Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-17

AT a meeting of the Massachusetts, Elec-
toral College, Mr.. Everett presided; and
made very graceful speech, He drew en-
couragement from the manner and the
result of the election. he asked why
there should not now be unanimous sup
port of the government ? In answering,
he gave his views on the anti-slavery poll
cy of the government, and on the letter of
Mr.. Stephens on which we have taken oc.
casion to comment. His words deserve to
be laid before our readers. He says:
"There is now really but one question
which divides those who hold, in good
| faith, that the military power of the re-
belIion must be subdued, and the Union
preserved at all hazards. l alIude. of
course, to the policy of emancipation; and
will not our opposing friends who SO warm
~ disspproVe that policy, and who think
it creates an insuperable obstacle to the
restoration of the Union, reconsider that
opinion, on perussl of the remarkable let
ter of the second officer of the confederacy,
written on the 9th ofNovember, three days
before the election-a private letter, but
not published by himselfj by far the most
important utterance, on this subject, which
has reached us from the South. In this
letter Mr.. Stephens, 1.-THE ablest civilian in
the confederscy,) assigns the reasons why
he desired the election of Gen. Mcclellan.
In that event, he assumed that an armistice
would take place and a Convention of the
States be held.
If that body failed to come to an AMIGA
BILE agreement, to acknowledge the indie
pendenCe of tho south, "ud Con. Mcclellan
should renew the war, with the avoWed
object of restoring the Union, with the old
Constitution and all its guarantees (Which
by his letter of acceptance he was pledg-
ed to DOL sat that moment says Mr.. Ste
phens, tor as soon as possible, our recog-
milton abroad would come. The silent
sympathy of England, France and other
European Powers, at present with Lincoln,
aries entirely from their mania on the sub
1ect of slavery Here follows an omission
iu Mr.. Stephens letter, made as hehimself
iutimates from public considerations
The passage omitted no doubt enforced
the idea, that if the north continued the
war in order to restore the Constitution
with guarantees of slavery, Europe would
instantly recognize the confederacy as an
independent power. Mr.. Stephens then
/ proceeds as follows: Lincoln had either
to witness our recognition abroad. the
moral power of which alone he saw would
break down the war, or make 1t an eman-
cipation war
'tHe chose the latter alternative, and the
more readily because it chimed in so &C.
cordautly with the feelings and views OF
his party. This, in my opinion, is the
plain English of this whole matter, and
just as soon as Mcclellan should renew
the war the Union and the old Constitu.
ton with slavery, would England, France
and the other European powers throw all
the moral power and influence of their re-
cognition ON our side. l am not certain
that they would not go further rather than
see the old Unien restored, If it should be-
come necessary; but 1t would not become
necessary
In these explicit terms. the second officer
of the rebel government, speaking no doubt
on the strength of communications from
agents abroad, and holding back what he
deemed it not prudent to diVulge, not only
treats the emancipation policy of the Pre-.
sident as a necessary military measure, bui
maintains that that alone had prevented
the great powers of Europe from recog-
mixing the independence of the South, and
If necessary throwing their swords into the
scale to secure its establishment May
we not reasonably hope, in view of such
opinions aud disclosures, from such a
: quarter, that this policy will cease to d.
vide opinion at the North, aHd that we
shall again, as in 1861, present an uudi-
vided front in defence of the integrity Of
the Union"