The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-07-28
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
Washington, July IS, 1854


Any proposition which embraces the restoration OF
peace and the integrity OF the whole Union, and tn
abandonment of slavery and which comes by and
with authority that can contIol the armies now at
against the United States, will be received and
considered by the Executive Government of the United
States, and will be by liberal terms other sub
stantal and collateral points and the bearer bear
thereof shall have safe conduct both ways.
(Signed) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Here in brief the rebels in arms at the
South, and their sympathizers at the North,
have the outlines of the conditions upon
which the war can be closed, and peace and
Union restored by negotiation. 1t is evil
dent to all that both will be attained at no
distant day without negotiations. We shall
conquer an honorable peace, and one that
will be permanent, almost as soon as that
''consummation so devotly to be wished
could be brought about by negotiations.
This same proposition for peace, though
coming without any sanction or authority
from the usurpers Of power in the so called
southern confederacy, will undoubtedly fig
idential campaign. 1t is part of copper
head tactics to try to make the people be-
lieve that their prosecuted southern brethren
are very anxious for peace-begging and
praying for peace-but that the war is kept
up by this 'blood thirsty administrator"
from mere wanotnness and love for slaugh-
ter. Witness the following which we clip
from late number of the Milwaukee NetcS,
as specimen of the bloody paragraphs the.
readers of that sheet are constantly treated
at would be interesting to know just
how many lives would serve to surfeit this
administrations thirst for human gore We
have given it two or three millions of men
and the rebellion is stronger at this mo-
ment than at any hour before. TO please
it's policy, we have erected hecatombs all
around the borders Of the southern Confed-
eracy. And the more we give, the m or
Lincoln wants, and the keener his appe-
tite for slaughter. We fancy his satellites
never see a healthy man on the streets or
in the fields, without longing after him as
a sweet morsel wrongfully withheld fro m
their banquet of blood"
The late informal negotiations will be
seized upon by the Meas and Kindred cop
perhead sheets as confirmation strong as
proofs of holy writ, "of the correctness of the
above lying and malignant paragraph
The selfappointed peace commissioners who
confessed that they had no authority to act
for the rebel leaders, proposed restoration
of the Union ';as it was" upon the following
basis.
1st Negroes which have been freed by the
war to be secured in such freedom.
I'd All negroes at present held as slaves to
remain so.
Sd the war debt of both parties to be paid
by the United States.
4th The old doctrine Of State rights to be
recognized in reconstructing the Union,
Even admitting that these men had any
authority tie act in the premises either to
propose or receive propostions,it must be
evident to the most uuthinking that the
Union so restored would be no Union at all.
'The old doctrine Of state rights to be re-
cognized," which means that the rebels,
whenever they should see fit to try the ex-
pertinent again. 1t would be worse than week
ness or madness to consent to peace which
should leave the country exposed to anoth-
er just such war, at the whim or the in
terest Of the same slave holders. The loyal
people Of the Union are anxious for peace
would hail it as od-given blessing
but it must be real perman ent, peace, SO
disposing of the vexed question of slavery
that itcan never again come up to involve
the nation in civil war. 1t is of no use to
hide the gnawing cancer from our sight,
and then claim that the body polite is cur
ed, only to have the moi some sore break out
with tenfold more virulence at some future
time when we are far less able to stand its
extraction than now.