Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-08-31
From The National Intelligonoer.
HOW TO MAKE PEACE.

tllGQllOn
reader was arrested by tho following oil
sefVatlons OF the New York Tribune. q
contained in the extract which we cite
:, from that paper, along with others, in GU
q number Of yesterday:
" We do not know, and have not meon
. 10 affirm, that an immediate seitIemen
OF our national troubles is perfectly fcast
bic; But 1ge feel certain thai k,go thirds of III
american a people on etdcr side QfHe diviln
Ine a'irtously, obSerJiagy desire gezes. on,
are ready to make all needfVL sacrifices 10 inq,,y
II. 1hcn, 'ohy Sh4H il Je long gtHhcd2 Tie
US Enol9, as soon as may Je, the most that n,
re5e! ehtJ 7cW do 10 secure peace; lei rs nel
ascertain ,ohat is tie Mhimaiup1' Oh o,,r size
, and, If the difference is material. let II,
hight all the harder till one sido or the
other is ready to make the needCul con.
cession. II is high time matters were
coming to point"
IT. as the Tribune affirms, two thirds OF
the American people, on each side of the
dividing line, "aDxiously, absorbingly de-
sire peace, and are ready to make all need-
iul sacrifices to insure it," the further
continuance OF the war is q reproach to
tho authorities who stand in the wav of
realizing this ardent wish of the country,
According to the view of the Tribune, the
nation is cheated out of peace by the un-
willingness or the inability of .he men in
place on each side of the line to effectuate
the anxious, absorbing desire of their
countrymen and yet, with singular in
consistency, the Tribune proposes to remit
the question OF peace into the hands of
the rebel chief" on the one side, and of
PRESIDENT Lincoln on the other for, whom
it says "let US know, as soon as may be.
the most that the rebel chief will DO to
secure peace" and Immediately adds,
'let us next ascertain what Is the ultima
tum on our side," We suppose it intends
to leave the 'ultimatum" of the loyal
States to be fixed by Mr.. Lincoln, as it
assumes that the ultimatum of the seceded
States is to be fixed by Mr.. Davis.
We have many and, as we conceive,
weighty objections to this proposition. IfI
"two thirds Of the people on each side of
the dividing line anxiously, absorbingly
desire peace, and are ready to make all need
tm sacri fees TO insure it," we must insist that
the terms and conditions of peace should
be ascertained and concerted by the peo-
Pio, themselves. We already know the
being such as to lea leave no 85be qgpd gl yt this
during his Administration, we arc not at
all curious TO know the "nltimatum" of
Mr.. Davis, which we think it very likely
would as little reflect the popular will and
wish on his side, as the President has
little reflected The popular will and wish
on our side by the supplementary condi-
- L / Il M fl,a Ny1.I Nh
which he will receive any propositions
looking to "peace and the integrity OF the
whole Union" If peace is to be secured,
its terms must be ascertained by those
who. as the Tribune says, "are willing TO
mako all needfM sacrifices to insure it
that is by the people themselves. Who
but the people on each side can determine
what sacrifices they deem to be "needtul'
for the assured restoration Of peace! Wei
are very sure that two thirds of the people
on our side Of the dividing line" would
have no hesitation in Sacrificing" many
things which President Lincoln is not
prepared to sacrifice, in order to secure
peace. lie is SO hamperod by his "procla-
nations" and pledges that of all men he
is most disqualified to approach the con-
sideration of this subject for what audi
ence could he expect TO receive from the
peonle of tho seeded States in commend
ing to their adhesion terms which, it is
safe to say, are considered by majority
of the people even in the loyal States to
be as little proper for the President to
offer as they are little likely to be accept
ed by the parties to whom they are ad-
dressed
1t is clear to our minds, therefore, that
if any negotiations are to be set on foot
with view to peace, they must be pre-
ceded by a change of front on the part of
those who direct the civil Administration
of the country. The present policy OF
the Government in the conduct OF the war
must be reversed by return to tho prin-
ciples and maxims which have been lett
out of sight in what the New York Times
calls the "blind race Of radicalism and
barbarism." We know that President
Lincoln does not yet perceive the neces-
sitv of such O reversal. On the contrary,
he has within the last few weeks commit
ted himself by his late manifesto moro
expressly than ever before to the logical
conclusions of the policy that now dictates
the ends and objects OF the war.
But apart from all questions OF persons
or forms, it seems to us, as we have al
ready intimated, that if the people are
ripe for peace, they should be allowed 10
express their wishes and views to that
effect with the least possible indireotnesS
or confusion resulting from the interyen,
tion of third parties. And now, how snail
this be accomplished
AS there were many who, at the begin,
ming of the secession agitation, avowed
their willingness to refer all questions at
issue between the North and the South to
the arbitration of National Convention,
so at every stage Of the war which has
followed it has been supposed that, what
ever might be its result, a National Con-
yention would be called to readjust our
organic policy with reference to the alter,
ed relations left by the war. And if
regard be had to the subject-mstter OF the
dissensions out of which the war grew, it
would seem that they could, in substance
and in form, be most properly allayed by
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