Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-02-09

n, tsrrn., and tho only terms, OF amn0s'
,r,ros. To have suppressed this froc!a-
.;,, would have been on act Of stupondous
,,. Tbs "Tribunc' understands pot'ttcat
.an;,o1 in party slang. This Proclamation,
saoplicd that capital; it could not be'deniea;
i. o,uId not be explained. Its meaning was
valuable; its objects too plain to'need. ezpia-
nation or eluoidation. We spread it before
our readers; we called their attention to it; we
invited them to read They did read 1.-THE
soldiers rsai it-and whilo we will not astri-
mute 70 the Proclamation tho eulistmenss th''
have recently taken place. We do oelieVe tha'
it ssnsibly checked desort''n' Mr.. laws mas
,,nd, no Proclamation. aud yet Yankee &c.
~scrtsrs co,nc in large numbers " our lines
There may be many that 20 from our lines te
the enemy. Such in"iicnts. always ccaur II
nro.ractod wars, nni are worth nothing what
over. Con. L,esstrccs objected to Gen. fts'
ter circulating tbs Proclamation among h''
soldiers, not because it would work any mac
rial injury 10 his army, tus because it NSa'
! calc.ia,ei to ind ice u lew to desert "ho' !
arprchendcd, would bc shot.
1t was humanity, nut ftar, that induced
Gen. L,ng,trces to write to Gen. Foster to de
list from circulating the proclanatlon. J.
Lincoln hopcs Of our ~sutjosati.n are founded
On assertions and desefsSrs--if2he is foo.
enough to suppose that III armytah he ferl
ously weakened by dcscrtions2. will bs
convinced Of his error bbiare very 1ors.
This speech of Mayor Wood FOR peace W;
have published, ard did go with pleasure
Not that his "~peaoe" is ou- "peise," or his %
;ecs our object. Bat because peace IS the true
! ~,o)icy for botl, nations. War. MI. Wood sees
! .ih never restore tho Union he secs tha'
! .a.l, year. thus every battle, tha. outrage an1
rrimc, that scoundrels like Butles', haze rcn
;ercd reunion impossible; but key have ne
i..aade peace undesirable.
We saw nothing in tie speech OF Ar "o"
..ivising the Contetcratcs mot to snceuuh''
.ccause such a thought never having sus
,esscd itself, we may have Icen too dull Il
.,ou,p: ehcnd his gu sgcst'0ns. The Conifdc
.acy will not succumb before the Presidential
election this Fall this tbs "Tribuae' ma.
.:ons:acr rs quite certain. Whether thai cleo
ion will advance the cause Of that peace !"
! .yh;ch We arc ~fghting-the separation OF In
Confederate States from all political conn,c
ton with the United States--is only known b,
znat All-wise Providence who guides the DIES
s;nies OF nations as we'll AS the fate OF man.
But we hope that lie may SO direct the affair
IF both people as to turn their hta7ts toward
peace.
Ii Mr.. Wo0d is for peace, we.aro dclightt
60 learn the tact-there must be Il beginning
and Nh. Wood will DO very We'll to inaugural
that movement. Blessed arc the peace
laakors." We hope that Mr.. Wood will strug
yle On his efforts for peace arc Efforts mad
IN the cause Of humanity, and though no ma
hope and desire reunion, yet let peace DO hFs
SECURED. and then the q~uessioa of Two nation
will present itself to the people of the Unite
States in a manner that the smoke and dust
battle entirely prevents. MIR. Woods loyalt
70 tho United States is not imrugncd by n
desire for ~peace-rathcr his lore of countr
should prompt lin to relieve her from tb
: horrors of Il wicked and useless war, bc,:u
in folly and prosecuted in fana.icifln, IN
which must end in disunion.