Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-01-18
Peace.


The speech OF General Dutler anu
the cloud of rumors from Washing
ton have occasioned all kinds OF
speculations upon Peace. We do not
presume, however, that under any
circumstances the President the Unit
ed States will send commissioners to
Richmond or anywhere else, until
the rebels express desire to lay
down their arms and obey the laws.
That he may invite them publicly to
do so is very probable. That he
may call their attention to the won
derful unanimity of the people, as ex-
pressed in the late election. is not
unlikely. And that he may point
out to them the fatal folly OF in
viting the further rayages OF war; Is
in strict accordance with his charae-
ter.
We are never to forget that this
rebellion is simply an armed insur-
rection against the Government Of
the United States, and that, conse-
quently, the authority of the Govern
ment must be vindicated or over
thrown. There is no middle ground.
1t cannot be partly maintained and
partly compromised. If it is yield
ed anywhere to armed resistance, it
is yielded everywhere. If arms can
prevail over it in one point, it is be-
cause there is not power enough in
the government to assert itself. In
other words, it is successfully defed.
There has been a great deal OF
talk about brethren and olive branch
es, during this war. Very well-t
was our "brethren" who fired upon
the flag and refused to obey the laws.
What was then to be done2 There
were but two courses open to the
Government. One was to submit to
the demand of separation or to the
dictation of terms by armed rebels
or brethren, if anybody prefer the
word. The other was to declare that
the flag Of the United States should
not be fired upon with impunity,
that the laws of the United States
should be enforced, and that the pro-
pcrty of the United States should be
recovered from the "brethren" who
had stole it. Then, when the au-
thority of the Government was re-
established, if any citizen or body OF
citizens had any grievance to com
plain of, the complaint could be made
and the grievance redrcssed accord
ing to the laws.
In his famous Tweddlc Hall
speech, in the winter of lSG0-'6l.
Horatio Seymour proposed the first
course. In April, 1861, the l'rcsi-
dent of the United States proposed
the second. After nearly four years
of war, in November, 1864, the peo-
ple of New York have dismissed Ho-
ratio Seymour, and the people Of the
United States, with unprecedented
unanimity, have approved the Presl-
dent of the United States.
Peace, therefore, according to the
determination of the people, can be
had by the rebels whenever they
wish for it. National magnagimity
and olive branches can 60 no further
than to ask the insurgents to submit
10 the Constitution, and the laws and
acts in pursuance of it. If they will
not yisld upon fair asking, nothing
remains but for the people to submit
to therebels or to compel the rebels
to submit to them.
The Government will doubtless
give the rebel chiefs another invita-
ton to obey the laws of the country
Those chiefs will unquestionably re.
fuse. Will it then be "a wicked and
fratricidar" act to proceed to compel
them to obey! If it is, how shall
we descriqe the act ofthe insurgents
in plunging this country in all the
horrors of civil war! If it is an out
rage for a peaceful man to defend
himself against the hand of an assaS-
sin, what is it for an assassin to at
tack a peaceful man
"Clear you mind Of rubbish said
DR.. j Johnson, "and we shall discuss
more intelligently." y."-Staten Island
Uhion, NOr. 2G.
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