Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-01-17
HIGELT IMPORTANT IRON RICH,
EONB.
Blair IN RiehmOnd--.What the Dis
patch, Examiner and Enquirer have
10 Say about 1t.

patch, Examiner and Enquirer have
10 Say about 1t.
The Richmond Dispatch, of Friday, Jan
uAry l8, has the following: I{lM
Francis P. Blair, ST, the Yankee Peace
Commissioner, arrived in this city late
Wednesday night, attended by a servant
Mr.. Blair came into our lines ats point
in front of Fort Harrison, held by the City
Battalion. He was delayed several hours
on our lines, waiting for permit to come
to the city, which was not procured till
late hour Of the night. Since his arrival
he has been kept, or kept himself, from the
public eyes. His movements and where
abouts are shrouded in mystery. He Is
believed to be lodged st the Spottswood
House, and we think that there is little
doubt that he is, though his name does
not appear on the register. %
HHe has been met, accidentally, by several
of his old acquaintanees and their meeting
was characterized BY the utmost cordiali-
ty on both sides. He is said to have had
interviews with the Chief Executive of the
Government What passed at these in
tsrTiews we do not expect to know until
Mr.. Blair returns to the United States,
when every thing will be published in the
New York papers. Mr.. Blsirs ostensible
business in Richmond, or rather presumed
business here, for there Is nothing osten-
sible about him or his business or move
ments, is 20 ascertain whether anything
cen be done to bring about cessation Of
hostilities, and end the war, We think
his real business is to place the Lincoln
Administration in good position before
the Northern people, who are just called
upon to fl up another draft. Lincoln
knows that the propositions he will make
are such that they will be spurned by our
Government, but our rejection of them
will enable him TO go before his people,
and with Blair's aid, prove that the rebels
will accept no terms Of peace, and that
nothing is left but a vigorous prosecution
of the war Mr.. Blair will return to
Grants lines on Saturday, if the freshet
subsidies sufficiently to go down the river."
The Richmond Examiner of Friday,
January l8, has long editorial on the
Blair mission. 1t says:
awe did not think it hardly credible
that Blair has been furnished with q pass
by the Confederate authorities to visit
Richmond, if it be true, as represented in
the Northern papers, that he comes here
without any official authority from Mr..
Lincoln. Yet on yesterday Blair was &C.
tually holding a confsbulation with Sed-
don. If Blair has no authority to negotiate,
then it Is claimed, he is to act in some way
on the people, through old friends doubt
less, whom he knew in Washington. His
design must be to pry into the popular
feeling of the Oonfederacy, and give that
feeling a wrong direction. By what meth
DDS of persuasion, intrigue and collusion he
may be enabled to forward his designs, we
can't tell"
The E1an1ineT goes on at length to say
1t would be more sensible to let Grants
engineers visit the Richmond Notifications,
than to permit this political engineer,
Blair to remain. ,..y
Then it comments severely on the man
ner in which people Of the North visit
Richmond, while no one from this city
dare go to Washington for fear of being
imprisoned
The ETdu1i'ler then says: ..
HBut beyond all other reasons why
these mock emissaries should be kept
away from Richmond, is the obvious i'm
policy Of getting up idle talk about an i'm
possible peace. We know, beforehand,
that Mr.. Lincoln and his party will never
recognizable Independence Of these States
and under no circumstance, on no condi-
tion, can these States return to the Union,
If the Confederate Government and the
State Governments were agreed to do So
or if the Davis-S eddon-M Mallory-
Benjamin concern continued the causes
which led to its overthrow, yet peace would
not follow. Return to the Union on terms
that may be named, means slavery to the
North Of tho people Of the Sonth; and
whatever some think when they are fright
sned, we will never consent to be slaves.
If the Confederate Government goes down
the States will form q new one, and tho
war for Independence be resumed again
and again"
In concluding this editorial, the Erana.
iaer says:
The main object of sending such old boys
here IS Blair, next to gaining some inform
alton, is to produce vacillstion amongthe
people.
The Enquirer of the 18th makes merry
over Blair's mission, and says;
1t is hardly to be supposed that Blair has
done any thing remarkable in the diplo-
matte line since his little sojourn in Rich
mond.