Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-10-12
LETTER FROM Mr.. BoYCE, OF SOUTH CAROLINA
TO TIE PRESIDENT
SUGGESTIONS LOOKING TO PEACE.

WIHNsBoRo, s. o.. Sept. 20, 1854.
His EzcslIsncy, Jefferson Davis:
SIR: The Democratic party of the United S.ates IN
their recent Convention at Chicago resolved that If
they attained power they Woald agree to armstice
and Convention OF ali the Satee to consider the sub
ject of peace think that action demands favorable
response from our Government You are the only per.
son who can make that response because eur Congress
does NOS meet until after the time appointed for tie
Presidential election. If our Congress me; in time l
should propose the action desire taken 10 that BODY
and submit to a judgment mynrgument butas that op.
portunity does occur, have alternative but 10
remalnsent or address myself to you. cannot conss
ten ", with my IDEAS duty, remain SILENT there, "a
address myself 10 you. We are Waging war TO Cd ain
satisfactory peace By satisfactory peace mean
peace consistent with tho preservation of our
Tree institutions. By satisfac DRY. peace, do not
mean that Cessation of hosIiies which might AFTER
CONTEST reeu from the exhaustion of the eel
lgefsnts, whereby the sword would tall from their
neIveless hands, their hearts pre- to the ures. Such
peace as that would be but hoAoH truce, In which
each party would be inces. anty preparing for new
faL and decisive struggle. TIE peace which l
mean il peace which iecOnoles interests ard the
eeugs oil the oeligerents peace IN snort Whcn re-
stores harmony Less obtain sucn a psacs AZ
ms cur republican institutions to their fal ana
We become subjects OF military dsspoGism Eyery
Government must exist that Is the Law OF It's bevR
Ii it attacked by great ioce t must bring propor-
onaely great force 70 lts defence. II its il suoh
II
its means, it must disregard tnss form. The Rspubl-
can FORM especially the toIm Of Con sderacy Of Tree
States ia not the bes. adap.td for war. In fact 1t ia
peace esiaolis the form best adapted 20 war ia
national military dstpousm. Tue Rsl uolc at war is
gsAaually passing into military deepolsu As tie war
and tie pressure OF enemy increases TINS
transition 10 accsl rated Republic forced the wall by
power al en- my must end desp0Gism II We turn our
o. es 10 Europe We md only tsO nations with tree IN
titutions Gear Britain ana Switzerland Why is this
Il l. nhuanu Iha "A
;unty in the highest state OF pepafa ion Tor war;
), mpes every county 10 the u.mJst development Of
ia military sreLgIh. Absolute government is a part
or that state OF Preparation, and therefore absolute
government is the ordinary condition II there we're
no other obstacle 10 FFaEoe beng repu tic, the i'm
meme standing armies sbe is compelled TO keep COL
Il stsnly under arms, would be conclusive France Ia
mpsued 10 keep ak Hundred thousand men
alwsJs in arms. Fiance is Obliged, thereto e,
20 be what she ia, m llt2ry desp0lisn. Take IL,
csse cf Prussia in the celebrated year, war Sup
Lose her inst iols had been LIBERAL, what would have
been the TesulIl FedOrck tue Great would either aV
Dad abandon ihe struggle, Or &c 70 ali power NO.a-
ing but absolute power III the hands oil Frederick ena
Dled him come forth victorious from the confess, He
acr feed every thng else IN Prussia tue one idea o.
military strength. As /. ussla had na ural detences
and was greatly inferior in strength 10 the other grea
ooWers It necessary 10 give exclusive deV,Iopmet
/ "a tue military iGea; lha frederick did. Az MacsI
sad he made Prussia 'al sNIg." This was L. picsI IN
L ElodeTck. n oiva D.
the maximum Of military srsDg h-he did thIl P,u.se
IN has place the map, but he made no effort
save liberty frederick found Prussia an alb olus mon-
archy ne eft il an iutrenc ed camp. Lberty was nete
thought Of. L. is impossible IN her condition If Pas
ala with her excellent population as vast distance
fom where she ls, and p'otec ed by and moul
ne she In ght DO q republic; bu. where size H. IL IL
imposs pie. Ca the comment Of rops DO STATE can
Kit with free netu ons, beCauae the form Of lvern.
