Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-01-13
Our Cleveland Market Report failed t'
reach us last night. GI
Pence CounmIssIoners.

f,1r Peace COHmmfSShOherss
q By specials, we are told that on Wednes-
day, the very air of Washington City was
s.thick and heavy with Peace rumors."-
General SINGLETON, of Illinois, Peace
Democrat, is reported to have preceded
Francis p. BLAIR few days to Richmond
You Peace mission. 1t is stated that Mr..
BLAIR has gone to Richmond with the full
knowledge and consent of President LIN
coin, and is clothed with ample power to
confer with JEFF. DAVIS irf relation to the
matter of Peace, and that his instructions,
rs to terms, are embraced in these three pro-
positions, each of which Is final: 1st
Amnesty to all. I'd, The Constitution as 1t
is, and the Union as it was. Sd, The total
abolition of slavery within reasonable
length Of time.
In this connection, it is stated that ALEX
ANDER H. STEPHENS, Vice President of the
Southern Confederacy, Ex-Governor RIvEs,
of Virginia, and Ex- Governor ORR, of South
Carolina, are on their way to Washington,
rs representatives of the Southern Confed-
eracy, to confer with the Administration
touching the question of Peace.
These movements indicate that wise,
conciliatory craftsmanship can bless the
country with Peace. The only perceptible
difficulty in the way, is the question of
slavery. ALI the Rebels shall have amnesty
they shall be restored to full citizenship
and all the insurgent States shall be read
mitted to full fraternity in the Sisterhood
of States-upon the condition that they
abolish slavery. The Cincinnati CONNER
cia1, in commenting on the apparent anxiety
of HORACE GREELEY for the restoration of
Peace, and his disinclination to accept Peace
on any other terms than the Abolition of
Slavery, disposes ofthis proposition in these
words: "He ought to know that the peo-
pie committed to the Rebellion are not pre-
pared to accept those terms" This is I'M
.deniably true. The President ought not
simply to know it. He does know it. and
every man in the adhering States, With a
particle of sense, knows It to be true.
Wherefore, then, is it insisted on? Have
we had not enough Of War?-have we not
enough of widows and orphans ?-have we
not enough of mainicd men ?-have we not
enough of Notwithstanding insurmount-
able obstacle to speedy restoration OF
Peace has to be interposed?
Suppose the rebels are now reduced to
the extremity that they cannot further
prosecute the War, unless they abolish
slavery, and put into their armies their
manumitted slaves-suppose they can not
secure the favor of foreign Governments
unless they abolish slavery-can we reason
ably hope to bring them back into the Union
by insisting upon such terms? Common
sense emphatically discourages such hope.
Rather than do this, and to propitiate the
favor of foreign Governments for the pur-
pose of defeating the Administration in
subjugating them, they will, If necessary,
abolish slavery; but they will not do it i'm
obedience to the commands of the Admin
istration. The history of the world proves
that this Is human nature. 1t Is claimed
for President LINCOLN that while he is not
learned in books, he has a thorough knowl-
edge of human nature. Now is the time
for him to make good that claim but he
cannot make it good by insisting upon a
condition in negotiating Peace, that he
ought to know the people committed to the
Rebellion are not prepared to accept"
Evidently, Peace is now possible, If the
Administration will resort to the exercise
of wise craftsmanship. If it would not
have offended against heaven, nor have
been derogatory to our honor to have well
coined the Rebels all back into the Union
after the battle of Bull Run, with slavery
unabolished, wherefore will itoffend against
heaven and do us dshonor to welcome them
back upon similar terms now? It'll assert
ed that slavery has received mortal
wound by reason of the War-that it is
impossible for it to recover. If this is
true, there is no propriety whatever in re-
fusing to agree to Peace until the Rebels
shall, by proclamation, create that condi-
tion of things which is absolutely certain
to be created without such proclamation
To persist in such course, therefore, is
practically insanity of the most aggravated
oto ~aoko,