Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-20
An Appeal from Abroad for peace.

An Appeal frOm ABROAD Tor Peace
Certain parties interested in the success
Of the rebellion have sent to this country
from England an enormous petition or
address, praying the United States Gov
ernment to make peace with the South.
1t is said that 100000 names are attached
to it, extending over seven hundred yaros
of canvass, in four parallel columns, which,
if taken consecutively, would stretch over
a mile and a half in length. This is GER
tainIv very formidable array of names to
be sent across the great ocean, and if there
is anything in the address which ought to
influence our Government, the number OF
names attached would be weighty con-
sideration. The address is, however, of
such character, that it will be regarded
as merely an electioneering trick. Ii IS
altogether too copperish to have any in
auence at headquarters.
1t announces that the petitioners are OF
the same race with US, processes an admira-
ton of our lormer greatness, and says that
in the beginning of the war their sympathies
we're with us. But why the change ?
Why do they so eagerly pray the Govern
ernment to make peace with the South, by
ulettine them alone ~ The reasons seem
to be. 1st. Because they cannot see the res
toration of the Union and peace as near at
hsnd. Suppose they cannot. We Proba-
bly understand this war better than do the
tens of thousands of ignorant people
whose names are signed to this address In
the second place, they have discovered
that the South are fighting for their rights
and that the gulf between the two bellig-
ents is widening every day. All of which
is very familiar and commOnPlace-talk
The address then proceeds with the follow
ing remarks;
We cannot forget that the question o
nesee or war was never submitted for you
/ consideration before hostilities had actual
Iy eommenced-that they came upon yoJ
little by little-that both government anc
people found themselves plunged into thu
| fearful contest almost unawares, and tha'
you have never been permitted as yet al
opportunity of consulting together IN gen
eFaI convention for the purpose OF making
known your opinions and wishes about th'
war, or any of the vast issues growing ou
of it.
We believe that the war has changes
for the present at least) the character o
| YOUR Government 1t has swept awaI
your freedom of speech, your free press
and the inestimsble right of habes
corpus. -,
We believe that the Southern peopl
are only following the precepts and exam
pie taught and practiced by your fathers
/ and theirs, when they withdrew their ale
glance from the mother country, and tina
the Declaration of Independence, whicl
YOU hallow and celebrate every fourth da..
of July, asserts, as self-evident, the righ
of the Southern people to set up govern
ment of their own.
We believe that should you, at the EN-
of another three and half years wal
| succeed in subduing the South and TestoI
ing the Union by force of arms, you vii
! find out when it is too late, that those pil
| lars upon WHICH IdsLS your Aso sopAOAASa
form Of Government have been viOlentl.
torn down, and that your own liberties hav
been buried in the ruins. We ask you t
compare the course pursued by the Soutl
now and the Colonies in 1776, with tha
adopted by the North Now, and the moth
er country then, and we think you WI
discover many striking resemblances.
Il is in your hands to give peace to tn
American Continent. TheSouthern State
have appealed to yeu for peace, and to ;
let alone.
This is the kind of talk with which tn
Copperhead press of the North has bee
tseming for the last three years. The tor
and language of the address are famili'
to such sheets as the World, the Nea0s, Il
Chicago Times, the Cincinnati Eaqnire
and the Plain Dealer. 1t was entirely u
necessary for 100000 Englishmen an
Irishmen, women and children, to sen
this petition to Governor Seymour. "
have plenty of such talk at home, withol
making it necessary to import it fro
abroad.