Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-02-22

the OOnloOcrHcy CnuL WHdt0'o' S"S
stances may follow from the re-estaoilsh,
ment,o that authority mnst be accepted
out. and out. Individuals, subject to palne
aAd penalties under the. laws Of the United
States, might rely upon very liberal use
of the power confded to him, to remit /
these pains and penalties, if peace be res
stored during snch. difference. . SD 3. s.
The proposed amendments toslle Con
stitution adopted by Congress On the ,3lst !
ult., were brought to our notice. These
amendments provide that neither slavery
nor. involuntary servitude, except for
crime, should exist within the United
States or in any place within. its jnrisdic-
ton, and Congress should have power. to
enforce the amendments by appropriate
legislation. OF all the correspondence
that preceded the conference herein men
toned and leading to the same, you have
heretofore been informed. '>-..
Very respectfully, ~-.5 - 90 2.
y Your obedient servants,
(Signed) A. e. STEPHENS,
~ =. r. IT. HUNTER, !
J. A. CAMPBELL.
Thus you see that neither terms nor
conditions were spoken of in the inter-
view, but only subjugation offered MS, the
mere details of which they proposed. to-
settle. At one blow, all our hopes i'll the
humanity and moderation of our enemies
were dashed to the ground, No terms or
proposals OF treaty coming either from
the Confederate States, or any one of the
States would be entertained, bnt a COM
plete, absolute and unconditional submis-
sion to the Constitution and laws of the
United States, is required as preliminary
step to any, even the slightest cessation Of
hostilities. Seeing then that We can treat
with the enemy, neither by the authorities
of the Confederate.States, nor by separate
State action, what will be the result If we
submit, as we are required to dol This
I've can partly judge by examining tlrat
Constitution and those Jaws, to which we
are required to yield obedience. That
Constitution is not the one we left. hi ad-a
dition to the changes it has undergone by
corrupt: and violent Interpretation by
Black Republican judges, its wording has
been 30 changed as to decree Immediately
and forever, the abolition ofslavery. The
" laws y to whose tender mercies We are
referred, provide most infinitely and par
ticularly for the punishment Of death by
the halter, OF every man, soldier, sailor or
marine, civilians and others, who have.
been engaged in what they term rebellion.
Not ceasipg to punish with the death of
the offender, the claws" 1of the United
States also provide that all his property;
rool oO1 r,oroona1 shall ",
The only mitigation OF the rigor threatened
by these laws, is contained in Mr.. Lin
coins proclamation accompanying his an
.nqal message in December 1863, in which
he proposes to hang only those above the
rank OF Colonel in the army and Lienten-
ant in the navy, and all civil and diplo-
matte officers or agents of the Confederate
government, and various other classes
therein specified; coupled with the vague
lntlmatlon to our commissioners in their
recent interviews, that whilst we must pre-
pare to accept all the pains and penalties
of the laws, we might rely on liberal use
OF the pardonmg power, vested in him.
lie also informs us that the terms set forth
in his recent message of December last,
wherein he re-endorses the above men.
toned proclamation, will be rigid!y ad.
+ hered to.
Now then, we can sum ND, in some sort
the consequences of oursubmission. -Four
million Of slaves, TIVE hundred thousand oil
whom have been in arms against us, turned
loose at once in our midst, our lands con.
fiscated, and sold out, to pay the cost Of
our subjugation or parcelled among negro
soldiers as the reward Of the slaughter o.
their masters; our women, children and
. odd men reduced to beggary, and driven
from their once happy homes; our mutil
ated and diseased soldiers, starving in RAGS
from door to door, spurned by even pen.
stoned negro soldiers; whilst the gallows
grows weary under the burden of our wi
sest statesmen and bravest defenders; te
say nothing of universal financial ruin -and
the intolerable oppression of rapaciou,
and vindictive foe, in the hour of conqu est
Great God is there aSman in all this hon
orable, high-spirited and noble. common
wealth, so stepped in every conceivable
meanness, so blackened with all the gull
OF treason, or so damned with all the lep
rosy of cowardice, as to say, yes, we vii
submit to all this and whilst there yet re
mains half million men among US able t.
resist! And who says the enemy will
give us anything betterl Not Mr.. Lin
coin and do the weak and the vacillta
ting among us know better than he does
what he will do for us?
Having made therefore, a fair and hon
est effort to obtain peace by negotiation
and knowing now precisely, FROM the lip
), of the President Of the United States, wha
we are to expect, what are we to do next
There is only one thing left for us to do
We must fight, my countrymen, to the las
extremity, or submit voluntarily to Oh,
own degradation. Let, no man mistak
the issue now. The line Of distinction
will be drawn plainly between those VIII
are for their. country, and those who ar
a0ainst their connfru There il no II