Wilmington journal., 1865-02-16
WILMINGTON, n. O., FEB. IL, 1866.

ASS~'
Now that the conference between our commissioners
sud The President and Secretary of State OF the United
States ID over and has resulted in efecng nothing d.
recy towards peace may not be out Of place to see
ghether it may not have effected something indirectly.
IL is perfectly evident that from the first announce
ment that conference to take place until the
trqnca had taken place, other subject occupied any
thing like the prominent place in the public mind
nj the United States, well Of the Confederacy.-
People reasoned with themselves that the chances
largely opposed to aay probability of peace from this
movement but all that would not and could not pre-
gent their minds from dwelling upon that one engross
ing topic If are anxious for peace, 80 are the
Northern people. II we disappointed by the fail
ure of this attempt at negotiation, So 10 doubt
thew We will venture to say that the matter was
discussed canvassed wished for in every circle in Phil
adeIDbia Boston or New York Just about earnestly
and as anxiousy as it in Confederate circle 10
Richmond Wilmington, Charleston or Mobile.
The minds OF the psope OF both countries have been
turned towards peaee and they viii return to
With Iess aacrity and less resh ConscrptiOn tie
draft will be less popular than ever, and will be endur
e. with less patience and have no doubt but this
decay Oi patience will be felt strongly at the
North thar at the South although for time it will be
felt in both countries
There wi be fresh demonstrations by party leaders
at The North il the hope and with the view of getting
ND another war Juror and some of those Democrats or
Copperbeads who have go far for their party pur-
Dgs+s af CT ed great devotion to States Rights and
Constitutional guarantees will now suddenly experience
a change and find themselves converted to the war
aud subugation policy but that will not remove from
tie public mind that anxious longing for peace to which
the nte movements have given flee.
We fear very much that the enemy has succeeded in
striking the line OF the South Carolina Railroad at
Branchville Or at some point west Of Brauohvile
/ he Importance Of this event can hardly be over
estimattd especially that the port OF Wilmington
IS closed by the capture of Fort Fisher, aud no
supplies for General Lees army can be brought in
through the blockade.
The great Importance Of tie South Carolina Rail-
road scst of Branchve arises from the act that it is
he only road connecting Virginia and the Carolnas
with Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi We
DO moi how any supplies can be brought from the
Southwest for Lees army, and we don't know whether
irginiA and North Carolina feed that army and
support their own population. This ia most import
ant question involving neither nor less than our
continued ability to hold Richmond and Petersburg,
for we suppose it ia TO any to be informed
that specaIations have been ged in 10 the pos
sbiHtg of General Loe in a certain contingency falling
back upon Tennessee. That contingency has not yet
ari5eD Ia its occurrence regarded as very probable
certainly not imminent, but by no means impossible.
TKE qaeaton Of the employment of colored troops
armies is tast looming up into Importance, and
promises 5000 TO sngross the attention of the whole
country
very delicate question and requires to be ham
died cautiously and thoughtully. Few Of can take
in all its ultimate consequences at one glancs We
can all see that ii involves sacrifice, bat considered
a question of property, not greater sacrifice
tbsu we are willing to make for independence. But it
not question of property. 1t is social quss
toD Il implies aeeial revolution, the consequences
OF which we can but dimy feresee And even then if
Wiling to take the risk Of this revolution We must
pause ito ask ourselves the question to whether
the saeri6cs we are called upon to make will
9ud to further the object we have in View-the
attainment OF our independence. Can we ven
tire on the measure with safety. Have We any
surance that our new allies would respond to the
call mrde upon themf Would they fight for Us D
Weud they be faithful to the Confederate banner With
scanty ration and tattered Shoes while the enemy Of
ered them full bellies and whole clothes What in
dueements could We hold out to insure the fidelity of
negro soldiers At any rate what inducement
Let us reject upon all these things. Let anayze
them fairly and fully locking them straight In the face
and not deceivng ourselves in any way. We must do
so. The Issue is upon u.s. and rgiN not bs lodged
Upon its proper solution the most Aomentous conse-
queuoes may defend.
We rather think that neither Francis P Blair, " nor
any other man" no matter how white his bair pa
rorcha his appearance will be able again to fool our
people at Richmond by plausible talk about peace,
without authority or the shadow of authority or even
warrant any request made by Lincoln, il the latter
to Re believed. Surely may quote the old Latin
prcVerb MoEteS pGrturunt, ct nGsc,tur rdteus mus
The mountains were in labor and brought forth con-
temphbIe mouse. By the woy, the last two words
hardly need traneatng They do very we'll they
for sure enough this mountain has brought forth ri
dcuous muss.
SUroN the whse We must think it better that the qnes
ton of peace negotiations was disposed of so promptly
BETTER that there should be delay doubt about it
than that Meesrs. Stephens, Huntsr and Campbell
should have been carried to Washington and amused
there, while the people were kept in SUSPENSE and their
attention distracted from the inevitable necessity OF the
hour Ii appears to us that Seward was unusually
aRk, unusually incsutious in putting 80 spesdv an
and IN fka farea oil in his 5uoios oF+