Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-10-12

tend to say. 1t will drag its slow length
along, after the fashion of diplomatic in
tercourse.
At last, however, the armistice isagreed
upon What next? A convention of all
the States. Not separate convention in
each State, but convention formed by
delegates from every State, loyal and reb
ell, meeting in one place. In the first
place, it Is evident that a long time must
elapse before this convention can meet.
There must be time for the election of
the delegates and for their assembling.
Several months will necessarily be con
sumed. for we must wait for the delegates
| from the Pacific side. Let us stop at this
point for a moment, to consider what will
have become of our armies. No progress
from November till March; then another
delay, while the armistice is under nego-
tiation, and finally longer pause until
the delegates to this great convention
shall have been elected and come togeth-
er.
All this time our soldiers are idle
They con not so much as be employed on
military roads or fortifcations, for that
would be hostile work. Fellow citizens,
it would be impossible to keep our armies
together. They would melt away by ex-
piration of time. and by desertions, and by
furloughs, never to reasonable
Then again, as to this Convention
W here is it 20 meet? That is a difficult
point to be settled. Perhaps it will be
somewhere in Canada, if you call that
neutral territory. Then it must be a
convention of all the States, thirty FIVE
in all. You see l count in West Virginia
and do so, because West Virginia is
State of this Union, recognized by Con-
gress and the Executive.
There can be no longer any question
that West Virginia is dejure as de faetO
State. Her political status is irrevocably
fixed. 1t matters not what seeming
irregularities attended her admittance
into the Union, for she was admitted by
the very authority which had the right
to say come in, or keep out. We can
no more agree to exclude West Virginia
from the convention of States, than we
can agree to exclude Kentucky. But
while we can never consent to exclude
her, very much doubt if Virginia and
the other rebel States will ever agree to
admit her. Upon that question the
Convention would come to dead lock
in the very act of organization No
doubt there will be two sets of delegates,
whose claims must be first settled, one
loyal and the other rebel, from several
of the States, says from Missouri, Tenn
essee, Arkansas, Louisiana, perhaps from
Maryland, and even from Kentucky.
Next, as to the vital question of deci-
ding matters in this convection. The
matters to be decided are at issue be
tween the parties met together. There
is no provision for an umpire, no third
and disinterested party is to be called in
but this convention is to settle and de
, eide for itself Shall each State have
only one vote? Shall New York have
, no more voting power than Delaware
Nav shall each State have one vote? viii
the South ever consent to that? Th'
loyal States are as two to one, and whel
: it comes to a vote on the basis of mum
bers, the loyal States would carry tn
; point. No, my friends, depend upon l
these rebellious States will never con
sent to the decision of the majority
VI They will claim that the loyal and rebF
. States should stand each as one party
equal in dignity and voting power.
settling great national questions whic
: concern us all, one rebel vote mu'
count equal to three loyal votes. Moth
y ing short of all that will satisfy tn
. South. When it comes to that, wha
= are you to expect7 Everlasting debate
: without any result. Suppose a sing
= branch of a single subject. to be und'
. consideration, the question of slavery
. the Territories. Is there free loy'
Stste that will vote for that claim, or
;. rebel State that will vote against i
There is no occasion to enumerate IL
other issues which would ask all sorts
" guarantees, recognizi ng slavery, inder
:. nity for their losses, assumption OF the
public debt, and know not what beside
What guarantee would they give IL
NorthH There is one we would requir
and that is that hereafter there shall
no more secession. This is precisely Il
~ guarantee, give them. what we ma
=. which the South will not give US.
:, No, fellow citizens, this cunning pla
:, form of an armstice and a convention
:, save the Union, is all delusion. Tho
.. who got it up intended to save Davis al
the confederacy-and they could ha
hit on nothing more opportune, or mo
certain, if adopted, to accomplish th
ba purpose.
70 Nothing seems to me more certa
in than that the election OF McClella
he followed by an armistice and a conve
ra- ton, well end the struggle ana lne hiO
M, We shall then have peace purchas
be by dismemberment, peace that destr'
- our nationality peace that surrend'
t;c half our territory peace in which
ON get nothing, and surrender every TIM
ver A peace which compels us to lower
M flag over all that great Southern reg
M frat purchased by our treasure, and sIr
er- reposessed by the precious blood OF
ION souldiers and sailors. peace WIN
md changes US from great nation ieai
/, and respected all over the world Il
,o disiointed and crumbling elemer
b., with new flags, new boundaries n
Che names, and new treaties. That preci'
IN Union which was intrusted to this