The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-08-03
Past Peace Movements.
VariOus Advances Made by
the Seeded Sfates-W who is
10 blame for the COntinln-
~ ance of the War.

"A lew uays dSV Sneoa6 A"Ps WAC
springing up throughout the North that
peace and Union were to be restored to
us. Sanguine people we're enjoying. in
anticipation, the glorious jubilee which
was to crown the return of fathers, BROTH
ers, aud sons to happy homes, But Mr..
Lincoln thought it necessary to his re-
election that these joyous hopes should
be blighted, and that the grim monsters
Death and Famine should continue their
carnival, making the sky pail of mourn
ing, and drenching the earth with blood.
1t is no longer to be disputed that Mr.
Lincoln has had it in his power several
times to put an end to this war. Since
his late insulting rejection of Clay and
Holcomb it may be we'll to look up some
{ of the advances made by the rebels.
! -, STEPHENs, MISSION.
Now, it is we'll understood, and we be-
ilieve denied by nobody that the precise
1 mission of Alexander HI. Stephens, the
second officer in the Confederacy, when he
was refused permission to visit Washing
ton, as from the confederate government,
was to propose frst an armistice for a GER
tain number of days or months; second,
the assemblage of a national convention
Of all the States; third. an assurance on
the part of the southern leaders that the
South would hold itself bound to consent
to commercial union with the North
that is, a union which would permit free
com M ercial intercourse between the North
and the South, and would be one nation,
so far as their dealings with other coun-
tries were concerned As to whether the
North should have the power to pass upon
any question affecting the domestic insti-
tutions of the South, it was to be left an
open question; and if convention of the
Estates which met could linda happy solu-
4 ton for it, the South would be bound to
accept it. That this was the burden of Mr..
stephens B,essase was known at the time,
funof ieiaffy. by Mr.. lincoln himself.
| The t.icc President of the Confederacy.
] with the Olive, branch Of peace in his hand
was halted at Fortress Monroe, and by
,fr. Lincoln ordered back through the
ilines without an opportunity being given
him to make the ob5ess of his mission
known efhcially. ass FasT.s III
fsbi JEFFa DAVIS aPRoposALs. ae-
7 Previous to the opening of this present
ca mpaisn, as is we'll known in Washing
ton ups.tfciot adricss come dirrctty from
.Lf. Ddeis, Offering to end the ,oar o"
fera,s ~,sL;ach teoatd pfooe satisfactory TO
10th parties. Davis said he wished to
spare the useless effusian Of blood. He
would guarantee on behali the South, If
,,not the old Union in all its integrity, a
! Union which would answer the same pur-
lposes-that is, Union with one code of
Eeoll M ercial laws, and one foreign policy.
What further agreement would be arrived
at was matter for the discussion of the
people Of the several States. ss'tei ~.
CLAY AND HoLcoMB'ss PROPOSITIONS.
\
Thclfollowing arethe terms which it is
affirmed. and not, denied, that Clay and
Holconb were to submit to Lincoln, if
Ehe Lad not so rudcly refused to receive
bthem Races 4i75 ass aea .s4
The restoration of the Union In stat"
Z qao rpon thus basis: se -a+l
F.hsr. An nrgrocs ,rE'ch haee becn
EacsupHy freed by ths scur % Le Sc ared in
such freedom.
SECOND. All negroes at present held as
staees to remain SO. go Ase +e
] THIRp. The uar dctt Of both parties
10 Jc paid hy the United Stotes. ass ~
/ FounrH. The old doct,iae of .Sfate
lsiqhts to be recogni=esi IN rcconst''acfing
I.the Gnfoa. a.e Eia' 81 dst'fs
4 Mr.. Greeley, after his correspondence
with Clay and HoleoMb, says in the
Tribune: &c ieg a6 ea aHs % s1J
Ioi " All be ( (Greeicy) can now add is has
yeneral in ference that the paciGcation OF
our euntry is neither so difficult nor SO
distuns as seems to be generally sup
posed ~
Is not shis an TTntimatien that peace and
union may be restored by negotiations
1t is certainly great deal fer Greeley
to say. 80 5seteaa =
II matters not whether we of the North
we're willing promptly to accept these
tszms or not; any of the three proposals
was snffioient TO authosise nsgotiatisas.
But it isy no differences what terms the
Rebels may offer, Mr.. hinsoln will reject
them. He must keep the army in the
| field to vote it for himself for President,
He mus. keep, the Southern States eat Of
the Union lest they vote against him.
He must retain bis haadssas Of thousands
or co ssastors and ether plunderers around
him to. nse their corrupt influence az the
detection. In other words he is dstssnin-
Led to be Pfssidsnt, even if the ecantTy,
l. Z = :. .~n- 3