The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1864-11-02
SANDY GROVE, NEAR BARTOW, P. 0. Ga.

OENTLEMFN--l our letter -OI tnc lftn
inst, was received several days ago. | have
taken time TO consider the object which it
proposes-"the inauguration Of peace
movement at the South. long for peace
as ardently as the heart pants for the cool
ing WATERPROOF. | agree with you that
this unnatural strife cantlot be terminated
by arms. The pen, not the sword, must
at last solve our difficulties, and the sooner
field of battle to the forum of rational and
honorable negotiation, the better it will be
| for both governments | agree with you,
that the peace movement at the North
| should be duly encouraged at the South
To this end we should lose no occasion nor
omit any proper means to convince the
| North that we are still, as We always have
been, willing to adjust the difficulties be-
tween US upon honorable terms We have
aVowed our desire for peace and readiness
ior negotiation from the very beginning of
| the war, in every form in which organized
communities can give expression to their
will. We have arowed It'll Executive mes
sages, in Legislative resolves, and Congress
sional manitestoes.
(" W hat more can we do in view of our stu
ation? Gladly would | do more if it were
| possible. But | do not believe it is. We
can inaugurate no movement to lead to the
result so earnestly desired by every friend of
| humanity, and so earnestly demanded by
! the interests of both sections. Our military
| situation would forbid even the attempt
| The capture OF Atlanta and Richmond is
regarded by the authorities OF the United
States, as all that Is necessary for our ultl-
| mate Huhjugation. They have captured At
lanta, and General Grant says the early cap
ture Of Richmond is sccrtain, beyond doubt.
NLat, under the circumstances, would be
the probable effect Of any peace movement
at the South? Would it conciliate the
North? Would it inspire the government
Of the United States with sense Ut justice,
| or Performance, GA magnanlmity? SO far
from this, it would be construed into intim-
| idation on our part, and it would stimulate
and intensity tie war spirit Of the North. -
It would be regarded rs our confession Of
overthrow, and the prcmonitary symptoms
Of our readiness to sue for mercy on the
bended knees Of unconditional lumcEdcr
In view Of the avowcd object of the war
on the part Of the Northern Government, it
is very certain that there can be no peace
upon any honorable terms, 50 long as its
present rulers are in power. The President
Of the United States has proclaimed cuan-
! cipatiQn and his determination to enforce it
by the sword He hes announced, in ad-
vance Of any formal offer Of negotiation on
our part, that he will not treat with rebels
| las he is plea TO call the people Of the
! Confederate States except upon the rondi-
| ton that We lay down our arms, abandon
| slavery and return to the Union. lie will
| then grant such terms as may be comrata-
Die with his sense Of justice, Eberaity and
| magnanimity So long, therefore, as its
rulers nre in power, and this policy fhaIl be
adhered to, there can be no peace between
u4 and the Government Of the United
States, which will not bring upon lis contiS
cation, social disorganzation, poverty, de-
ctadatiUn, and iptolerabie dishonor, What
worse would be our doom if suhjugated by
military power? Subjugation is no worse
than the submission offered to us as the on
" condition Of peace. 1t would at least
save to us our honor
If the people of the United States will
change their rulers; if they will repudiate
the avowed policy OF suhiugation; if they
will return to a practical recognition Of the
true principles which underlie the whole
structure Of American Governments, Or
ganizcd to secure and maintain Constitution
al liberty, the door will soon be opened for
an honorable and lasting peace Peace up
on any other terms involves the losp of lib
erty, because it will be the result Of i'1tce---
not Of choice and compact between co-ebual
and severe gn States. Peace upon any 9TH
er terms means despotism, cnthroned in en-
pire--not rcpublicanism, founded upon "the
consent of the governed, and organized in
such form as to them shall seem most likely
to effect their safety and happiness. This
is the kind OF peace which the United
States now proposes to enforce upon the
people of the Confederate States--the peace
of death to Constitutional libcrty-the stag
nant peace Of desprtiSn-the peace which
chains and lrlson-bars impose.
| look with anxiety to the approaching
Presidential election in the United States
For, athongh The Chicago playorn, fills
beioo the grem occaSion, and the nominee
still i0'rer, get the t,iumph Of the Dcntocracy
Of the North wlW certainty secure tenpora-
~ suspension Of hostihties and an effort to
make peace Jy an appeal TO 1pus0n. They
confess that four years of bloody war, as a
means of restoring the Union, has poven a
failure. They declare that the true piinci-
pies of American government have been
present Executive of the United States. -
istrat;on, and with that, change of policy.
It will do more and What is Of more in
portance, it will bring the two contending
parties face to face in the arena of reason
and consultation. Then and there can be
discussed the history cf all our difficulties,
the principles involved in the bloody issue,
and the respective interests Of both govern
ments Such is my conviction of the ON
impotence of truth and right, that ! feel an
abiding confidence that an honorable peace
would ultimately spring from such dehbera-
tons.
In their long cherished devotion to the
Union of the States-a sentiment which
challenges my respect--the people of the
North, it seems to me, have fallen into two
grave and capital errors: On the one hand,
they attach an undue importance to the
mere fact or form of Union, ignoring the
principles and objects Of the Union, and for
getting that it ceases to be valuable when it
fails 10 secure that object and maintain those
principles. On the other hand, they think
that the States of the Confcderacy have
sc parated from the United States, in con-
tempt of that Union, in a wanton disposi-
ton to insult its flag and to destroy the Gov
ernment of which it is an emblem. Both
opinions are wrong.
The old Union was an organization Of
States But it was more; it was such an
organization, founded upon great principles,
in orGer to give the most efficient security
for the maintenance Of those very same
principles. These principles are the soyer-
eighty of the States, the right of the people
to govern themselves; the right of each
State to regulate its own domestic affairs, to
establish its own municipal institutions, to
organize its own system of labor and to pur-
sue it's own career Of enterprise, subject to
no restrictions except such as are expressed
! in the Federal Constitution On these tbs
.4a-".