Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-02-04
PRAch..

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5 own prefetences, but nevertheless agre,
that perhaps It may be we'll enough as
! matter of policy. The Sestinsl, JEFF. Davis
\ organ, expresses itself thus: a So
On Mr.. BlairIs.second visit to Richmond
he nfnnght the %conbsnt af Mr. Lincoln "a
receive and confer with any agents INFORM.
ally sent l0fth a UietO to. the restoration OF
peace: The three gentlemen who left yes.
tsrday were thereupon selected by the
President, and they have gone WITHOUT form
al credentials, and merely as informal agents,
to see whether it is possible to place a
conference for peace on any basis which
may serve for attaining 30 desirable re-
suit. Il is possible that success may at
tend their efforts, but Wisdem and prudence
demand that we indulge in no confident
IeXpectations on the subject, and that we
relax not one moment in energetic prepa.
ration for the ensuing campaign. From
the choice made by the President we may
rest assured that no means 9OiLL Be left untriea
to effect pace, if it be possibleto obtain it.
The HIYhig has very little expectation of
any good from the mission, and thinks that
the Yankees will simply harden their necks
and hearts, and be as unwilling as ever to
accord terms to the south-that is inde-
pendeuce. 1t says:
| We confess, with regret, that we see but
little evidence, and indulge but the faintest
/ hope that they are prepared to accord US
such terms as we could think ofaccepting
1t has been but little while since, by the
reelection of Lincoln, a decided smajority
Of them declared against any peace except
such as should be dictated by conquerers
TO the yanquished. Nothing has occurred
since to molify their disposition but much
to strengthen their, conviction that they
can subjugate us. Even the party opposed
to Lincoln's reelection only. talked Of ne.
gotistion aud statssmanship as means of
restoring the Union. The visit of onr COM
missioners may be permitted only for the
purpose of satisfying all parties there that
mo peace can be made with us except on
the basis of separation. Many of the late
supporters of Mcclellan are pledged, when
Satisfied of this, to the most unrelenting
war. Their accession to the administration
party would relieve Lincoln of many en-
barrassments and give him full swing
Moreover, call for three hundred thous-
and fresh troops is now pending: They come
in slowly, Notwithstanding they have been
assured by .tha 9yI5uHs and other lead.
ing papers that it is not at all likely they
Twill ever have to fire or face gum
The actual pendencY of negotiations for
peace-the declaration, perhaps, of truce
would be powerful backer to the prom
ise that they will not have to fight. a large
bounty and few weeks of barracks lite
only would be a temptation loo strong for
the multitudes of moneyless idlers and i'm
migrants in the North to resist. Seward
may believe that he can, by one pretext or
another, keep our commissioners in Wash
ington till all the recruits needed are in this
way obtained. II is well to recollect how
he played with and deceived the commits.
siouers that visited Washington in March,
| 1861, keeping them there whole month,
while naval expedition was preparing for
the relief of Fort Sumter, and pledging-
himself the whole time that Sumter should
be evacuated. Judge Campbell, at least,
will not be apt to forget what occurred on
that occasion, Knowing, then, that we
have willy and unprincipled enemy to deal
with, we repeat that the only safe course
to be pursued is to set to work Immediately,
and with all possible energy, prepare for
the spring campaign. If peace should in
terVene, these preparations will have done
no harm; if war should continue they will
fit us to face it, If we permit ourselves to
be deceived and thrown off our guard,
growing weaker daily while they grow
stronger, we shall reap a harvest of disas-
ters. a a-oa
The Dispatch newspaper chimes in with
the others, and in speaking of the depar-
ture of the three peace makers named
above, says
| Nothing is known here as to the powers
/ with which these commissioners are cloth
ed. There are q thousand 5pecnlations
1 . ho oOh oil nf inh
being based on no known facts, are worth.
iless. About half of our people think that
peace is some how 10 come out of this
Commission, while the other half hope
i nothing better from it than that our whole
l,people, being convinced there is no pros.
Ipect Of an honorable peace, will be united
as one man in the determination to prose-
cute the war with Increased yigor. The
failure of the commissioners must have
this effect; for there can be no question
that, in their various sentiments, they fully
represent all classes of the loyal people OF
the Southern States.
The Examiner, always spiteful toward
JEFF. Davis, and always willing to "come
down" on him, is very censorious over
the mission, and speaks harshly of it al
great length. 1t Processes to fear read
mess on the part of some leading rebels to
agree to dishouOrable terms of peace, and
thus protesting proceeds to deliver itseli
" as follows:
How will the army like it2 Do Con.
federate soldiers indeed confess them.
!, selves so utterly beaten that afterthe tolls
land sacrifices Of four years, after the loss
of so many gallant men in battle, under a
flag that is now renowned by laHd and sea,
they would yield up thsiNhoIs cause for
i which they tought-the sovereign right Of
their native States, the control over their
own institutions, the possession OF tneir
right to property, the Inheritance of their
own children? Our soldiers who have
served throughout the war have ever cher
ished the thought that when the struggle
is over, and our independence won, they
will sometimes proudly wear the gray Con-
s federate uniform and the bard won