The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-23

HE circumstances, and at oil times, the
peoDle might be brought to believe that
there were mitigating circumstances in
Buffers failure. and that thus he might
arain be forced into position. But how
can the friends Of Butler answer this
capture? HERE is the fort, made stronger
by the enemy than it was before, garri-
soned by three or four times as many
men. and it falls the first time an attempt
10 made to take it. Will not this finish
all tho Butler controversy?
There was nothing in his military ca
recr to designate him as the leader of the
army movement up the James in CO.
operation with Grants movement from
the Rapid Ann in May last. Butler, we
must conclude, was fastened upon the
army by the Washington radical aboli-
ton politicians. We dare say that, in
his place, any one ola dozen of the reg4-
lar army officers in Virginia at that time
would have carried the Army Of the
James into Petersburg before he would
have been required to stand upon the dc
fensiyc. In any event, the removal OF
General Butler from the army is no loss
to the service. His place can be readily
supplied as soldier, though it spossi-
BILE there is rebel city or two in which.
as military dictator, hereafter, his pecu-
liar qualifications may be useful in paw
ing the way to loyalty, law and order.
THE IDEA OF -"UNCOSDITtOSAL"
sUBJUGATION.
The New York Times has an editorial
upon the recent peace mission Of Mr..
Blair, and comments on the expression
in the Tribune that the Confederates
would be convinced by what Blair had
to say that the Yankee Government did
not demand ian unconditional surren-
der" The Times is the organ of Sc
ward (who is, in fact, the Lincoln Govern
menD, and the following extract may not
be uninteresting as an exposition Of the
views Of that politician:
Our great objection to volunteer and
irresponsible negotiations Of any sort is,
that they inspire doubts in the rebel
mind of the sincerity and determination
of our Government in regard to the re-
bellion. We have always demanded an
unconditional surrender" as the sole
condition of peace. The President has
uniformly insisted that the rebels must
cease fighting if they wished for peace;
whenever. they would do that, he has
promised peace and liberal considera-
ton of all complaints and claims; but
until they do it they cannot hope for
peace upon terms or conditions of any
sort. The Baltimore Convention en-
dorsed this position, and the people
ratified. it by an overwhelming ma
jority in the reelection of Mr.. Lincoln.
Now, if Mr.. Blair has given jeff. Davis to
understand, by private assurances, or
hints or suggestions Of any sort, that our
Government is disposed to abandon this
position-that it "does not now insist
on an unconditional surrender" but is
willing to discuss terms and conditions,
and thus to admit their right to prescribe
such conditions Of peace, he has, in our
judgment, very seriously damaged the
Union cause, and postponed the very
object he sought to advance. For just
so far as his assurances have any effect
at all, they lead to the belief that our
Government is insincere in its declara-
tions-that it is not disposed to prose-
cute the war until the rebellion is
crushed, but is really ready to accept
peace upon such terms and conditions as
the South may desire. The evident
effect of such conviction is to encourage
the rebels to prolong the war, and thus
postpone that unconditional surrender,
without which peace is out Of the qucs>
ton.
THE EFFECT OF SAVANNAH LOYALTY
NOTHING TO EAT FOR THE GALVANIZED
PATRIOTS.
The, patriotic" meeting which assem-
hlo1 IN Cavonnah oro %rouhlod r-;tl,