Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-03-31
PEACE OvERTUREs.

The Herald, crltlcising our recent articles
favoringa Presidential Proclamation in the
interest of Peace, says
GAS we understand The TRIBUNE, it wants
proclamation in behalf Of these leaders Of the
Rebellion, giving them some greater Inducements
for submission
The Herald will please understand us bet
ter We have not suggested any specific
proposition to be made to Rebels of any
grade or position IF we had any such sug-
gestion to make, we should for obvious rea-
sons, address it privately to the the Presi-
dent. But, while we would have specific
oyertures made from the highest quarter,
our concern is. more with their spirit than
with their letter. We greatly desire that
the Southern people should realize that the
Loyal Millions do not hate them, do not seek
their extirmination, but are most anxious
that they should turn from their erring
ways andlive. Such we know to be the feel
ing of tie great body of our friends and
neighbors; such, we are confident, are the
feelings of large majority Of the people of
the loyal States. We dc not believe that
the torture unto death by exposure to in
clemeney and starvation of so many thou
sands of our captured brethren was author
lied on desired by the great body Of the
Southern Whites. We do not believe that
majority of those Whites ever gave an
uneonstrained assent to the mad scheme of
Disunion. We do not believe they have
ever preferred to be vassals and feudatories
Of some European monarchy rather than
the citizen of this free republic. yet we are
all assured that their chiefs have attempted
to bargain them away TO whomsoever would
aid in consummating Disunion. We have
ever regarded with good viii, but without
sanguine faith, the various efforts to open
negotiations with those chiefs for we could
not but feel that they must necessarily be
the very last men IN the Confederacy to con-
sent to a restoration ofthe Union; but thata
great and steadily increasing majority of the
Southern People would gladly accept such a
paci6cation as our Government could hon
orably accord, we have long and unwaver-
ingly trusted.
Now then, we ardently desire that the
President should marke direct, specific
appeal and overture to the Southern people,
urging them to return to loyalty and peace,
and giving them substantial reasons for so
doing. Those people are now kept IN the
tolls of treason mainly by positive and con-
stantly reiterated assertions that they have
nothing to gain by submission, nothing to
lose by persistence in rebellion, andmay as
well fight to the last and give up and be ex-
terminated as wen as stripped naked after
their surrender. (SeeJeff Davis late mani
festo. the address of the Rebel congress,
Howell Cobb's speech, &c, &C. Now lat
the President counteract these damaging
Misrepresentation by simple, clears
straightforward overture, setting forth pre-
cisely who are to gain and what is to be
gained or saved by pacifeation, and we are
confident that large portion of those who
have hitherto aided, or seemed to counter
ance the Rebellion, viii insist that this over
ture be accepted and the tide of wholesale
carnage and devastation be thus arrested.
And when those who thus feel and act shall
have declared for peace, there viii not be
enough left in rebellion to keep each other
in countenanee If even one-eighth of the
insurgents were now to throw down their
weapons, the Rebellion must collapse forth
with.
The issue of the contest is no longer
doubtful. We must have this day at least
100000 combatants between the Susque-
hanna and the Pedee, while all the Rebe
forces within those limits cannot number
100000. Our men are well fed, well proyi
ded and splendidly armed the Rebels are
in want Of everything, hope included. IL
fight longer is to squander blood and treas
ure there should be speedy peace, and oul
Government should unmistaksbly evinet
the anxiety it feels for an early and final pa
cifcation. The discomftted Rebel leaders
may hold their lives very cheap, but we,
who are the vietors, should realize that al
the lives and property sacrifices hereafter
are just so much loss to our country W.
have saved the Republic /; now let us try t
save as many of its people, as much of it
property, as we possibly can. N. I. 1Tab
atne.
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