Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-07-28
COMMENTS OF THE PRESS ON THE PEACE
NEGOTIATIONS AT NIAGARA
From The Ns,O York Times, (Rspu5.ieam.

and consideration of any proposition for the restoration of
peace which should to him from competent author
iy nrst that it should embrace the integrity Of the 0koie
Union second that it should embrace the abandonment
Of saDeyy We believe he might have gone st further
than this no might have omitted the second of these con
dtions altogether and required the first alone as essential
to the reception and consoles alton of proposals for peace
We do not TO say that it will be eventually found
possible to end the aud restore the Union without thu
abandonment of slavery but do say that this abap-
Comment need not be exacted by the President as cond
lion without which he will not receive consider propo-
SAILS for peace The people do not require him to insist
upon any such condition Neither his oath of Office nor
his constitutional duty, his personal or official conss-
tency requires him to insist upon it, That one of the
questions to be considered and arranged when the terms
Of peace to be discussed 1t is not subject ON
which terms be imposed by the Government without
consultation, without agreement or without equivalents
The President has right and it is his duty to insst
upon the integrity of the Union condition sine qua.
non. His oath of Office buds him by the most solemn
sanctions execute the laws all the territory con-
mitted to his executive jurisdiction by the Constitution
and if he to enter upon any negotiations with any
Power foreign domestic, under any pressure from
within without for the disruption of that Territory and
the overthrow of the Government committed TO his hands
he would render himself liable to impeachment trial. and
punshment as traitor. He cannot concede that point
nor waive it at any time under any He
can make no treaty he can listen TO propositions for
treaty; he receive otherwise than crime any
the destruction or separation Of the Union.
Upon this point moreover the people Of the country
outside of the rebellion thoroughly and heartily agreed
No party in the loyal States dare favor separation for
moment and terrible the burdens aud calames Of
the war they will be borne apd welcomed with alacrity
and carried through to the bitter end by the great
Of the people OF oil parties and of all opinions If this
Union be preserved in other way Upon this point
have doubt and the President need have no mis.
giyngs He cannot err IN standing by it, and in making
it the absolute and mmovsbe guide for his action now and
forever.
But it is not with slavery with confscaton with the
doctrine of State rights with the assumption Of the rebel
debt with any other question growing Of the war
connected with it, its origin its progress in any
way however closely These questions were open to
discussion before the war commenced and they open
yet 1t is the right of both sides heard upon them
for both sides to be affected by them needs but
little reflection to convince any candid that their dis
cusson and settlement by enter into any
peace which will be either possible worth preserving
From the Ns,o York Ne,os, Democracy
Now that all know what has been said and done and
written it is lager premature to consider the facts
aud search for the moral of the whole transaction.
Two prominent and influential citizens of the South
the Hon Glenn nt O. Clay ard Professor J. P. Hocomb
the one member of the Confederate House of Represen
tatves from Virginia the other representing the State of
Alabama in the Confederate Senaterequested fate con-
duct TO Washington to confer with the Federal Adminis-
traton regard to the political differences between the
sections expressing their conviction that an interview of
that nature would be improved by the Confederate Gov
eminent the preade to negotiation with view to ter
mnatng at the earliest possible moment the calames of
war Although those gentlemen were not officially ac-
credited with power to treat and therefore power
less to offer accept terms in the of the Confede
racy they ain the confidential employment of their
Government and entirely familiar with its wishes and
opinions that subject"
The circumstance Of their unofficial character so far "A
it referred to the position assumed by this Administration
of holding diplomatic relations with the rebel authors
ties was 10 itself additional why the safe con-
duct should be granted; for it gave Mr.. Lincoln an op-
poruny TO ascertain the radical points of antasonm
between the sections without danger Of compromising
the position 70 which have alluded, When the spp-
cation of Alexander III. Steph rejected the Ad-
mnstraon organs justified the act upon the ground that
Mr. Stephens accredited envoy of the Rich
mond authorities, and to receive him in that capacity
would imply virtual gniton Of the Confsderacy In
the present Mr. Lincoln appears to have favored the
proposition for interview under the impression that
Messrs. Clay aud Holcomb duly accredited but
upon ascertang the unofficial character Of their mission
the safe conduct was withdrawn. In case the alb.
and in the other the possession Of credentials for
bids interview. We leave il for the Administration
organs reconcile the conflicting phases Mr. LnoolDs
diplomacy. Aa 81 aaa
1t must DO borne 10 mind that the most intimate social
relations exist between Jefferson Davis and Messrs Clay
and Hocomb Both of the latter of high charsc
ter, who would under no circumstances connect them
selves with trivial mission lend their to
esctoneeriDg trick They know what terms the Confede
rate authorities will accept and the Southern people
ton Is it not right snd entail that we should know
tool Is il not nadpess to proceed with this work of
when the object contended for by one at least of the
parties, is mystery
1t is upon record above the signature of Abraham Lin
con that the abandonment Of slavery" must be accepted
by the South preliminary to negotiation. No
proposition that does not embrace submission TO that
don will be received and considered BY the Executive
Government Of the United States" Tits therefore
tied that the abandonment of slavery the purpose Of
ths For that soil 10 drenched with blood for
that soldiers fight and perish; for that hospitals
are crowded with the MANNED and suffering manhood Of
the land; for that the widows wall and the children hun
ger for that accumulate crushing debit for that
yield this continent TO foreign despots for that ber
lies tramped for that Tepublcanism Is sacrificed
aud our country convused impoverished and threatened
with overwhelming ruin. The idea of restoring the Union
no longer troubles the Executive brain.
1t will be remarked that throughout the Canada CORE
spondepce Messrs Clay and Holcomb make no auson to
terms 1t is not then the ground Of inadmssibe con-
dons that Mr. Lincoln has cancelled that hope Of peace
From the KsD York Commercial ddpsrfiser Republican,
Mr. Sanders and Mr. Greeley though wide the poles
apart in political sentiment nevertheless fair terms
Of friendship In the early spring Of 1861 Mr.. Sanders
the author Of sundry brief portentous and oraouar
kilograms which appeared in the Tribune and which
ported to reflect the sentiment then getting into shape
Montgomery, (Aa) Since the war Mr. Sanders has been
in Europe and on bis return his friends very naturally
cck to zee him at his retreat just outside territorial
limits Mr. Greeley may, Of course, go to him il he
chooses but we fancy the storm Of would
have been aroused had a Wood Cox, or a Seymour
sought the Of rebel activity. The ponder
Gus vocsbuares and the richest hesaura Of words would