The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-02-08
PEACE THROUGH WAR.

purpose OF tee heOelS Is SolCttioS Tue Ie-
cent conference with President Lincolu,
and whatever may be the ultimate fruits
| of that conference, it is now certain that
the immediate result is futlity and dlsap
pointmeDt. All questions of etiquette
and ceremony were happily put aside, and
for four hours the Chief Magistrate Of the
Repablic, supported by the senior member
of his Cabinet, discussed freely, earnestly,
courteously, with three deputed represen
tatives of the intellect and force of the
Rebellion, the rival assumptions of the
Union aud of its assaIiants, anxious to
discover or to devise some ground %hereon
these could be so far reconcied as to
arrest bloodshed and restore Peace to our
country Our information leaves no room
for doubt that the President not only ca,
} gerly sought but confidently expected to
achieve paci6cation before returning to
! Washington. This expectation was not
realized, though ingenuity was exhausted
, aud 10 practicabl e concession withheld 10
his efforts to attain the desired end. No
, question concerning Slavery was seriously
interposed-nc colisteral or subordinate
issue precludea the present achievement
of Peace. The one sole, sufficient obsta'
Gle which the President encountered and
could not overcome was this:
The Rebels required OF him an imnae-
dinte, unqualified cessation Of hostititjes,
s laUiag IN allegiance all questions concern.
t ing the integrity Of the Union aud tie
b ryhttul authority Of its Gocermem oOe'
n the severat states; aghich the President
e courteously, promptly ,dccidediy 0Plrlsed
them that he Uds neitter onth0rizeR nor
S disposed to concede And thus the con-
o ference terminated
d Now we firmly believe that the great
:. body of the Southern People, when cor.
rectly informed with regard to these rival
Q propositions, will refuse to sustain the
o Rebel chiefs 10 their mad schemes of class
o aggrandizment at the expense Of the
e life-blood of the masses but it must be
considered that Military coercion aud ter
e rorism are so potent and so omnipreseut
J. at the Sonth that, even in those portions
- of North Carolina which are four to one
for the Union, none dare openly denounce
or resist the Rebellion. If the Coufed.
crate chiefs at Richmond see fit to sus
tain the positions taken by their deputies
and we must presume that they will
D until they openly evince an adverse pur,
pose--there must be more fighting, not
Il to subjhgate but to liberate the Southern
4 people, who were first sVindled, bullied
terrorized into rebellion, and then told
> You have now no choice. Tho Yam
, KEGS arc coming to devastate your homes
Al outrage your families, and strip you OF al
! You possess. Defend your homes and
n 6rcsides = And tens of thousands are
a. this day fighting against their country
d only because they have been duped int
!. believing that thus only can they defeDc
aud preserve all that they hold dear.
This monstrons delusion the President
:, has done much to dispel by his atterd
~ apce on and bearing at the Hampton
J Roads Conference, and We thank hiu
:, :, heartily therefor He has fastened more
. clearly on the Rebel chiefs the RESPONSE
- bilitv of a continuance of wholesale car.
mage ard devastation. He has made il
plain to the impartial world, as it vii
gradually be made plain to the Southern
masses, that these can have Peace on thC
nt simple condition of fidelity to their coun
try and obedience to her laws And thi
T. knowledge, slowly dIfused at first, vii
d gradually detach all but tile aristocrac,
d from the desperate fortunes of the death
a. struck Rebellion.
J Now, then, let the People of the loya
d States rally with enthusiastic energy t,
a The support of their Government Let tn
d thinned rnaks Of our gallant armies b.
~ promptly filed, not by bounty jupmin!
u thieves aud perjurers, but by men VIII
u love and would gladly serve their country
o. Let the Treasury be likewise filed b.
j. generous subscriptions to the loans nov
- open so that the war may be prosecuted
y with ample means and appliances, an'
e. not suffered TO drag as at times it ha
: done. Let every one contribute as h
IT, may to invigorate the National arm, ant
. We shall tery soon have achieved sub
s. stantial, honorable and enduring Peace
D. With full ranks and full Treasury, six
v ty days will suffice to stamp out the las
G, emGers OF the Rebellion and secure US
D. country shielded evermore from the peril
g of Disunion and Treason Tribune.
2 Gossip win Oar Friends.
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