Il must be 81 n a. furnishes the greatest amount @
nil tsry strength Perhaps it may be said that Ssi T.
erand nradcts my theory. reply that SW tzsrland
ia an exc =pti1nal Casa few nests of poor people
i buried in remote vses surrounded BY Inaccessible
| mountains they are not HortL oorquering B sides
he mutual alou-y OF the great p0WJFj is thes real
safeguard. England is the only great and free p,~er
u Ear p. This s oWicg TO her insular position Toe
OCEAN IL the divine charter OF her freedom II nothing
out q furveyors line separated E1glSnd rom Franos
England would be military despolsm as France H.
No coun ~ eau be free which mas to elep wish her
| hand on her sword.
Bat why resort to general reasoning and tho cond-
ton Of European nations to prove What have aiserted
wen The proof s.ares u in he iscs in the example Of
our county Wa zee tin ev RI sight; feel It in
every emotion; We hear il in every souud. When our
| present GoVeroment established everything DOS
81 ls was done in the interest of States ghts eVsry
Conceivable guarantee VAS taken for iudiVdl-l free
dom-as little possible conceded to the Federal
Government. The Federal Government was ''c. bnued
L
| felra." The school Of RENE Safe Rights we're at
work framing constitution for 4 ,deral Government
with the accumulated suspicious Of seventy yeara They
lid their Work well The problem to bo solved was
the framing of Federal Government, with tn, m,i-
mum of power to function. thought az the time it
was useless labor, because conceived in the humility
Of my Judgment that the constitution of q coultry was
that which its necessities pointed out, and that you
could not advance cay what would be the asties
of q OoIf deracy exposed 10 perpetual war
Il main n
Bat the trainers Of our constitution were not de-
tered By any such considerations these from their
work. They established their ConfedeIacy, guarded
and limited in the interest CT he rights of tho separate
States ss much as possible VIII, we have been at
war not quite four years, and what Is the result l.
not our Federal Government in the exercise of every
possible power of natonal central military desponS
Suppose there no States, only provcces aud III
Limited power conferred upon you and @ ngrtss
what greater powers wcud you 'rcse than YOU do
nov? Have not carried coascrpiol to its last nr-
its? Il not every man IN Il country between II and
so subject 10 military authority? None are exempt e1
cept upon considerations OF public interest. Have We
not been compelled to lay 0rec! in the very teeth
of the theory OF ths Constitution Have we not issusd
such vast amOt nis o. paper money TO unsee ell
value ? Have We not CO npeed the holders of our
paper money 10 fund it, or lore onc-.bird. Have
we not FeZed all the railroads? H.vS we
no. destroyed railroads aud built oLhera:-
Hive not estabiheds universal sysem of Impress
menb OF piOpeIS1' al Ia our own money!
ave not established Government mono 5oy OF &
expectations of the great aples of the country Have
We not forbidden the importation Of luxuriess Haye
we not compelled those whom permit TO remain It
home, 10 execute bonda 10 furnish their products US
a. cur pr:oesH Have we not Suspended tia writ of
haJeIs eorpDf Have We o; Introduced the pa.fpoIt
sy en- VIII Co. We used to think, belonged 10 IbA rcn
despoems Of Europe9 Ia short, has not our Federal
Government done everything that csniralz I'D military
daspotism ccud dol Iadeed if you were appointed
lary Die ator, VIDA. greater p3Wers could y5u Cxer
else than you do2 alluds to these things not 10
complain Of Them, but to lament tteu Ii yCu eel me
they necessary, rep tea. ia precisely my argu-
mens. Ny argument assumes AMI REQUIRES thas necss-
V. Il ID plain tha. cur Government exIoses tho
p Wes of a cnta cespOti m. blame no one for 1t.
l am those who ct he head OF the Cover
LII Ia