Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1865-02-08
From the Richmond Wing, Jan. "A

From the Richmond Wing, Jan "A
The return of Mr.. Blair to this city has
naturally given rise to much speculation,
not only as to the original object OF ms
visit, but as to the character Of the COM
mnnications which he has held with this
government, and consequently with hls
own. The pretence OF private business,
which was held out in the beginning, can
no longer impose on public credulity, and,
indeed, the Northern papers, which pro
fess to be well informed on the subject,
have abandoned that explanation, and
have engaged in discussion character
iz-d by no little bitterness. a. 10 the terms
of settlement which Mr.. Blair is author
iIed to offer to us, or has taken On him
self the responsibility OF offering. The
Tribune declares now that one effect of
his Mission will be To convince us that the
North does not demand an unconditional
surrender, and hence the Tribune iniers
that good, according to that paper view
may result the presumption being that
the rebels are not fighting for iuiepend
snce. but merely to save themselves from
the dire effects of untramms led Yankee
vengcnce The New L ork Times, which
the views Of the Washington government,
deprecates this Tribunitian hypothesis as
we'll calculated to awaken false hopes IN
the rebellious bosoms of the South. The
Times will have it that the North does de-
mand nothing less than such an unCon-
ditional surrender as will turn over the
South to the mercy Of her northern mas
ters, and place the rights of her people,
and their property of every kind, at the
absolute disposal Of the Yankees. Thus
it seems that of two parties to this con-
controversy, neither one even tolerates the
the idea of recognition OF = southern
Independence. The one, represented by
the Tribune, appears TO think that the
moment has come when the simple offer
to Withdraw the menace of thOse terrific
penalties now hanging IA te17'o''eW over
US, will quite suffice to bring US back into
that Yankey Union which we left with
the deliberate resolve of never entering it,
and to keep out of which We have been
waging four years of bloody war. The
other, represented by the Times, sees in
the situation of affairs guarantee that
the North can accomplish her whole plan
Of suppression, contiscatiOn, and conquest,
and will take nothing less-not even that
Union for which Lincoln has proiessed to
be making war on us Ii wants the lands,
houses, and negroes OF the South, to pos
sess and enjoy the real property, TO steal
personal effects, aud to emancipate slaves
T.. 81, I...- IL. IT. IL -.
ther party offers anything that the South
can by any possibility accept, and thai
Blair's mission, if it involves nothing
more than theories which have beer put
forward at the North to explain it, has No
significance whatever beyond the evidence
which il furnishes of the strength and ex-
tent of that delusion which appears to
have settled on the northern mind. Oth-
erwise, it is the merest of siams, yet Il
sham which has some meaning, OH the
supposition which we have already more
than orce employed to account for l.,
that the Yankee government is really coa-
WINGED of its inability, without the appii-
cation of some fresh stimulus to the
Tagging zeal of its people, 10 carry on the
war on that immense scale required not
merely for final success, but for the pur-
pose of maintaining its existing acquisi-
tions. We insist on it. that thls is the
key to the BLAIR problem, and it will be
found so in the end. As to rumor-, so
plentiful in the streets, that France and
England have at last made Up their minds
to recognize the confederacy, and that the
knowledge of this fact has turned Lincoln
to thoughts of peace, they are simply ab-
surd 1t is ridiculous to suppose that in
such an event the Yankees would hasten
10 anticipate the recognition OF our indie
pendence by first recognizing it themselves; ;
although it is possible that in the midst of
their delusions on the subject of southern
sentiment, and their exaggerated idea OF
their own successes, they might make
some such tender as ihat suggested hy the
Tribune. But as this would involve re-
construction, and consequent submission
on our part, and as we have by no means
reached the submission stage, such an
offer could not even furnish a basis for
negotiation. The fact is, that all this
talk about negotiation and peace, while
one party is still bent on conquest, and
the other On independence, is idle and
sssaningless,