The Portland daily press., 1864-08-01
Niagara Falls Peace Negotiations.

We commend to our readers the following
from an editorial IN the Toronto Globe, one OF
the most enterprising and able Journals In
Canada. 1t is well for us 70 hear occasional
ly what those say of our affairs who view
them from an unprejudiced stand point, and
are fairly presumed to be impartial judges
The Toronto Globe has always published ex-
tracts from all our papers and from those in
Dixie, so that its readers might have all the
information to be derived from such sources.
In relation to "State rights which Messrs
Clay and Holcombe claimed as one of the con-
ditions Of peace, the editor remarks:
So far as that doctrine could protect sla-
very, they had the full benefit of it before the
war began. In the old Union the right oil
the States to regulate the institution of slavery
was never questioned. In 1850 Mr.. Lincoln
was elected simply on the ground that he was
opposed to the extension of slavery into ter
ritories now free. Beyond that neither he
nor his party sought to deal with slavery al
AL. That prohibition was, in 1860, simply a
resolution OF the Chicago Republican Conven-
ton, sanctioned in a sense by Mr.. Lncon's
election, bnt at the same time most unlikely
to become law, for the excellent reason that
the Congress of the whole Union was adverse
TO il. Now, the freedom of the territories is
guaranteed by the statute law OF the nation
In 1850, the Supreme Court, the u. s. Senate
and the House OF Representatives were ali
friendly 10 slavery. Now, the two latter are
anti-slayery, even to abolitionism, and the Su-
preme Court is. at least, far less favorable 10
the peculiar institution than it was four years
ago. 10 1860 it was acomplaint that the Flu
gitive Slave Law was, TO great extent, a dead
letter, by reason of the prevalence OF feelings
of humanity in the Northern States. Now.
that law is repealed altogether. In 1860 sla-
very existed in the District OF Columbia. and
men were held in bondage within the sight OF
the National Senate Chamber Now, slavery
has been abolished in that district Since
1860 several slave states have provided for
the abolition of slavery within their jurisdic-
ton.
Many OF the barbarous laws which had
been enacted in Difference TO the demands OF
the slave power, not only at Washington but
at some of the State capitals as well, have
within the past three years been repealed
Besides all that, and much more that could be
mentioned, marvellous Improvement has taken
place in The sentiments of the Northern peo
pie. Not only is the number of those who
hold anti-slavery principles much larger than
it was, but the anti-slayery men occupy in.
finitely higher ground. In 1860 the Northern
people simply asked that the. cursed slavery
should not be extended-now they demand
that il shall be abolished. 1t may be said, per-
haps, that the Northern people might be per
suaded, for the sake of peace and the restora-
ton OF the Union, to modify their views, and
TO drop the effort to abolish slavery through
outthe Union; but it is not possible that they
could be coerced into the degradation of re-
versing all that has been done In the interest
OF freedom, aud of re-enacting the Darbarous
laws that have been repealed. Even if Mr..
JEFFERSON Davis and his associates could get
nominally the Union in stdtu quo-even if
they could get recognition OF their States
rights doctrine-they could never GET the
same political power for the Shareholders tina,
they had on the day of Mr.. Lincoln's elee,ion
they could never get the same debased and
debauched Northern sentiment that then ev-
listed in reference to the business of bnvina
and selling human flesh. Even If they couId
get the old Union again, SO far as the letter OF
the constitution goes, they could not hope TO
get the same security for their peculiar insti-
tuition that they had before they rebelled in
its interest They must come back, IL they
come back at all, humbed and shorn of their
strength. Therefore it is that we think il i'm
possible that the commissioners" who claim
10 know the views of their Government, went
10 Niagara Falls to seek peace upon the terms
attributed to them. If the rebel government
once got reduced 10 that strait, IL would not
be long before the Washington authorities
could have peace on their own terms.
In Mr.. Lincoln's share of the recent neoo-
tiations there is much TO commend. The
commissioners" complain that they see !
difference In his treatment of them while he
was under the impression that they were the
bearers of definite propositions for peace from
the rebel government and his treatment of
them after he learned that they were simply
acting If their own motion That diffaranca
surprises Messrs. Clay and Holcombe very