Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-02-02
RI 'TLAND, HERALD.
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1855
The Peace Mission,

vi COURSE uO OuC NlNhAANh gAAS NAt
Patch Of Saturday morning announcing
the D." complete success" OF Mr.. Blairs
"peace mission ." Besides being in
Finsically improbable, it came from
Philadelphia.
Mr.. Blair, however has returned to
Washington from his second self,im-
posed Journey to Richmond His two
successive visits to the latter city have
probably awakened in the rebel mind d
suspicion that for some unexplained rea-
son-probably q of impending bank
ruptcy or of foreign intervention-our
government is very anxious to close up
the war at once by negotiation; and the
rebels pluck up spirit accordingly. Be
yond this possible and undesirable ef-
feet, Mr.. Blairs efforts are doubtless as
nuitless as every one, except perhaps
himself and Horace Greeley, expected
they would be.
The most reliable accounts yet pub
Hshed in regard to Mr.. Blair's opera
lions, represent them substantially as
follows The president yielded to his
personal opportunities to allow him to
make his first visit to the rebel capital.
BE went and brought back with him
note addressed to himself and signed by
I JEFF Davis, stating that he Davis desired
Speace and was ready to receive or send
commissioners to treat for peace "b be-
tween the two countries" This of course
would involve q recognition of the
4 " Confederscy" in the outset. Mr.. Blair
importuned the president to allow him
4 again to go, and he went, armed with a
q note 10 himself signed by president Lin
= ooln or a member Of his cabinet to the
Il effect that whenever Mr. Davis or say
ere else saw ft to send persons to treat
Y of peace and restoration of the bless
*ings of the Constitution to the people
81" Of our common country" they would
be received.
We could long ago have had peace by
treating with JEFF. Davis on the basis of
recognizing Rebeldom as an independent
1ountry. And the rebels long ago knew
that they could have peace by returning
ITO the Union Mr. Blair's mission" "
then leaves the matter just where he
found It.
The Washington correspondent Of the
New York Times gives the result Of
Mr Blair's enierts as follows:
"The peace bubble that has for ten
i days past hoated so brilliantly before
4 the gaze of men, has come TO a sudden
" #oollapse. Francis p. Blair, ST., has re-
turned from Richmond and brought
with him precisely what sensible men
expected -- that is, just nothing. He
brought neither olive branch in his
hand, Peace Commissioners under his
cloak. nor treaty in his pocket His
mission, so far as practical results are
concerned, is, in fact, as Mr.. Blair ex-
pressed himself to-day, a total fail
ure.' That jeff Davis desires peace, his
own oft-repeated official announcements
leave US no room to doubt; but we now
know that as condition precedent TO an
overture looking to this end, he de-
nands, first, that negotiations shall be
conducted as between two independent
natiOnalities and second, that pending
such negotiations an armistice shall be
proclaimed. Neither of these PROPOSE
tions, it need be said can be accepted
by this Government To yield either
would be, in fact, to surrender the whole
issue of the war There is not the
slightest disposition on the part of the
Administration to do either the one or
the other. The dominant tone of the
I rebel chiefs is substantially indicated in
q semi official utteranCe published in
JEFF. Davis organ, at the very time Mr..
Blair was in Richmond. 1t is comprised
in the distinct alternative, Independence
e swbiugati0n.' In such an alternative
there is no room for hesitation on our
part.
We presume the foregoing is substan-
italy correct. Peace on the only basis
acceptable to us restoration of the
Union) would be the end Of JeG. Davis
The question is simply, then, whether
d IN the one hand we must kill him (po-
litically speaking), or on the other Mr..
Blair or anybody else can persuade him
10 save US the trouble by obligingly
oulSlhSs We hUu nc
can be persuaded. And every attempt
20 persuade him is injurious, In that it
abstracts the attention of the loyal peo.
pie from the one thing needful, the de-
struction of his military power. JEFF
Davis and his armies stand as wall
Between the peace-desiring people of the
South and their allegiance to the Union.
We must address ourselves solely and
Vigorously to destroying what remains
= of those armies. When that is accom-
pIished, peace and Union will come.
Not before And that will soon be ac.
eomplished, provided these voluntary
and irresponsible "peace missions are
now over, and negotiation is left to
Grant and Farragut, the army and
navy. We hope Mr. Blair will now con-
sent to lie awhile on the shelf.
Gg The steamer United States from
Savannah, brings a report that our