The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-07-06

|SEa0c6 In WHICH i nave 1dIl6u W
that our only desire was peace, and the
only terms which formed a 4 qus non
were precisely those that you suggested,
namely ga demand only to be let alone:'
But suppose it were practicable to obtain
a conference through commissioners VITA
the Government of President Lincoln, Is
it at this moment that we are to consider
it desirable or even at all admirable!
Have we not just been apprised by that
despot that we can only expect his gra-
cious pardon oy emancipating all our
slaves, swearing allegiance and obedience
to him and his proclamation and becom-
ing in point of fact the slaves OF our own
negroes? Can there be in North Carroll
ma one citizen so fallen beneath the dig
nity of his ancestors as to accept, or to
enter into conference on the basis OF these
terms /?
There are a few traitors in the State
who would be willing to betray their Eel
low citizens to such a degraded condition,
in hope of being rewarded for treachery
and escape from their common doom may
be true. But I do believe that the vilest
wretch would accept such terms for him
self. l cannot conceive how the people of
your State, than which hone have sent
nobler or more gallant soldiers to the
field of battle, Gone of whom it is your
honor to be,) have been deceived by any
thing to which you refer in "the recent
cotton in the federal House of Represen-
tatives." I rave seen no action of that
House that does not indicate by a very
decided majority, the purpose of the ene-
my to refuse all terms of the South, ex-
'cept absolute, unconditional subjugation
or determination. But if it were other
wise, how are We to treat with the House
or Representatives?
It is with Lincoln alone that we cver
could confer, and his own partisans at the
North ayow unequivocally that his pur-
pose in his message and proclamation was
to shut out all hope that he could ever
treat with US on any terms. If we will
break up our Government, dissolve the
confederacy, disband our armies, enamel
pate our slaves, take an oath of allegiance
binding ourselves, to obedience to him
and d~isloyalty to cur own States, he pro-
poses to pardon and not to plumber us of
any thing more han the property already
stolen from us and such slaves as still re-
main. In order to render his proposals
so insulting as to secure their rejection,
lG JOluS u lACm d pEOuIlSC W fuPPOlb
with his army one-tenth of the people of
any State who will attempt to set up a
Government over the other nine tenths,
thus seeking to SOW discord and suspi
cions among the people of the several
States, and to excite them to civil war in
furtheraDce of his ends.
1 know well it would be impossible to
get your people, if they possessed full
knowledge of these facts, to consent that
proposals should now be made by us to
those who control the government at
Washington. Your own well known de-
votion to the great cause of liberty and
in~dependence to which we lave all COM
mltted whatever we nave or earthly pos
session, would induce you to take the
lead in repelling the bare thought of alb
ject submission to the enemy Yer peace
on other terms is now impossible. To
obtain the sole terms to which you or l
would listen, this struggle must continu-
until the enemy is beaten out Of his vain
confidence in our subjugation. Then,
and not till then, will it be possible to
treat of peace. Till then all tender of
terms to the enemy will be received as
proof that we are ready for submission,
and will encourage him in the atrocious
warfare which he is waging.
l fear much from the tenor of the news
l receive from North Carolina that an at
tempt will be made by some bad men to
inaugufate movements which must be
considered as equivalent to aid and COM
fort to the enemy, and which all patriots
should combine to put down at any cost.
You may count on my aid in every effort
to spare your State the scene of civil
warfare which will devastate its homes if
the designs of these traitors be suffered
to make Roadway. know that you will
place YOURSELF in your legitimate position
in the lead of those who will not suffer
the name of the old North State to be
blackened by such a stain.
Will you pardon me for suggesting
hat my only source of disquietude on
the subject arises from the fear that you
will delay too long the action which now
appears inevitable, and that by an over
earnest desire to reclaim by concilia-
ton, men whom you believe to be sound
at heart, but whose loyalty is more than
suspected elsewhere, you will permit them
to gather such strength as to require
more violent measures than are Row need
ed? With your influence and position
the promoters of the u~hfounded discon-
tent now prevalent in your State, would
be put down without the use of physical
forces if you abandon a policy of concilia-
ton and set them at defiance. In this
curse, frankly and firmly pursued, you
would rally around you all that is best
and noblest in your State, and your tri-
umph would be bloodless.
If the contrary policy be adopted, l
much fear you will be driven to The use
of force to repress treason. In either
event, however be assured that you will
have my cordial concurrence and assist
ance in maintaining with you the honor,
dignity and name of your State, and in
your effort to crush treason, whether in
as 1 believe it now to be, ar ma
tured, as 1 believe if not firmly met, it
will in our future inevitably become.
l have the honor to be,
very respectfully,