M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1864-03-24

=.
been ha then without the dismember
ment Of the Empire; for as he fore
ola lew more years OF war. and the
tpeace would have TO come, but with
the loss Of the very colonies to which
the ministry had held on with such a
Ieath grip. . .-.. -,
My proposition, +" said this b,ll
iomnoner, us posce.' Not peace
through tho maiiuh of war, but
peac1 to be hunted through the laby.
rInths OF negotiations. not peace 10
Arise ont OF universlI discord fomsn.
ted in all parts OF the Empire; not
peace to depon on the judicial deter.
mlnatleh Of perplcxing questions, or
!he precise IN rking of the shadowy
boundaries Of complex Government
is simple peace sought in its natur
al course; it's ordinary haunts. It ia
peace songHt in the spirit of peace
ana laid IN principles purely pacific.
propose by moving the grounds of
difference and by restoring the form.
er unsuspecting conf lencs OF the pso
pie IN the mother country to give DER
mauent satisfaction to your people,
| mean to give p4ac9. Peaes imolio,
reconciliation, and W hro there has
been q material dispute, reconcillia-
ton DOES imply ina mann 81 coacsss.
ion on the one part or ths othAr. In
this state of.thihgs the proposal !
make,bold t5 affirm ought 10 originate
With US. The superior power, wrong
rs the colonies may be,or you think
they may 10, can of.rpa with'hou
or and safety. Such au oG.r afron
such powergwlll be attributed to mar.
nauimity; bat the CONCESSIONS OF tho
weakare tNs concession of fear. )
The words of wisdom were not
heeded blythe vigorous prosecution
Otthe war politicians Of that duy;
aud Great Britain lost her colonial
possessions by the same blind obstins
! gy. short sightedness and insane vani
: ty that may yet destroy this Uniup
: and secure the .tinal independence Of
: the Southern section. Admitting that
! our arms had been attended with all
= tho success which the most sanguins
advocates of the war have fatterel
the country with, had the South been
disposed from their defeats and suffer
= Jugs to sue for peace, what city Of ref
+, uge bas been open for them, what
! horns of the altar could they take
. hold on and be savedl What explicit
y terms, short Of degradation and dis
, : honor worse than death, have been
! ! proposed to theml What security
= (innocent and guilty. tha! they should
. . rot be treated as a conquered people,
. aud subject whatever yoke their hsuol'
! ty victors might please to impose up.
! on theml 1t would be madness to ex
: pect that mer who had taken up arms
! ! so de6antly, aud struggled SO courage
! ! ously as the South have done, should
= throw them down and submit to their
:, conquerors, especially when they had
= so little to hope and so much to fear
J The only hope can be, and this now
to my mind, is the faintest possible
in change Of system Reverse ali
these absurd and pernicious m easures
J that for three years have characterized
y Northern legislation, for if the conf
: dence and affections we have lost ia
= ever to be regained, it can only be bv
II giving the South the most unieniabie
i proofs that we wish not to oppress
them: that We are willing to remove
* every ground Of complaint, ard to al
: ford the amplest security for the enioy
:. ment OF all their constitutional priv.
! ileges in the future. waive all oues
tious of authority ana right. With
q nearly million Of men slain or rend
useless, with frightful debt of thou.
= sands of millions, increasing at the
y rate of two millions u day, and nation
:. al ruin and bankruptcy, the inevitable
u u consequences of this dreadful war
u peace, speedy peace, should be our
;, object, and to accomplish this re-
. zeal OF those obnoxious legilat!ve acts
. is demanded, which are an unsur-
a mouutable barte reconciliation and
: have lcst Us the confidence and good
. will OF those who might have been
. really kindly dispose toward us in
= the South. What greater folly can
/ there be than to expect to force q peo
I pie into friendly union with YOU,
u to intrust their rights once more into
, your hands, and submit their proper
y ty and lives to your Government by
>. deso!Nting their country and spread
. ing famine aud death over their landl
: Aud what are tho laurels acquired in
IS this destructive warfarel We have
10 subdusd not their armies, bat the
" small remains Of their affections .o
"a the country, their reverence for itc
ie laws. and their confidence in its GEN
o, erosity. Neither the men in power
ID or the mere pensioners Of the hon,
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