Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-20

THERE Is after all something very significant 10
i the repeated visits Of Federal emissaTies TO the
Confederate Capital. We may be sure that they do
not come here for nothing, or merely 10 crafty
,bst chronic curiosity which RACES in the Yankee
b som. Neither DO they come, as some confident
IN, crsdulous people might suppose, 10 initiate
t5o.s preliminary formalties which might lead first
20 negotiation and finally 10 peace. An honest and
sincere effort IN This direction could not fail 20 find
e-ra,pouse on all sides in the Ccntederacy, and
,,.,ld be welcomed by none more Warmly than BY
those who are now more than ever convinced that
,l, Washington Cio vernment means 10 compass our
srtiucatiou. D, possible, and does not mean to re-
connie our independence G such result can in any
Wv he avoided We think we do not eNaggerate
when we sav that nine-teutbs Of our people are OF
l5.qv Of tt5nkiug and that Within other tenth the
yo-e hope thar an honorable peace is at this moment
practicable through the quasi diplomatic eXped!eut'
of the Lincoln Government, has never set risen to
tbs height OF expectation much less 20 the force o
e.avicti7u Hence IL 10 JLot the arrival among MS Of
tie Yankee esaries has So t,le eject on the public
mind Notwithstanding the natural tendency to spec
r,Iat;on as 70 the motives which prompted them Co
.,,,s here. CT their master 70 send tlem. Nobody
IN the CcUfederocy whose opinion is worth asking
srorcses hat their miss;cn involves anything more
tbsn ons Of those tricks in which the history Of il
oI,rsr- is 50 vcry fertile and which arc so qecv-
uarlv consistent with the Yankee character. We
have already stated our own opinion on this point,
I'D such Indications "a the Northern papers pre-
sent have only confirmed cur belief, and Yet, as we
said in the beginning the .requeu. coming OF these
smissaries really has much significance. II would
be absurd 10 suppose that Immediately after those
successes which NUuSeedom processes 20 believe are
the GROWING victories ofthe war, and the finishing
stroke 10 the rebellion, Lincoln would offer or
accent any other terms than such as would involve
cur unconditional return 10 the Yankee Union
And as this would 10, require negotiation, bur, or
the contrary. wccld he the utter sbIicatica on our
part cf even the right TO negotiate, it is Just as al
suri 20 suppose that he intends 10 enter into any
diplomatic DISCUSSIONS with our aSovernment.
Wcveu;-re to state, and 20 place the statement
en- record as prediction on which we are willing to
hazard our sasacity, that Lincoln VIII never neso-
tiate with the Government Of the Coutederats
States I'll he j., ready TO acknowledge ;heir mdcPen-
deuce. Neither can we attach ms. Importance 10
the reiterated expression ct an intense desire Oh
the part Of our Yankee .tr,thers' 20 find ont what
re mean and what sc want The pursuit Of this
kiai Of i.r9g.rigc IS net attended by many diff
ec.tics IS 90 make is attainment eli pgobieuati-
c.. Sc know that tbs moral sense Of the Yankees
is pretty sectuauy biuuted and Jbot they have loS
the Little capacity they ever possessed 10 discrind
nate betweea right and wrong; but even Yankee
,yor.i know what a man meant WHO should try 10
sxpeit thief from his kitchen, OF a burglar from
rs bed chelaJer.
Then why does Lincoln send his eiaissaries here
Simply because lie knows that IT the Contederacy
hold out f-r another campaign her triumph Is as
sured AID her independence Won. Because he
knows thar his available physical resources are alb
soIutely exhausted; that neither the cheap enthu-
siasm OF the populace over maguihed victories
and incousequentiai successes nor the frantic ap-
peals Of ali the newspapers IN the land the sub
lie persuasous OF Seward and the other priests and
prophets Of Black Repubhconism, nor his own super
numerous calls ana prociamationS can aid him any
thing in ze,.iug together another army even half
great as that WHICH he launched upon the South in
the first days OF Nay last. lie must, therefore
either induce the Confederate Government 10 sur
render, or o. some means break up the league OF
these States, or by proving the North the utter
hopelessness Of restoring their sacramento Union
except by fighting for 1t, so resusctate the war
spirit % enable him 10 raise the 800 900 men con-
templsted by his last call. Else he viii be broken
down befor, the next summer begins, and all the
msgaiacert power and pompOus military parade OF
the universal Yankee nation viii fade away anu
'asaye nc, g racl, behind"