Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-08-13
From tho New York Commercial (Rep.)
Peace and liOn.

attempts TO open negotis tions between
the Federal and Rebel authorities, with .
view TO the establishment of peace, has, at
oil events, had the effect to excite spl pla.
tion upon the subject, and to lead I'd an
exposition Of the terms and conditions up.
on which the now severed and antagonis.
tic sections of the country can unite.
The press of the country has, with few
exceptions, hitherto been very silent upon
the subject, and it is only circumstances
such as has taken place at Nisgara Falls
which can elicit from our journals an hon.
est expression of opinion upon the sub.
ject
The question must sooner or later pres.
ent itself with considerable force to every
thinking mind in the country. What will
be the basis for an adjustment OF our diff.
fculties7 1t is absurd 10 talk conditional
surrender. No people, desirous of free.
dom and sufficiently powerful either for
armed resistance or secret intrigue, will
surrender Internationally to any force that
may be brought to scar against them.
We can fully understand the logic Of
the position assumed by the Administra
ton, it is imsossible to treat with rebels.
But If this war should continue much
longer iftbe sacrifices which We are called
upon to make, should strain much more
heavily than they have already done the
resources of the nation, We must be less
logical but more reasonable, and accept,
instead Of the logic.of government, the
logic Of events.
At this period Of the war, with new
levy of 500, 900 men to enforced deplet-
ing our factories, our workshops and our
fields Of q great part of their active force,
it is we'll, nay. more, it is orr duty, to
know whether there is any possibility for
. reconciliation, and how far short Of the
horrible theory Of extermination We can
stop.
Mr.. Lincoln, in his inaugural address,
said, vers justly, that even after We have
fought for years, wasting each others
strength, "the identical old questions Is
to terms Of intercourse, are upon you. 1t
it is for this reason, 80 quantity expressed
by himself that we condemn the course
Of the President in rejecting any confer.
ence. What possible harm could it have
| done to listen to the commissioners-to
hear from them what it is the South wants,
and thus again lay before the world :he
causes of our differences, and the impossi.
biIi.y of any arbitrament but the sad one
of the sword.
But it will be answered: Davis and bis
fellow conspirators are not sincere in their
desire for peace. 10 the Grst place, it is
possible that if the military situation is
really SO hopeful for US, and so hopeless
for them, they may actually be desirous
not only for peace, but absolute submis-
! sion; aud again, if Davis is not candid, if
the object he had in view in sending these
commissioners, or in conniving ct their
proceedings, was an ullterior o1e, SO much
greater the reason for listening to them,
to show to the world the hollowness Of
their desire for peace, and our sincere de.
sire to effect settlement of our differ
! ences.
The only Interior object the Southern.
ers could have had in view in making
these overture, was 10 influence public
opinion in the South, and to strengthen
for continued resistance the spirit Of many
a rebel, who, wearied and tagged out BY
the terrible efforts Of three years of war,
and despairing of successful effort against
our superior strength, may prefer once
more to return to the folds of the old I'm.
ion. If this wss the object of the willy di.
plomatist of Richmond, they have signally
succeeded, and Mr.. Lincoln has materially
aided them in the accomplishment Of their
scheme North Carolins is now in state
of incipicnt insarrection sgrinst the rebel
leaders. A powerful peace prrty has
been developed there. Mr.. Davis can now
say to these men; II have made efforts
to secure peace even at the expense of in.
dependence, and have been spurned with
out even hearing from the foot Of that
power which alone can give Us peace
viii you surrender after all your strug-
giles, depending exclusively upon the mercy
Of your conquerors We can imagine
the effect that this will have upon the
South. On the other hand, had we discoy-
cred, after an interview with the commits.
sioners, that the only condition which the
| South will accept ia separation, the small
peace party existing At the North would
have been wiped out We would have %.