Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-09-08
THE Way TO PEACE.
From the IN. " Christian Advocate.

From the IN. " Christian Advocate.
y
q The cry for peace is heard at this time
as the heightened wall of a portion of the
press of the country, and of certain poll
ticians not formerly especially addicted to
the things that tend to. peace, nor yet dis
tiugufshed for sentimental tenderness OF
heart. tiF one of the remarkable facts
of the times that, while nearly every pulpit
in the land gives it's utterance in favor Of
war, the cry from the dram shops and all
the pnrlieus of vice is peace peacel The
religions press is almost pnapimpuslyi OF
altogether so, iu favor of an earnest aud
persistent prosecution of the war till re-
bellion shall, cease from the land, while
the most interruptions and uDgodly pub
locations are the organs of the peace party.
These things are significant. The leopard
has not changed his spots, nor the Ethio-
plan his skin; neither have these now hla-
tant advocates of peace ceased to be what
they ever have been-false to God, and ut
terly selfish in their mock patriotism. II
is often the safest method of preftiug by
an enemy to oppose whatever he favOrs
and favoring whatever he opposes; and in
this case no doubt that rule would apply
with peculiar fitness. The average morali.
" Of this new peace party is well known
to be miserably low, and generally there
is we'll sustained inverse ratio between
the moral character and this4ne born
love of peace. Were the meaning of all
this much less obvious than it is, it would
be wise TO pause and carefully examine the
case before submitting ourselves aud the
interests of the country into such hands;
as it is, however, the case is plain;o one,
and their base designs only are too obVi-
ous. ~
1t is worthy of notice that while much is
said in favor of making peace there is re-
markAbIe reticence aud indefuiteness re-
spectiug its terms and conditions. And yet
upon these depends the whole merit OF the
case. It will not be denied that even peace.
may be purchased at too high price, and
therefore the price of peace in this case
should be fairly counted before the pur-
chase is advocated. Shall we buy it at the
price Of national integrity of national ex-
istencs7 Shall We say to our enemies aud
all the world that we are incapable of sell
preservation and defense, and so invite the
attacks of all nations2 Shall we disgracl
forever the name of American, and expose
ourselves to insults and imppsitions in al
parts of the world2 Shall we by practi.
cal Interpretation of our form of govern
meut declare our so called nation simply q
compact of petty soVereignties, more loose
ly connected than the states of Germany,
and liable to be broken up Mt any time By
the malice or caprice of an accidental ma
jority in any state legislature? These
thinga compose only the first instalment o
the price at which peace must be qbough
or.obtained ct this time, and in the way
demanded. We know we should insult
the American people by seriously asking il
they desire peace on these terms.
Let It be remembered that the rebels dC
not abate one jOt or title of their high pre-
tensions and demands. We're itldeter'
mined on our part to make peace, there IL
no need of negotiation; We have thei
ultimatum, and have only to auawer fol
ourselves whether We will accsptit. Theil
mort aud attitude toward us are those of q
conqueror; and we have only to send in th'
white hsg with the message that we con
tess ourselves fairly beaten and therefore
grant them all they demand. This is jus
what is necessarily implicated in the cal
for peace now heard among as. This nt
doubt many of the leaders desire, RhilI
multitudes shut their eyes to these thing
in their improVident and unPatriotic de
sire to be rid Of the war.
The initial step toward negotiating
peace with the rebels must be the Fecogni
lion of their nationality and virtual inde
peudeuce. Our goVernment eau oniy Iesl
with foreign nations, and to begin suel
negotiations with the government tha
STYLES itself the Confederate States is 4
confess its distinct nationality, and Z
practically declare that the states now
rebellion are no part of the territory of tn
United States. Thus everything at lssp
must be conceded at the outset, and on
government will then be estopped by II
own action from demanding the submis
siun of those states to the government
the nation. So. the powers at Richmont
view things, Bnd with wisdom and con
sistency worthy of a better cause the,
steadily insist on not only that course o
action, but It's logical consequences also.
Peace, then, means, in the first place, th
complete success of the rebellion, the tnde
pendence of the South, the erection OF I
great hostile power alongsids of the rem
nant ofaour own country, the possession Z
the lower Mississippi by an untriendl
foreign power, the stretching OF line
fortiHcations from the. Atlantic 70 the Rock
Mountains, dividing between two govern
ments territory naturally indiyisthie
inseparably one the reduction OF onr M
tionAl domain to 3 narrow strip reachlu
from ocean to ocean, with an unfriendl
power on each side, the one oIr triumPhaI
foe, and the other power that in oar pres
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