Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-18
DAILY LEADER.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER IS.
Central Butter on the : Olive Branch
Of Peace"

OF Peace"
On Monday evening LAST General Butler,
ata reception given him in New York
City made a speech in which it is said he
foreshadowed the policy of the Admins
trstfon. General Butler has for long
time been regarded as the best impersons-
tion Of the war sentiment of the country,
always meeting the rebels with severity
which is due to their crimes and ready to
use every instrumsntality known to civil
lied warfare, to bring them into subjection
to the Constitution qRd the laws. He
would not be suspe cted of any undue
lenIency to rebels in arms. He would lean
rather to the side of justice than of mer-
cy. But even the iron-elad Butler thinks
the time has now come when the Olive
Branch Of Peace" should again be extend
cd to the rebels, so that before the civilized
world they may choose between the
two alternatives of submission to the laws
and Constitution Of the land, and years OF
unrelsRting war, only to end finally in
their utter ruin and snnihilation. This
policy is certainly in conformity with good
sense and the soundest patriotism. 1t does
not propose 10 give up the Union, but 1t
proposes to stop the further efusion of
blood, and seek, if possible, by peaceful
means that for which we are waging war.
Now is the time of all times, when the
Government in all the msgnsnimity and
nobility Of its great strength, with most
decided majority of the people of the North
plsiged to its support, with an unhinohing
war policy moving its cOunsels, Can wisely
offer to the deluded people of the South
that peace which they never can obtain by
futher fighting.
In the language of Butler, let the Gov
ernment say, q Come back, come back, nO,v.
This IS the last time Of asking. Come back
and Leavs the feeding upon haesks and come
,0ith as to the fat Of the land, and let By
cones be bygones, If bygonss are bygOues,
and our eos1itry 'Oi1 Iivs in peace here
aftsr."
them is to come back snd submit TO the
same old laws, except in so far as they
have been altered by the good judgment of
the legislatures of the land"
The effect of such peace policy as this
it may be difficult to determine. The lead
ers of the rebellion, seeing their only hope
to lie in the direction of stubborn resist
anee and ineessant war, might bsughtily
refuse all profers Of peace. If they did so,
on their own heads would remain the guilt.
The great body of the Southern people
who are tired and sick of the war, would
then charge upon the guilty wretcEes that
are leading them to deeper and deeper pit
falls of suffering and woe, an unwilling
ness to have peace when within their
grasp. 1t would give new strength 10 the
peace party of the South. Discussions
would be, created in the ras IS of the
Southern leaders. The latent elements of |
explosion already at work in their midst, |
would burst forth into an sctiveifury that |
would finally sweep rebellion, as by the
lightning wrath of heaven, from the face
of the land. The people of the South,
long crushed by slave lords, would ress-
sert their manhood and demand a change |
of policy. Three times, says General But
Ter, they have been invited now to return
to their allegiance: in 1862, to come in
June; in1se3, to come in September, and
in 1864 to come by the 9th of January,
1885.
Ifthe rebels do not accept the offer of
peace, then will the Government be justi-
fed again in renewing the war with ten
fold fury. When the issue is clearly pre-
sented one more, the rebels refusing every
thing but their independence, the North
will be NOSE united than ever in its work
of crushing the rebellion. Then BOILERS
policy Of crushing the rebellion may be
inaugu-ated. Then our soldiers should be
offered such bounties as they can get by
the use of cannon and bayonet. The
South must be cOlonized by the free men
of the North A new race Of men, with
new ideas in their heads must take pos
session of their lands, driving the rebels
into the sea and to the utmost parts of the
earth. Such policy will probably be
unnecessary, but if the rebels should again
refuse to accept the PrOFered peace, they
must take the terrible consequences of un-
plying war.