Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-06-17
IaRCOEsFITUFIOHsFAFE RIGafs.
RICHMOND WING.
FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE II, lss4.
DelusionA

their efforts. They hau fi8as, u VIC De6uH'Nsi "
,uuUOse thas European Governments would act towards
tbsm On the principles which had previously been de-
tsrined in CASES similar 10 ours. They certainly had
no reason to believe that under Preteuce Of neutrality
Europe would depart from the well established Iuls in
regard to the recognition Of Dc ae.O Governments and
in addition decide against every pOin; which inter
national Law decides In our favor. But il very soon vas
made clear that foreign Governments had not the
slightest Intention Of recognizing Us, much less inter
vsning in our favor Mason might be treated ike =
lacquer in London, or SHds received like gentleman
n Paris Il was all one far al the ConfedsrAey was
concerned. Yet the delu'ion OF recognition was
e. cherished until We were forced to abandon
Il from sheer WEAKNESS. Laekily for us The
subject from having been fAVOrite, has become
decided bore and being bore has been kicked isno-
minously out Of the circles where il was ence most
welcome. And we do not wonder at y. II Europe re-
fuses TO consider the COnfedsrAey De faeto Govern
ment Europe Is clearly ass or cheat. IL Earops
cannot recognize government which, for more than
three years, has carried the most colossal war Of
modern times, which raises and maintains AImies OF
hundreds Of thousands OF msc; which conducts iIs ~
tsrual affairs with al the precision and regularity char
soterstio Of the oldest nadonAdes; which has never
been disturbed By social disorders domestic inscr
reOiOns; which exercises undputed jurisdiction, BY the
rtssed will and consent Of the inhabitants ever
territory as large as half dozen good sized European
kingdoms, Why then EarOPe must either be stone blind
or quite unwilling TO see And to this opinion our PeO-
PIE, fortunately, have Cems at last.
Bgs there a another delusiOn which may do just as
much harm Il 1t be not thoroughly dsPellsd IOn the
public mind-a deusiOn which is all the danger
in
log cur opinions and mitigating e9r.a This delu-
SIGN Is based on the alAcy that there i party at the
North ntrnsically favorable US and that this party
may in some unexplained and iaeHpeAOle way, obtain
she aseendensy at Washington and make peace with the
Coufedsraoy This idea whether sincerely held By true
patriots As in Georgia, or used for purposes Of deCep
ton and fraud, as in North Carolina becomes extreme
" dangerous, and threatens disastrous consequences
whenever Il forms the groundwork Of political organic
rstion siaee tSe idea itself purely speculative l.
can have no practical bearing our aRArs, except in
being used fer the development Of Complementary
sentiment. among ourselves And this is the tendency
IL has assumed. Il IS an easy matter for
people holding these views to call themselves
peace men and the natural result 10 the formal on of
what is called peace party. TIE success OF such
pArty would exhibit s danger aud lie delusiveness,
precisely when would be late to remedy the evils
which would thus epgendsrtd. Nobody in the Cen
federaoy is in favor Of simply for the love If
Itself but really emily the direest road TO the Gully
peace We can accept. Hence, when people call them
selves peace men per S. or in eontrAdshncton to var
men they viii 5000 come 10 believe that the is IN
itself unnecessary, and they viii finally oppose the very
objects for which it is Wsgsd Such consequences Eus'
be avered at all hazards. We do not at all believe that
they viii ensus but in order to make Of avoiding
them Is necessary 70 rid ourselves of the primary deu
sion, GU. of which Trey nigh. ultimately spring.
Tae greatest Of all dslnsio-s IT, have said that
there is party in the North intrinsoAy friendly 10
cause. There is no sach party Il is, in the very
ure OF things impossible party. There are, Proba-
bly, in the NORTH many persons who symPsthEs With the
South; others who desire success others who would
DO wiling, under any circumstances, to tolerate In
dependence but al Of these together do not and
not constitute party sufficiently strong to obtain pos.
session Of the Government either any future
time. When We say this We do not by any means gay
that peace party may not arise At the NORTH pei Ips
Tar sooner than many people anticipate. But pea,
party is not necessarily friendly party. 0n the COL
srary, every see that in order 70 become dom
insnt, such party must embrace large
number OF persons who are hostile to US
Toe question TO be solved, then, is not hOS many
friends have At the North, or how soon friendly
party viii come into power a. Washington; but how
best succeed in forcing our enemies into tho
ranks Of the peace pArtyS Those who peaS 9
men would become war men tomorrow II they thought
that would result in the restoration Of the UlOu.
Nothing tended 50 much ~ fist to stimulate The ap-
pAIenty universal ssiog against the SJuth as tie
deusion thas there was still large UaiOn pAety in the
COME dsrAcy, aud that vigorous, although then sup
pressed Union sentiment, would be developed by The
presence Of the FEDERAL armies. II Only When tbs
deusiOa Was dispelied that the elements OF peace
party became dsOeFubls. Il is only when the dsuicn
il dspslsd that restoration OF lhs Uasn IS acioa
ole and that the conquest Of the South Is mpOs dble
that peace party will hAVs chance OF success. As
TO who viii ;su:s thA. par that depends entirely
on Eho first arrives a. these o1nclusOns Al present
parties profess to be divided in regard 20 them. A
large NUMBER Of Democrats who declare conquest 70 be
imprschcable Jet assert reuniOR 10 Do possible. Tney
cherish the delusion tiAt BY calling the var for
the Union and the Constitution, instead Of = for
conquest and subjngatOU the South will be ready 10
submh 70 them. They totally ignore the fact ILAt is
was precisely he UOiO Of which the Souh vas deter
mined to rid herseM The Black Republicans more |
logical, perhaps than the Democrats, admit the mpOs
sbiy Of restoring the Union, bat declare out AID ou
fos nbjugaEiOn aud determination, II necessary for
the accomplishment Of their purposes. The NUMBER Of
persons Who have shas far admitted the npOsslbty If
oOnqusst and the imprActeabIily Of reunion ia very
small should the sO-CAlled peace party in the South
unfortunately exhibit aay indications Of strength, the
number Wo0ld soon become extremely small to
disappear totally from the political horizon. 10 order
k.sr ia
der Il an effective agent for the restoration Of peace on
the bsss Of Southern Independence majority OF the
Northern people must be convinced that It Is ont Of