Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-02-26
Address Of the Rebel Congress 10
the People of the Confederate


States.
New YORK, Feb. 25.-The address Of the
rebel Congress to the people of the Confed-
crate States is published. 1t is very lengthy.
1t says the course of the Federal Governs
ment has proved that it did not desire peace
and would not consent to it on any terms
that we could possibly conclude. In proof
of this we refer to the repeated rejection of
all terms of conciliation and compromise,
to their recent contemptuous refusal to re-
ceive the Vice President who was sent to
negotiate for softening the asperties of
war, and their scornful rejection of the Of
fer of neutral power to mediate between
the contending parties. The motive of such
strange conduct is obvious. The Republi-
can party was founded to destroy slavery
and the equality of the States, and Lincoln
was selected as the instrument to accom-
plish this object. The Union was a barrier
to the consummation of this policy, because
the Constitution, which was its bond, recog-
nized and protected slavery and the sove-
reignty of the States. The Union must
therefore be sacrificed, and to insure its
destruction was determined on.
The mass of Northern people were not
priyy to and sympathized in no such design.
They loved the Union and wished to pre-
serve it, to rally the people to the support
of the war. Its object was proclaimed to
be destruction of the Union as if that
which implied voluntary assent, of which
agreement was an indispensable element
and bcondition, could be preserved by coer-
lcion.
1t is absurd to pretend that govern
ment really desirous of restoring the Union
would adopt such measures as the cOnfisca-
tion of private property, the emancipation
of slaves, systematic efforts to invite them
to insurrection, forcible abduction from
| their homes and compulsory enlistment In
the army, the division of sovereign
State without its consent and a proclama-
ton that one-tenth of the population of q
State, and that one-tenth should rule,
should control the will of the remaining
nine-tenths.
| The only relation between the two sec-
tions under such policy is that of conquereI
and conquered, superior and dependent. II
would hardly be fair to assert that all
Northern people participate in these de-
signs. On the contrary ther, exists pow
erhl political party who openly condemn
them.
The Administration has however beer
able thus far, by its enormous patronage
and its lavish expenditures, to seduce or by
its legions of hessian mercinaries to over
| awe the masses to control the elections and
to establish an arbitrary despotism.
1t cannot be possible that this state o.
/ things can continue. The people of tht
United States, accustomed to freedom, can
not consent to be ruined and enslaved in or
der to ruin and enslave us.
Moral like physical epidemics have thei
allotted periods and must sooner or later b,
exhausted and disappear. When reason re
turns, our enemies will probably retlec
that a people like ours who have exhibited
such capabilities and extemporized such re
sources, can never be subdued; that a vas
expanse of territory with such a population
Icannot be governed as an obedient colony.
Until some evidence Is given Of chang
: of policy on the part Of the Government
and some assurance Is received that effort
at negotiation will not be spurned, thei
! Congress are of opinion that any direc
! overtures for peace would compromise on
: self respect be fruitless Of good, and inter
4 preted by the enemy as an indication o
weakness. We cordially repeat the desir
of the people for peace and our READINGS
to accept terms consistent with the homo
r and integrity and independence of tn
i States, and compatible with the safety Q
!. our domestic institutions. We have no al
I tentative but to do our duty. We comba
for property, homes, the honor ofour wives
: the future Of our children, thepreservatio