The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-03-31
Demand for the Suspension of the
Writ Of Habeas Corpus.
Failure Of a Proposition for a Mill
tary Convention to Settle the
National Difficulties,
From the Washington Star, March 10.

AAoA0 'ASO1Ouo OOuoO11PGiOu, duu oFoIy
means applied for increasing their army.
With meal at $50 per bushel and flour at
800 per barrel, they were flooding the
country with currency which they could
never redeem, and destroying the conf
dence of the people, and he insists that
Congress must, without delay, secure two
millions in gold.
The message says:
"The capital of the Confederate States
is now threatened, and is in greater dan
ger than it has heretofore been during the
war. The fact is stated without reserve
or concealment, as due to the people,
whose servants We are, and in whose cour-
age and cOnstancy entire trust is reposed;
as due to you in whose wisdom and reso-
lutte spirit the people have confded, for the
adoption of the measures required to
guard them from threatened peril.
81 have,.heretofore, in confidential mes
sage to the two houses, stated that the
facts which induced me to consider it ne
cessary that the privilege of the writ of
habeas corpus should be suspended. The
conviction Of the necessity of this measure
has become deeper as the events of the
struggle have been developed. Congress
has not concurred with me in opinion. It
is my duty to say that the time has arriv-
ed when the suspension of the writ is not
simply advisable and expedient, but almost
indispensable to the safe conduct of the
war. On Congress must rest the respon-
sibility of declining to exercise q power
conferred by the Constitution as a means
of public safety to be used in periods of
national peril resulting from foreign inva.
sion. If our present circumstances are
not such as were contemplated when this
power was conferred, I confess myself at
a loss to imagine any contingency in which
this clause Of the Constitution will not re-
main dead letter.
"With the prompt adoption of the meas
ures above recommended, and the united
and hearty cooperation of Congress and
the people in the execution of the laws
and defence of the country, we may enter
upon the present campaign with cheerful
confidence in the result And who can
doubt the continued existence of that spirit
and fortitude in the people, and of that
constancy under reverses which alone are
needed to render our triumph secure?
What other resource remains available but
the undying, unconquerable resolve to be
free? 1T has become certain, beyond all
doubt or question, that we must continue
this struggle to a successful issue, or must
make abject and unconditional submission
to such terms as it shall please the con-
queror to impose on Us after our surren-
der. If possible doubt could exist after
the conference between our commissioners
and Mr.. Lincoln, as recently reported to
you, it would be dispelled by recent oc-
currence, of which it is proper that you
should be informed. r-
Congress will remember that in the
conference above referred to our commits
sioners were informed that the government
of the United States would not enter into
any agreement or treaty whatever with
the Confederate States, nor with any sim
gle State; and that the only possible mode
of obtaining peace was by laying down
our arms, disbanding our forces and yield
ing unconditional obedience to the laws of
the United States, including those passed
for the coniscation of our property, and
the constitutional amendment for the abo-
lition of slavery. 1t will further be re-
membered that Mr.. Lincoln declared that
the only terms on which hostilities would
cease were those stated in his message of
December last, in which we were informed
that in the event of our penitent submits
sion, he would temper justice with mercy
and that the question whether we would
be governed as dependent territories or
permitted to have representation in their
Congress was one on which he could
promise nothing, but which would be de-
cided BY their Congress after our submits
sion had been accepted.
cit has not, however, been hitherto
stated to you that, in the course of the
conference at Fortress Monroe, q sugges-
ton was made by one of our commission
ers that the objections entertained by Mr..
Lincoln to treating with the government
of the confederacy or with any separate
State might be avoided, by substituting
for the usual mode of negotiating through
commissioners or other diplomatic agents,
the method sometimes employed of mil
itary convention to be entered into by the
commanding generals of the armies Of the
two belligerents. This he admitted was q
power possessed by him, though he thought
it was not commensurate with all the oues-
tions involved. As he did not accept the
suggestion when made, he was afterwards
requested to reconsider his conclusion
upon the subject of suspension of hos
tilities, which he agreed to, but said be
had maturely considered the plan, and
had determined that it could not be done
subsequently, however, an interview
with Gen. Longstreet was asked for by a
Gen. Ord, commanding the enemys army
of the James, during which Gen. Long
street was informed by him that there was
possibility of arriving at satisfactory