The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-08-29
The Hsw Plan Of Psace-How TO Divide
the South.


The theory OF the so-called Southern Con
federacy is that each Of the States which com
pose il is an independent nation. Tho confed
eracy is simply an alliance, offensive and de-
| iensive between the States From this alliance
| any State can withdraw at pleasure. JEFF
Davis has no authority to coerce either Of the
! independent nationalities under his temporary
control. This is the State rights system as OPP
posed to our Union system. 1t is she Confed
Grated States instead Of the United States II
is return to the scheme which was tried
and found wanting after the American colonies
released themselves from the British yoke. AT
that time the confederate system was proven
to be too weak for practical purposes. and it
was therefore replaced by the Union system,
which made us powerful nation. There are
those who contend, and no doubt justly, that if
we bad never invaded the South, but had
maintained a blockade of all the Southern
ports and guarded the border line with i'm
mense armies, JEFF. Davis confederacy would
have soon fallen to pieces. Tho HERALD held
this opinion at the opening of the war, and
General Scott was committed to il at one time.
But 1t was not tried, and we cannot now say
what would have come Of it if il had been
tried.
Under the pressure of this war the indepen-
dent States of the South have been welded to-
gether into firm despotism Of which jeff
Davis is the chief tyrant Instead of leaving
each little nation to defend itself, lie united the
armies Of all the States into a grand army IN
der his direct command. Practically, there
fore, the idea of confederacy was rclin-
pushed. General taxation, a general currency,
general CONSUMPTION and general
army exist in the Southern Confederacy
just as in the Union. Tie war measures Of the
rebels have not differed from our own, except
that they have not relied upon paper procla-
nations to take the place Of hard fighting, as
we have at intervals very foolishly done. But,
now that peace is talked about, the rebel
papers begin to revive the confederate scheme.
They say that jeff. Davis cannot make peace
for all the South. They argue that he has no
right to cedc single foot of Southern soil,
even to achieve Southern Independence Their
position is that the States must make peace on
their own terms. We urge President Lincoln
to take advantage of this position. The rebel
papers have given him a hint which be will do
well to adopt. Let him recognize to its utmost
the ridiculous notion Of the independent
nationality Of the separate States, and begin to
deal with them separately. AS each Of the
petty nationalities has the right to secede from
the confederacy at will, let him hold out in
ducements for some of them to secede. BY this
course he can weaken, cripple and finally
destroy the rebellion,
To show that this new plan of peace has its
practical merits we have only to look at the
position Of Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri.
These three States were claimed by the rebels,
and were represented in the rebel Congress.
But by policy partly Of Cancellation and
partly OF coercion they have been retained in
the Union. Their people were no less divided
in sentiment at the outbreak of the war than
were the people of North Carolina Louisi-
ana. Alabama, Tennessee and Virginia. IN
doubtedly q majority of the people Of
these five States would have declared
in favor of remaining in the Union
had fair vote been permitted. Undoubtedly
also these States would have remained in the
Union had they been treated Maryland and
Kentucky were. We did not ask JEFF. Davis
what course Maryland and Kentucky were
going to take; but we dealt directly with the
States themselves. Interviews occurred be-
tween the President and representatives of those
States Mutual pledges were given and ac-
cepted. Exceptions were made in their favor
in all abolition measures. The loyal popula-
ton was encouraged, and the disloyal over
awed The consequence was that Mary land and
Kentucky stayed in the Union. In Missouri
there was more fighting; but our policy there
was essentially the same. Had it been ex-
tended to all the other States, each of them,
excepting perhaps South Carolina, would have
seeded from secession and re-entered the
Union. The hesitation and final refusal OF the
border States to join the confederacy sealed
the fate of the rebels. With those States they
might have accomplished disunion; without
them they certainly never will. But had four
or five more Of the States been identicaly
dealt with, the rebellion would have died out
in a month.
Now, to apply the teachings of the past to
the present situation. is IL too late for President
Lincoln to divide and conquer the rebellion
by negotiating with the seeded States sepa.
rately? There, for instance, is North Caro-
lima. large portion Of her people have re-
Gently declared In favor Of peace. A consid-
cradle portion Of them are Union men. At
Greensboro they have just forcibly and success
fully resisted the rebel CONSUMPTION. We have
a report that majority Of the recently
elected Legislature are in favor OF re-
union. Governor Vance is, we know, mot
altogether well affected towards JEFF Davis.
If the President were to send commissioners to
him to negotiate in regard to North Carolina
alone, we feel confident that they would be
gladly received, and that much good would