The Portland daily press., 1865-02-11

ent achievement OF peace The one SOLE su-
dcient obstacle which the President encouu-
tered and could not overcome was this The
rebels required of him Immediate unquai-
fed cessation OF hostilitfes, leaving in abey-
ance all questions concerning the integrity of
the Union aud the rightful authority Off
Government over the people of the several
States; which the President courteously,
promptly, but decidedly appraised them that
he was neither authorized disposed to
concede And thus the conference ltermina
ted. EE@ III
We confess to having been one of that great
multitude which no number. who
had no faith in such questionable modes of
~ parleying with rebellion,-and who felt
though gain could accrue only to the wrong,
and that the loyal cause would suffer delay
or perhaps Generalization. We belonged to
that number who believe that negotiation
with rebels is undigniHed in great and pow
erful Government battling only to uphold its
own integrity and honor, and that the only
peace commissioners should be the opponents
asB ofthe national power, on whose folive branch
should be engraved Submission and Safety
Resistance and Destruction No negotia-
tors or commissioners treated for submission
ssssg in Nashville in Memphis in New Orleans or
Savannah, and why should different policy
be followed in relation to Charleston Mobile
Galveston or Richmond?
But different notions prevailed, and, we
frankly confess that the wisdom and good re-
suit of that policy becoming apparent.
A Northern sentiment was divided large
party insisted that peace possible without
1}ar,EH dishonor; that Union could be had without
unreasonable concession to insurgents; that
the flow Of blood and the expenditure of treas
ure could be stayed and that, without dishoa-
dsgH or to any Ao3 sa-W
tta8k .5s "Peaee,with her Olives crowned, tsfo esf
Could stretch her wings shore.'
Laboring under this impression as thousands
and tens of thousands of honest, patriotic
,irala Democrats did-men who desire peace but de-
sire the integrity Of the Union more-men
who are unwilling to fight for an idea but will
80 fghtfor their country-they could not be
pected to lend that hearty, unreserved, whole.
souled corporation to the military operations
~ OF the country. without which their support
could be but little better than clog upon the
ass wheels of progress. It is hoped that of the
million anda half of men who voted for Gen.
Mcclellan, very few are willing to advid
ed country; would ask to have the war
stopped, though its progress is sure to destroy
9A slavery forever, II, by stopping it, rival flag
to the stars and stripes and rival government
: to thatat Washington to be set up within
the limits of the old Union. Some would DO
it. Some are unquestionably willing to
the rebellion succeed. Some willing to
concede all the rebels demand Some, no
doubt, would rejoice to see the power at Rich
mond extended to the Lakes and the st. John.
tq1ola aud JEFF Davis occupying the seat now filled
by President Lincoln, but the number of such
is-smsll The great voice of the Democratic
party claims to be for the Union-the achoe
s3AA Union, and to be Internationally and uncom
promisingy opposed to any division of the
E1a country-any acknowledgment OF southern
sas+ independence, s sossf
s s, Tney have said the rebels would come back
loyalty, If they could have chance to do so,
and perhapsi it was well, even at the sacrifice
of national dignity, . furnish the demonsha-
tive evidence that all such views were falls-
cious, and that the only road to a reunited
raeai country is the road which passes ouer pros
trGte rebellion and rebels and that the only
true olive branch is the sword, the only diplo-
matst the man who Yields the sword.
Aud this seems to have been done eAectual-
ly at Fortress Monroe. President Lincoln
tdl5W and his Prime Minister Of State there met face
toface three of the strong men OF the rebel
90 coniederacy three men selected by JEFF Davis
s, HIMSELF AID representing the spirit if not the
- power of the rebel government. Mr.. Lincoln
met the man of all others who has been point
90 ed at as the most likely to favor return
of oldt time Union and Observation-Disclosures
II. Stephens,-who once before was denied
pass to Washington, for which the President
el~ was censured by the peace Democracy on the
ground that he would not even listen to over
ss5lH8 lures OF peace from "our erring southern
brethren" 4s
ise-ssfe Auu Wnat was tue result of the conference
assembled under such apparently favorable
auspices? As thousands prophesied II would
BEG total failure; miserable abortion-and
~ yet not altogether unfruitfui Of good results
The very first condition demanded by the reb
Ell commssioners-the condition precedent to
al III ,l all others, was one which it was impossible
Il, w e-5.,e for US to grant without surrender of the
whole ground at issue. The one sole, sufiici-
ent obstacle which the President encountered
and could rot overcome, was this :: The reb
els required of him an Immediate unqualified
cessation of hostiHtes, leaving in allowance
all questions concerning the integrity of the
t 5 Union and the rgntful authority of its Gov
erument over The people of the several states.
Here was the sole demand, On this there
was no yielding; till this was granted
pledge, no ntimaton could be drawn out
as to what would be the next demand. We
might disoand our armies, and then they
would tell us; and the Richmond papers have
with one accord informed the world what
q that next demand would have been a demand
80 to be put forth at Che moment when the pow
er Of the government to resist would have
been virtually surrendered and gone This
ue"Aud was TO be independence for the South
-1Hcondttonot recognition Of their right as
an independent rfeal-prObablg hostile-na-
eioR. Perhaps with Independence euarran-
teed, they would have generously proposed I,
make a joint Eight against England and France