The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1864-02-25
3 Confiscalion and Peace!
SPEECH OF HON. FERNANDO WOOD
IN THE ef 7t=@
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
~ ~ JAsUARY 10Th, 1864. ~.
JAsUARY 18th, 1864.
CONCLUDING PORTION.

vet been conquered. say further, that d
Irevoited people have ever been subduet
after they have been able to maintain al
independent government for three years.
But, sir. let thai pass. We are at war
Neither side Of the house will deny it,
Whether these States are in rebellion, o
whether we are fighting an iude ependsu
power, we are still ct war. Whether It b,
civil war, rebellion. reyolution or foreign
war, II matters little. II must ceass. ant
, want this Administration to tell th,
American people when it will cease.
This war must cease. I care not how o.
from waat cause, whether by exhaustion OF
, either side. by Southern submission or sue
cess. by mediation or by Northern mag.
nanimity, or by Northern sense Of self pre-.
! serv alton. The war must cease. Thsr,
must be an end os it sooner or later. from
one cause or from another. think al
will concede this. Admitting, therefore
this conclusion. the next inquiry is, how
and when? These are the proper ques
tions for this Congress to determine. When
shall this war cease? What is the required
measure of Southern submission? Will
the party in power, who have the response
biliiy before the world, answer this ques-
tion? Shall il be when in the language of
the President in April, 1861, and have "ra.
possessed the forts. places. and property
seized from the UDion?" Or be the Ian
guags Of the resolution of Congress passed
nearly unanimously in 1861, when we have
successfully maintained and defended the
supremacy of the Constitution, aud pre-
served the Union with all the dignity
equality, and rights of the several State.
unimpaired, !" and that, as soon as these OBJ.
jects are accom- plished, the war ought to
cease? Or shsll-it be when, according TO
the Presidential programme Of 1862, the
Southern States. acting under the nominal
protection Of the Constitution, shall OF
themselves consent under duress to tho
emancipation of their slaves; or under the
more recent proclamation Of the same func-
tionary, who, outside the Constitution, and
in utter disregard Of its sacred provisions,
the abandoned tenth of the population of
the South shall consent to betray the re-
naming nine-tenths into a servitu1e more
degraded than that which thsir own local
institutions snt1iled upon its blacks? Or
shall it be when, under the yet more re-
Gently declared doctrine of the Republican
leader of the House. (Mr. Stevens,) the
Southern States shall be reduced to a con-
dition of abject dependence. as a conquered
enemy, entitled to no law or mercy except
that which the cIemency Of fanaticism may
afford? Or more dreadful. shall it be VIII en-
the American people, North and South,
utterly broken down, their national inter
ests destroyed, their ancient form of gov
ernment subverted. their territorial unity
disintegrated heir lands laid waste, their
homes forever gone, and the fountains of
the great deep of nat:onsl 6esoiation shall
overwhelm them. that thus, when all pow
er OF resistance or aggression shall alike be
exhausted, shall we then have peace? Or
more fearful, shallit be when the iron hand
of despoiism is firmly planted upon the
submissive necks OF North"rn timidity?
Mr.. Speaker, when shall the war cease?
l ask the question in good faith. / ask IL
Of the men who govern the North. II is
their duty to determine how and when it
shall cease, that the country may know the
extent of the demands to be made upon it,
the full measure required, and have unfold
ed at least glimpse Of the dark and sha-
dowy future. a-f
ask in the name of the American peo-
pie, whose blood and treasure is being pour.
ed out in this war. in their name ask you
when shall this hellish cruelty of blood and
famine cease? Sir. let the war be OF what
ever character it may, it must cease. and it
lust cease by negotiation. Early in this
session. had the honor TO present 10 this
House preamble aud resolution, which
shall read. They are as follows:
"Whereas. the President, in his message
delivered to this House on the 9th instant.
and in his Recommendation to the people to
assemble at their places of worship. and
give thanks to God for recent victories,
claims that the Union cause has gained i'm
portaDt and substantial advantages, and
whereas. in view Of these trinmphs, it is no
longer beneath our dignity, nor dangerous
IN
naaim;ty becoming great and powerful
people by offering to the insurgents an op-
portunity to return 10 the Union without
imposing on them degrading or destructive
conditions: Therefore. 3.~
Resolved, That the President be re-
auested to appoint three commissioners, who
shall be empowered 20 open negotiations
with the authorities at Richmond, to the
end that this bloody, destructive, and in-
human war shall cease, aud the Union be
restored on terms Of equity, fraternity and
equality under the Constitution" es-r
Mr.. Speaker. if. as the gentleman from
Penpsylvaaia says, we are at war with a
foreign power, what has been the practice
OF our Government with reference to the
appointment OF commissioners to treat wit b
foreign powers? Why, sir. as early as
1T95. when the Alserines made war In the
Mediterranean npon our commerce, pirates
though they were. we did not think it be-
meath our dignity 10 treat with them; the
President authorised the American minis
ter 10 Portugal 10 appoint 9 celnnissiooer,
who did proceed 10 q negotiation. and did
finally make q treaty of aniity which lasted
till 1915. Again, Sir. in the war Of 1912,
between the United States and Great Br i
tain, three very distinguished men were
appointed commissioners, Henry Clay be-