Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-03
PEACE WANTED FOR THREE YEARS.

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us, and its continuance has been seized III
on as a pretext by some discontented pei
sons to excite hostility to the Government
Recent and public as have been the occur
rences, it is strange that misapprehensio
exists as to the conduct of the two Govern
ments in reference to peace. Allusion ha
been made to the unsuccessful efforts, whel
separation took place, to procure an ami
cable adjustment of all matters in dispute
These attempts at negotiation do not com
prise all that has been done. In every form
In which expression could be given to tn
sentiment-in public meetings, through th,
press, by legislative resolves-the desire O
this people for peace, for the uninterrupted
enjoyment of their rights and prosperity
has been made known. The President
more authoritatively in several of his mes
sages, while protesting the utter absence O
all desire to interfere with the United States
or acquire any of their territory, has avow.
ed that the ''adyent of peace will be hailed
with joy. Our desire for it has never beer
concealed Our efforts to avoid the war
forced on us as 1t was by the lust of con-
quest and the insane passions of our foes
are know to mankindne, afI r,l,sy
The course of the Federal Government
has proved that it did not desire peace, and
would not consent to it on any terms that
we could possibly concede. In proof OF
this we refer to- the repeated rejection of all
terms of conciliation and compromise, to
their recent contemptu0us refusal to receive
the Vice President, who was sent to negoti-
ate for softening the asperities of the war,
and their scornful rejection of the offer of
neutral power to mediate between the
contending parties. Ifcumulative evidence
be needed, it can be found in the following
resolution, recently adopted by the House
of Representatives in Washington:
Resolced, That as our country and the
very existence Of the best Government ever
instituted by man, are imperilled by the
most causeless and wicked rebellion that
the world has seen, and believing as we do,
that the only hope of saving the country
and preserving the Government is by the
power of the sword, we are for the most
vigorous prosecution Of the war, until the
Constitution and laws shall be enforced and
obeyed in all. parts of the United States;
and to this end we oppose any armistice or
Intervention, or mediation, or proposition
for peace, from any quarter, so long as there
shall be found rebel in arms against the
Government; and we ignore all party names,
lines and issues, and recognize but two par
ties In this war-patriots and traitors. +
The motive of such strange condition Is
ed to destroy slavery and the equality of
the States, and Lincoln was selected as the
instrument to accomplish this object. The
Union was barrier to the econsummation of
this policy, because the Constitution, which
was its bond, recognized and protected
slavery and the sovereignty of the States.
The Union must, therefore, be sacrificed,
and to insure its destruction, war was de-
termined on.
THE MASS OF THE NORTHERN PEOPLE
such design. They loved the Union, and
to the support of the war, its object was
proclaimed to be "a restoration of the
Union," as If that which implied voluntary
assent, Of which agreement was an indis-
pensable element and condition, could be
preserved by coercion. 1t Is absurd to pre- I
tend that q Government, really desirous of
restoring the Union, would adopt such .
as the confiscation of private /;
the emancipation of slaves, sys-
tematic efforts to invite them to insurrec-
tion, forcible abduction from their homes i
and compulsory enlistment in the army,
the division of a sovereign State without |
its consent, and proclamation that one |
tenth of the population of State, and that
tenth under military rule, should control !
the will Of the remaining nine-tenths.
The only relation possible between the |
two sections under such a policy, is that of |
conqueror and conquered, superior and de-
pendent. Rest assured, fellow-citizens, !
that although restoration may still be used \
as war cry Of the Northern Government, !
1t lis only to delude and betray. Fanaticism +
has summoned to its aid cupidity and VEN
geance; and nothing short of your utter
subjugation, the destruction of your State
Governments, the overthrow of your social
and political fabric, your personal and pub
lie degradation and ruin, will satisfy the
demands of the North. Can there be q
man SO vile, so debased, so unworthy of
liberty, as to accept peace on such humili-
ating terms? il
The authors Of the address say it would !
not be fair to assert that all the Northern i
people participate in these designs. On the 4
contrary, there exists powerful political /
party that openly condemns them. 1t is
then added in reference to the existing
state or things: ~eav !
THE PROSPECT. 400 ~. e-
1t cannot be possible that this state of
things can continue. The people of the
United States, accustomed to freedom, can
not consent to be ruined and enslaved, in
order to ruin and enslave us. Moral, like
physical, epidemics, have their allotted |
periods, and must sooner or later be ex-
hausted and disappear. When reason re-
turns, our enemies win probably reflect
that people like ours, who have exhibited |
such capabilities and extemporized such re-
Sources can never be subdued; that vast
expanse of territory, with such apopula-
tion, cannot be governed as an obedient
colony. Victory would not be conquest.
The inextingulshable quarrel would be
"from bleeding sire to son, and
the struggle would be renewed between
would only be to dry up some of the springs
for Northern prosperity-to destroy South
ern wealth Is to reduce Northern profits,
while the restoration of peace would neces-
sarily re-establish some commercial inter-
course, 1t may not be amiss, In this con-
nection, to say that at some time, 1t was the
wish and expectation Of many at the South,
to form treaty Of amity and friendship
with the Northern States, by which botl
peoples might derive the benefits of com
mercial intercourse and move on side By
side, In the arts of peace and civilization,
History has confirmed the lesson taught b,
Divine authority, that each nation, as we'll
as each individual, should seek their happi
ness in the prosperity Of others, and not III
theinjury orruin Of q neighbor. The gen
eral welfare Of all is the highest dictate .oI
moral duty and economic policy, while II
heritage of, triumphant wrong Isl the great
est curse, that can befall a nation. ~ is,
NO MORE ovERTUREs. 9ai
ITnfiI Soma pvidanrp IL 0ivan nj a chano,