Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-08-25
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
HOW TO MAKE PEACE.

was arrested by the following observations OF Inc
New York Tribune, as contained In the eAia0'
which we cited from that paper, along Win o'nei''
in our number of yesterday:
1--WE do not know aud have not meant to ainrm lhat
an immt date settlement OF cur natonai u'up1 ~
feel iea,ibe but ne feel certain tha !uoh~as H'
American pedp ether side ~ me dDidang tine
j obsob;noL desira D, ace and rady TO make all
nedtul &c fces insure ~ Then iohy shau u DC png
uahhed? III knoo, as soon as may BE- The nos mar
me ysI ch Fl H do peace let us merit ascertain
,oLaf is the timatu sidt and, II the nerelce
between these material lei fight all the harder l
one the ottel is ready to make the needu conces
sion. IL lie high time ma terswere coming to point
Ii, as the Tribune afhrms, two-thirds OF the
American people, on each side of the dividing line,
anxiously, absorbipgly desire peace, and are
ready to make all needfu sacrifices to insure II"
the further continuance of the war is Ieproach 10
the authorities who stand in the way OF reallz-
ing this ardent wish of the country. According
to the view of the Tribune the nation is cheated
out of peace by the unwllingness or the inability
of the men in place on each side OF the line 10
effectuate the xious absorbing desire OF their
counrymen; and yet with singular inconsistency
the Tribune proposes to remit the question OF
peace into tt e hands of the "rebel chief on the
one side and of President Lincoln on the other;
for when it says " let know, so soon as may be,
the most that the rebel chief will do to secure
peace" and Immediately adds, "let us next ascer-
tain what is the utimatum on our side," we sup
pose it intends to leave the +" ultimatum" of the
Loyal States to be fixed by Mr.. Lincoln, as it as
sumes that the ultimatum of the Seeded States is
to be fixed by Mr.. avis
We have many and, as we conceive, weighty OBJ
jectons to this proposition. If "two-thirds OF the
people on each side of the dividing line anxiously,
Accordingly desire peace and are ready to make
all needtuz sacrifices 10 insure a., we must insist
that the terms and conditions of peace should be
ascertaned and oncerted by the people themselves
We already know the /" ultimatum " OF Mr.. Lln'
coln, and this being such as to leave no hope OF
peace during his Administration, we are not at all
curious to know the "ultimatum" Of Mr.. Davis,
which we think it very likely would as little reflect
the popular will and wish on his side as the Presl
dent has little reflected the popular will and wish
on our side by the supplementary condition he ha.
announced as the ground on which he will re
ceive any proposition looking to "peace and TIT
integrity of the whole Union" If peace is t
be secured its terms must be ascertained by
ahose who, as the Tribune says, "are willing tc
make oil needtA sacrifices to insure ir-that is
by the people themselves. Who but the people
on each side can determine what sacrifices they
deem to be needfuP' for the assured restoration
of peace? We are very sure that two-thirds o.
the people on our side of the "dviding line
would have no hesitation in " sacrificing" man,
things which President Lincoln is not prepared Il
yacIifce, in order to secure peace. He is SO ham
pered by his " proclamatioDs' and pledges that 0
all men he is most disqualified to approach thu
consideration of this subject, for what audience
could be expect to receive from the people of the
Seeded States in commencing to their adhesion
terms which it is safe to say, are considered by 8
majority of the people even in the Loyal States q
be as little proper for the President to offer as
they are little likely to be accepted by the parties
to whom they are addressed
1t is clear to our minds, therefore, that if any
negotiations are to be set on foot with view &c
peace, they must be preceded by change of front
on the part Of those who direct the civil admins
tration of the country The present policy of thu
Government in the conduct of the must b.
reversed by return to the principles and maxim
which have been left out of sight in what the New
York Times calls the blind race Of radicalisn
and barbarsm" We know that President Lincoln
does not yet perceive the necessity of such reversal
On the contrary, he has within the last few weeks
committed himself by his late manifesto more ex
pre,sy than ever before to the logical conclusions
of the policy that now dictates the ends and objects
of the war.
But apart from all questions Of persons or forms
Il seems to us, as we have alre dy intimated, thai
if the people are ripe for peace they should b
allowed to express their wishes and views to tha
effect with the least possible iudirectness or con
fusion resulting from the Intervention of third par
ties. And now how shall this be ccomplishedf
As there were many who, at the beginning Of
the secession agitation, avowed their willingness,
to refer s questions at issue between "the North
and "the South" to tho arbitration Of National
Convention, SO at every stage Of the war which ha,
followed it ha, been supposed that, whatever might
be its result, National Convention would be
called to re-adjust our organic policy with refer
ence to the altered relations left by the war And
If regard be had to the subject-matter of the dis
sensiops out of which the war grew, it would seem
that they could in substance and in form, be most