatigue on his mem" that it
''would keep General Sherman mac
tive, with the expenses Of the war,
on which the Richmond press relies
to ruin us, still running on, with half q million
of men still withheld from productive labor"
that the talking would be just as costly to US
as fighting, while to the South the time spent
in it would be so much saved;" that we "can
have no armistice but to arrange details, and
! that the main question must be settled before
hostilities are suspended even for a day"
This is the voice of Mr.. Seward-it is not the
| voice Of Mr. Lincoln. We are satisfied that his
inclinations are in favor Of an armistice and of
| negotiations which will either end in peace or
| put an end to all dscords and divisions in the
loyal States on resuming the prosecution of
the war. Mr.. Seward, stumbling block from
the beginning has, since the retirement Of Mr.
Chase, become the ruling Mephistopheles Of the
administration. The new Secretary of the
Treasury, coming in against his own will, evi-
IDENTIFY cares very little what may become Of
the Treasury or the Cabinet. That drowsy
old man Welles is mere cipher in
it. Stanton, in the absence Of Chase,
as Cabinet makeweight, is of little &C
count, and the Postmaster General, Blair, is
too busy in the kitchen, looking after the in
terests of the numerous Blair family, brothers.
and cousins and nephews, and uncles aud
aunts, to trouble himself much about mere
distractions and questions Of government
policy in which there is no shoddy. Mr..
Seward, in fact, is now the master spirit Of the
Cabinet, and having in this position thrust him
self forward with his protest, we must look to
a reconstruction of the Cabinet as the first es
sential step towards an armistice
To this end we would admonish President
Lincoln that decided majority Of the republi-
cans Of both houses of the present Congress
are opposed to Mr. Stewards retention in the
Cabinet: that the significant resolution Of the
late Baltimore Convention in reference to the
harmony Of the Cabinet pointed at recon-
struction, beginning with the Secretary of
State; that his course on the slavery question,
and the Mexican question, and various other
important questions, has rendered him particu
larly obnoxious to consistent and honest men
of all parties; and that while Mr.. Seward re-
mains in Tie Cabinet there will be neither pub
lie confidence in the administration nor har-
mony in tho republican camp.
The proper course, from these facts, plainly
suggested to Mr.. Lincoln is a reconstruction of
his Cabinet beginning with the State Depart
ment and ending with that fifth wheel to the
coach, Attorney General Bates-a passive in
strument of Old Blair and the young Blairs,.
and nothing more. A new and harmonious
Cabinet OF living, earnest, capable, patriotic
men (and they can still be found) will at
once enable the President to respond to the
general wish Of the people OF all parties of the
loyal States in behalf of an armstice. We can
tel.hin that considering the enormous sacrifices
and>beavy burdens Of the people resulting from
this war, and considering our deprecated paper
currency still! depreciating in value and the
consequent embarrassment and suferngs to all
classes, with the prospect of harder times
still before them, nothing but bona .fde ex-
pertinent in behalf Of peace can save this ad-
ministraton from shipwreck in November next.
Already we hear that active and influential re-
publicans despairing Of any relief from our
existing troubles under Mr.. Lincoln and bis
present Cabinet and do nothing policy, are be-
ginning to move for an independent national
convention in September, and the powerful in
dependent ticket OF Gen. Sherman and Admiral
FaTagut. The late sensible and statesmanlike
ls.tcr of Gen. Sherman on negro enlstments viii
render him, in connection with his merits and
successes as q soldier an acceptable candidate
against the field to an immense majority Of the
people, as matters now stand, leaving General
Grant out of the question AS for Admiral
Farragut, we know that his name, even to the
ticket OF Sherman, would be a tower Of
strength.
We therefore ar-eal to President Lincoln,
not as political adversary, but as a friend,
desiring the success not only OF the national
cause, but success to ais administration, to try
the experiment, FIRST, Of new Cabinet, and,
next, Of an embassy to Richmond, with over
lures for on armistice, IL nothing more, as the