Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1864-08-03
THE DUTY OF THE HOUR.

Enough is now known of the peace
movement at Niagra, to show that it vas
one OF the graves significance, although |
the personnel of il was not so commanding
as it might have been. 1t is clear that
Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Holccm5e came 10 Nj
agra as representatives Of the Confederate
Government. clothed with authority 10
initiate negotiations for tho termination
Of the war and the restoration of perma-
nent peace. Mr.. Lincoln, through Mr..
Greeley, with seeming cagerness and sim
ceri,y, met this advance on the part of
the rebels, and promised the commission
safe conduct to Washington in order
that he and they might talk the matter
over face to face. But, unhappily at this
point, for some reason or other, Mr.. Lin
coin changed his policy, and in fact,
changed his minister, for he dispatched
Mr.. Hay, his private secretary, to Niagra
with Il message addressed "To whom il
may concern" which was certain to ter
mihate, and was undoubtedly intended to
terminate, all negotiation; for MIR. Lin
coin knew perfectly well that there could
be no commission at Niagra authorized to
promlse the abandonment of slavery
or in other worGs the abandonment OF
the right Of Me States 10 choose their opn do
meStic Institutions. He knew that the So
called Confederate Government at Rich
mond pretended to no such authority
but hold, and has uniformly held, that
the abolition OF slavery was question for
the States in which it is found, and not a
question for the governments AT Washing
ton or Richmond Mr.. Lincoln enun-
ciated the same sentiment in his lnaugu-
raj, and scores of times since. 1t is clear,
, then, that he deliberately determined 10
arrest the very initiation of settlement,
to nip il in the bud-and hence his com
municaton addressed "To whom it may
'concern," in which he makes the over
throw of slavery condition precedent to
the reception Of any communication or
. the subject Of fscttlement-any settlement
however honorable or advantageous
What there is in the present aspect of the
struggle to arrani Mr.. Lincoln in assum
" ing such an imperons attitude, we are al
a loss to discover. Had he just heard tha
the immediate future was pregnant with
some mighty event that was to establish
the wisdom of his policy the sufiicencl
of his material power-not only that The
war was to end in "sixty days" the Uio,
be restor ed but that slavery was also t
be abandoned everywhere! His call fo
, ,000 recruits is a sufficient answer OF
. this point. He saw no bright spot, anC
no hope in the future ! but was i'm
pelled by that same spirit of fanatic ism
about slavery that has beclouded his judg
p last and most unwise step OF ALTO throw
i away tho golden opportunity of making
name for himself among the befefactor
y o! mankind, and of healing the wounds O
= his bleeding country, and of spreading io
;, aud gludness in the midst of counties
families, of all grades of society, who ar
living In daily terror Of his inexorable an,
cruel conscrip.ion.
But he would not. lie has deliberate
=, ly arrested negotiation TO re-establish th
Union, and demanded that the war shal
60 on. thereby declaring that the seuti
h ment in his Inaugural, "Ifyou go to wa
you cannot fight always, and after mucl
loss on both sides and no gain on either
tie identical qustions of intercourse anc
!, settlement will be upon you," was intend
ed rs delusion and fraud; for no san,
: man will say there has not been mucl
loss on both sides, or that this is not Tn,
time anticipated by Mr.. Lincoln If til,
: timeis ever to come-when the war shoulc
!, give way to negotiation.
But this is not all, nor the worst: Mr.
Lincoln not only refuses TO entertain
:, propositions for settlement and peace
bat he goes further, and puts the war or
:, ground utterly untenable and unlawful
!, lie makes the overthrow of slavery, "a
State institution sine quo non. We arc
10 have no peace, and no Union until this
y edict is acknowledged. Henceforth the
, war must acknowledgedly be for the
4, overthrow of State institution, and moi
! to assert the authority of the Federal
laws within The States.
But according to Mr.. Lipcoln, if resis
n tance to that authority ceased tomorrow,
the war would still 60 on till the slaves
. were all set free. The 100000 recruits
a must be Forthcoming, no. TO establish
, the Union, but TO subyert one of its es-
S sential principles-the right of as tate
, to choose and enjoy its own domestic
institutions.
IL frioc