Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-07-28

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HORACE GREELEY, in The Tribune of the
25th inst, has an editorial upon the subject
of the recent Peace negotiations at Niagara,
in which he took the most conspicuous part,
wherein he makes several important points
and some very significant admissions. This
editorial is of vast Importance, when we re-
member the relation borne by GREELEY to
the Administration, with which, it is evil
dent he now differs upon cardinal points.
We call particular attention to the para
graph wherein GREELEY reproves the no
ton of his Abolition colleagues that the
South can be subjugated. After replying
to some observations of cotemporary,
GREELEY proceeds:
When Horace Walpole, on his return from
Rome, was asked If he had converted the
Pope, he candidly confessed that he had not;
adding, by way of explanation, that he was
unable to offer that gentleman anything
better than he already possessed. For a
kindred and obvious reason, Jefferson Davis
is naturally the very last man in the Con-
federacy to consent to a restoration OF the
Union on whatever terms. For he is now
one of the potentates of earth, ruling with
despotic sway spacious empire and several
millions of human beings; and there is no
conceivable, at least no tolerable reconstruc-
ton which would not seriously diminish his
power and consequence. He, unquestion-
ably, is lighting for pendence"-which,
in his individual case, includes everything
else-since he has not a slave left. IL ever
he consents to reconstruction" it will be
because he has no alternative.
Now, then, we will suppose that the ex-
change of notes at Niagara had resulted in
the appearance at Washington of Rebel
Commissioners, upon their assurance that
they had (or would promptly obtain full
powers to propose and accept terms OF
peace. OF course, they would have been
morally and every way bound to proter
such terms-our Governments simply stand
ing still and requiring light upon any point
which those terms did not make clear. Sup
pose. then, that, thus brought to book, Da-
Wis had instructed them to say, ave de-
mand independence, and will make no
treaty that does not concede it," would not
that demand. thus Enthusiastically authenti-
Gated, have been worth to our Government
a reinforcement of One Hundred Thousand
Men to its armies? Thomas Jefferson, more
than sixty years ago, observed that there
was one spot on this c0ntinent-New Or
leans, to wit-whereoft the foreign possessOr
must inevitably and .eternally be the enemy
of the United States; that spot we first OBJ
tained by fair purchase at large cost, and,
having had it wrested from us by treason,
we have fought ourselves back into posses
sion of it at still heavier cost of patriot
blood, and have held it unchallenged for
more than two years past. If now, Mr..
JEFF. Davis would officially inform us that
we can have no peace with him save on
condition that we surrender New Orleans,
and submit to be excluded, save on suffer-
ance, from the Lower Mississippi, whereon
no flag now floats but by our permission,
would not that exaction immensely aid us
to raise the men and money we now need ?
We see not how this question can be con-
siderately answered in the negative, nor
how any one can fail to perceive that any
possible proposal of Peace from Richmond
must be SO shaped as to conduce to the
restoration of Peace and the Union. There
may be wisdom far beyond ours In the
premises; if so, it scars quite above the
popular apprehension.
GREELEY quotes the Presidents note ITO
whom it may concern" and attempts to
reconcile the Presidents position with his
own. He says the Presidents offer is lib
eral one, and adds:
This overture of the President will, of
course, be disseminated at the South, and
will 90 far to disabuse the rebel soldiers of
the delusion, which has been sedulously in
culcated by their chiefs, that no terms can
be made with the Government-that they
have no choice but that between persistent
fighting and unconditional surrender. Not
one-tenth of those soldiers has any interest
in slavery, save to get rid of it; while tens
of thousands of them regard the rebellion
as inexcusable, and know that its authors
richly deserve hanging. "But" they say,
"we are standing between our homes and
devastation; between a ruthless, hostile
soldiery and our wives and children; and
here we must stand till we die" If the
South really knew the actual state of feel
ing at the North, the rebellion would not
stand another month. The zdnies in the 10y
al States tcho talk as though broad empire
could be subjected TO military execution supply
the Uen0mous, desperate traitors in Dirie toith
the ue7p dlinent they need; and zoe deeply re-
oret that one of the RESOLVES Of the late Bdlti-
more Convention seems calculated to gire them
if. Gen. Fremont did a wise, generous,
manly act, in stamping instead of standing
on the wholesale Confiseati0n plank OF the
Cleveland platform, thereby aiding to
smooth the path to peace. Mr.. Lincoln, in
the paper above given, has gone much fur
ther on the same way, taking ground radi-
cally different from that of Unconditional
Submission. His indispensable bases of
peace are just right-are those on which it
becomes him to Insist; though 1t does not
follow that the rebels should be precluded
from proposing any other, nor that all ne
gotiation should be barred until they shall
be prepared to concede, as preliminary,
all that is essentially in dispute.
1t seems to us that the time, If it has not
already come, must be near at hand, where
In the North and the South will be ready to
exchange glances otherwise than over the
crests Of their rival intrenchments along
the sights Of their respective muskets--a
mode Of regard not conducive to geniality
of temper, graciousness of manner, or
comeliness OF visage. In that day, the
South will be made to comprehend that
the North requires the extinction of Slav-
eryy in no envious, inimical spirit--re-
| aiires It because its continuance involves
| the cherishing of inbred though smothered
| jealousies,. antagOnisms, antipathies = be-
cause cordial Union, lasting Peace, are at
tainable only through homogeneous insti-
tutions, based on Liberty for AL And, II
the superfcially abortive effort at Niagara
shall have served to hasten by but week
this most desired consummation, it will by