Washington telegraph., 1864-10-19

war, VII ch opp-esses and crinds out the
life blood of society; and who d. nor caro-
to see its close. They are comparatively
few.
All the patriotic people, which includes
he great mass Of az ages and sexes, car
nestly long trr peace, to such a degree
that thew are prepared t. sacrifice for it
ii! save honor. Tia, it must come sooner
n later, Is Inevitable. War is abnormal
and self exhausting. But 10 a.taiu ihe
lon ged for boon, ia the .peediest mauner,
& with the least cost of blood and tire asure,
it is important for US to consider carefully
the possible modes b. which itmsy be reach
ed. We will thus avoid wasting our ef-
forts in vain eude vorS, ar d deluding oar
selves with hopes which if disappointed
lead to despondency, if not indeed to de
moraizaton, and the sacrifice of honor
an Independence,
The most dangerous Of all the specious
modes which have obtained s~me hold UT.
ou the public mind of the South, is tha.
proposed by the Democratic party of the
North-an armistice for the purpose of a
peaceful restoration of some sort of polit-
ical reunion of the States If such an
armistic. we're possible, We have always
believed that renewal Vt the war would
surely follow, unless the South should fail
into the snare, and sacrifice all its clories
Of the past, and its hopes of national gran
ieur, by bee pmihg agair an appendage OF
he North We are sure that no cor slider.
able party at the north would ever volur-
tarily coGscut to separation upon failure
of rcgotiations.
But there are obstacles in the way of
such expecta ions which meet US upon the
threshold, aud, c4lmly considered, how
this plan to be altogether chi neIical. -
Neither Jefferson Davis, nor the South.
MOI Congress, n,r the Senate, nor the Ex.
ecutves, nor the Legis a'uI5s Of tie
States, either Of them, nor ali tose her
have any right 20 enter iuto anv neyofia-
tlons for the purpose of determining
whether or net tte Southern Con federscy
shall be and remain upon the face of the
earth. They do not represent the inde.
pendence of our Coufederacy, or the sove-
reignty CT cur States in any sense author
lzing them to compromise either They
are themselves the creatures of those sovc-
reignties sworn to support tie coGstiIu-
tion of the Confederacv, and those Of heir
several States, against all foes domestic or
foreign. Their duty is <imply to defend
them as they are, against foreign armies,
and to the last extremity. A proposition
such as is contemplated ty the northern
Democrats institute negotiations for
the purpose of celebrating upon the pro-
priety Of striking those constitutions cut
of existence, would be at once rejected a,
sn insult, it is the duty of all our Off
cials from the highest to the lowest, TO re-
nit no efforts to destroy or repel an enemy
from our soil, seeking the subversion of
our institutions. No armistice is possible
consistent with honor, until the eucmy re-
linquish that design and recognising our
government as an existing fact ask an ar.
nis'ice for the purpose of Sc tliug definite
terms Of peace, rud diplomatic intercourse
Hence this hope of peace is an illusion.
even were it probable that the enemy.
finding reunion impus ;ble, secretly in-
tended recognition I; the lAst resort -
The war could got cease day whilst hos
'ile blyonets briss!ed upon our soil, and
hostile fleets block AIDED our ports Al
uch hopes stract our attention. and
weaken our efforts in the true direction.
Still mere chimerical, is the bopa put
forth to the northern people in McClel
lan's letter. and which a few citizens of
the so utL might come to be weak enough
to catch at the hope Of peace by separate
negotiations with the States. This plan
has been already attempted with Gov.
Brown of Georgia, and has met with
merited rebuke. 1t is wholly imprac;ica-
ole. No State, as has been proven 10
North Caroliua, where this was feared the
most, woull bear the degradation of de-
sertiug sister States in their hour of peril.
Nor could they if they would. Our con-
stitution forbids treaties between States
aud foreign governments. Before any
State could take such action she IN ust first
by solemn convention of her people, and
by Il free vote sccede from the Confedera.
ey. Even if such a free vote could be
had amidst the turmoil of war. no State
could attain condition of peace by any
such means. The Confcderacr certainly
would have no right. nor would attempt
% cocrcc her into a continued association,
but war would still rage upon her SOIL
By association with the enemy such State