Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-01-18

Der, whese the wise, good and patriotic sages OF
the land have met together in spirit OF mutual
conciliatiop concession and compromise, TO compose
and reconcile differences of opinion, to obllterate
sectional animosities and predjudices, to do even,
handed justice, to promote the general good, ana
thus secure permanent and honorable peace which
will be hailed with gadness by the suffering MIL
lions of both sections of the country.
propose to discuss these two important propo.
sitons separately, and present my views fairly anu
candidy, for the consideration of the Senate. In
the first place, will suppose that it is in our pow
to conquer peace before the remaining
Of the country are much further exhausted. now
long would such peace last? Ii We drive urans
and his beleaguering hosts from our capitai,h we
arrest Sherman in his triumphal march through
Georgia-if we send them both beyond the Poto'
mac and Ohio with broken legions and trailing pan
ners-if we enter their territory and waste their
fields, burn their cities and turn their women anu
children as houseless and homeless refugees upon
the cold charities of the wordsworth this success
of conquest give US a permanent peace! Inc
North are a proud and stubborn people They
would feel that their honor and existence were
at stake, and with their accustomed energy they
would soon collect together the elements OF tnslr
power and hurl their exasperated egons across the
border. The sword can never bring peace to di-
vided people. This war differs greatly from Euro.
pean conflicts. There kings and potentates hght
about national pAnctiios and questions affecting the
"balance of power" The conflict is soon ended
by the interference of neutral powers Inc diner-
ent peoples never become exasperated with each
other, and the great popular heart is but little IN
terested in the controversy. But this war, is
great civil strife. We were once the same nation,
and we are still the same Anglo American people,
We have the same form of government and systems
of laws-we have the same noble ancestry-the
same glorious his!ory-wth one exception, the
same Institutions we speak the same language
read the same literature and have many ties OF KIN
dred-we occupy contiguous territory, bound TO.
gether by great natural and artificial channels OF
trade and commerce. and all our domestic interests
and foreign relations closely identified. In
looking at all of these clements of unity, it would
seem that God intended that We should forever re-
main an united and powerful and happy people;
but the folly and madness of fanaticism and ambi-
ton have determined otherwise and fierce inter-
necne war is now deluging the richest and most
beautiful land of the earth with slaug liter and
mourning, 9TH poverty and crime. All the curses
of fratricidal strife upon us, for we have put
asunder those whom God lad joined togetherl 1t
is not possible in the nature Of things that this war
of ruptured brotherhood can ever be settled by
arms There must be some way of reconcng
sectional animosities and predudices or there Will
forever be war along the extended border. The
situation of the two nations requires that they
should be friends, or they will be the bitter
est of enemies. With no local division but an air
line there will be thousands of causes to Stir up
strife between two embttered peoples There are
great questions of trade, commerce, navigation.
boundary, foreign alliance, &c, which can only be
arranged by negotiation and compromise.
The Northwestern States are bound together by
ar identity of interests, and form vest inland en-
pre- They have increased in population with
inv md oc nd
Of resources which are unsurpassed by any other
section of the globe. Their people are enlightened
and industrious, and full Of energy and enterprise
and their prosperity and social progress depend
upon a free and untrammelled navigation of the
Mississippi river and its tributaries for these are
their veins and arteries of national life. Nearly
every drop of rain that falls upon the Northwest
and all the waters which gush from its valleys and
hills, find their way into the Mississippi; and its
people will never consent that those waters shall
flow through hostile country to the sea- This
great question can only be settled by negotiation.
And so it is with many other great and unadjusted
questions. The Gordan knot which bound to-
gether the American States may be united by wise
and skillful diplomacy but it can never be cut by
the sword without the disastrous result of constant
war If there is to be constant war; or even appre-
tensions of war, both nations must keep up large
standing armies, and their coasts and rivers must
vies, and the bloody border Of more than two thou
sand miles must be continuous chain of garrsons
and military posts and often be the scene of fercer
strifes than those which the Percy and Douglas
waged for centuries along the Scottish border.
These frequent wars would retard our education
al, social and religious progress, accumulate enor-
nous national debts, cripple the energies of the
people by burdensome taxation, bankrupt the ma.
tonal credit and finally destroy our liberties. His
n q md fonc hocr ftok
standing armies are the implacable enemies of civ
ilzation and national liberty, for they inevitable
lead to military despotism. Peace is tile only
means by which republican liberty, with all its
blessings, can be secured and perpe8>ted
The permanent peace, prosperity, and happiness
of both the North and the South depend upon Gloss
and friendly alliance. Together they must control the
destinies Of the North American continent. Il the
ambitious potentates of Europe are ever allowed tc
obtain permanent foothold here, and establish
their empires, and we form different alliances with
them, we at once become involved in all tine vexed
and intricate questions of the balance Of power,
which so often convulse the European nations
1t is the manifest destiny of both sections of this
country to stand together against the balance O.
j the world. Like twin sisters, while they dwell
apart they should live in the closest harmony and
with a noble and generous emulation strive to ad
vance and extend the blessings of their Christian
I'll their high destiny and show themselves worthy
of the rich and beautiful heritage given to them BY
God and their fathers This desirable state of af
fairs can never be produced by war; butt may bt
one of the blessed results of negotiations for peace
Mr. Speaker, 1 now propose to discuss the all
important and sternly practical question, can We
fight out !" this war speedily and successfully p
For more than three years we have strained every
nerve and put forth every energy; we have fought
more than three hundred battles, won much of thu
glory Of victory 1t fearful cost and still We hav.
not gained our independence, or even foreign sym
pathy aud recognition. We have struggled as NJ
other nation of the world ever has DONE The "a
| nous battles of antiquity surrounded as they ar,
with all the splendors of. Roman and Grecian elo
! quence and genius, will not compare for high cour
age and dauntless heroism with many of the battles
fought by our noble army for the sacred SOL, ant
homes. and affairs of the South. We have generals
who have more than rivalled the fame Of Miltades
! and Scipio Africanus, and they have led soldiers
more sternly brave and unyielding than the Roman
legion the Snartsn nhalanY I admire and hono