Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-11-21
rup PEACE MOVEMENT.

| Late kilograms 1roui 'ile A"'' ---
.bo probabilities of propositions being
ZOO more mede by our Government to
tba rebels, offering them another opportu-
nity to Law down their arms and return in
mace. The whole course of the Govern
ment thus far, and that course has just re-
ceived the overwhelming endorsement of
the people, forbids the supposition that
anything short of absolute submission
will be proposed or entertained. The late
movement in Georgia looking towards
peace propositions, was convocation of
Estates Sovereignty fanatics; and if
the letter of Alex. H. Stephens Is TO be
taken as an exposition of their sentiments,
or was written in the character of an ulti-
matuna. those statesmen had as well saved
their breath and stationery. Stephens
takes the following top-loftical ground:
Easy and perfect solutions to all present
troubles, and those far more grievous ones
which loom in prospect, and portentously
| threaten in the coming future, is nothing
more than the simple recognition Of the fun.
damental principle and truth upon which all
American constitutional liberty is founded,
| and upon the maintenance of which alone 1t
can be preserved-that is, the sovereignty,
the ultimate, absolute sovereignty OF the
| States, This doctrine our Legislature an
nounced 10 the people at the North and TO the
world. It is the only keynote to peace-per-
manent, lasting peace-consistent with the
security of the public liberty.
The idea that the old Union or any Union
between sovereign States, consistently with
this fundamental truth, can be maintained by
force is preposterous. This war springs from
an attempt to do this preposterous thing.
1t is hardly necessary to say that such
kind of talk, in answer to propositions for
peace, would close the conference IN short
meter. That is the ground upon which
Governor Brown, of Georgia, and other
Southerners disafected toward the Con-
federate Government, are acting, when
they claim the right of the several States
of the Confederacy to act Independently
of the Richmond government and make
the best terms for themselves with the
United States Government" Their theo-
~ is perfectly correct, under the Confed-
crate Constitution, but it will totally fail
when applied to the Constitution OF the
United States, as the present Administra-
ton and the people of the loyal States
understand it. The Federal Government
will undoubtedly accept the return OF
Georgia, or any other State, to its allegi-
ance, but that return must be to the exact
position such State occupied in the Union
before the rebellion, and not trammeled or
ornamented with any new-fashioned sew-
gaws about " State Sovereignty" That
was the rock upon which rebellion split
before, and the United States Government
has not fought that principle for nearly
four years, at an expense Of hundreds OF
thousands Of lives, and thousands OF
millions of dollars, and then turn around
at this late day and engraft that very
doctrine into the articles of Union. 1t is
plain to be seen. however, from the Macon
movement, and from Stephens letter, that
the people of the South are heartily sick
of the war and thoroughly convinced OF
its hopelessness. They find their pet idea
of a Southern Confederacy, bound to-
gether by the silken cobwebs of the prin-
ciples of the Resolutions of '9S," Is
wretched humbug. They perceive that
they jumped out of very cool and COM
Portable frying-pan into very hot lire,
when they left the Union which they had
governed for eighty-years, and placed their
Secks under the yoke of military des-
potism which laughs their State Sover-
eighty to scorn. They want to "make
terms" now with the Federal Govern
ment. The signs of the times indicate
that they will have an opportunity OF
accepting terms, not of their own making,
but better than they deserve; and that If
they hesitate too long about accepting they
will have those terms forced down them.
So far as the mass of the Southern people
are concerned, we believe that they will
not make very wry face, but will swal-
low the dose with perfect satisfaction.