Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1865-02-23

Id. elected Member of Congress from New
Y,rk city. His paper is generally consid-
cred as the organ of the Lincoln admins
THE RUNoRs OF PEACE.
w, reiteratc the conviction We have areadycxrres.
sod hat the reports OF attempted or intended nego'
gn, for peace whith are SO diligently pressed upon
ruIiic notice are utterly without foundation. Wesee
nothing here at Washington entitled to the sight
U ,redi Unless the most explicit assurances In me
highest quarters utterly unreliable, neilher or'
uili nor Mr. Singleton, nor any body else, has gone
t R ,,bmopd, either TO open negotiations with the
tr Government, or to sound the rebel officials as to
tftr wishes rnd expectations in regard TO peace
f.tf Mr. Blair being at Richmond, will talk about
en- is very likely and, II is possible, though not
,lj probable that he will learn from Mr. Paws and
t,,r,lny something on this subject which we do not
g nov already know MIR. Blair sought TO go 10 Rich
al exclusively on private business, and he has no
shadow of authority direct or indirect TO say onesyl-
iLs IN behalf OF the Government concerning terms
OF p-ace.
me Government seeks peace earnestly and acts with
a dalermincd purbose to secure 1t. But II does not
seek through negotiations ofany sort with the rebel
still less en- the basis oi what the lead
, Of that Government may indicate In conversation
a lb individuals terms upon which 1t viii he con.
dn,,rI President Lincoln and those associated with
Atn, Tho Union men in Congress. and elsewhere, re-
.,rd he war waged against the Government as re-
llion; they determined at the very outset to treat
a. .uch, and to suppress 1t by force OF arms and
rom hat time to this, in spite of disconraSemeu's
50
jtiral sympathies with the rebels and OF the
more dangerous counsels of timid and mistaken
trouls IL has persevered in that determination. AT
t1 as election the issue was fairly made throughout
o loyal States, and the people, by Overwhelming
nainrCy decided in favor OF that method OF restoring
pea instead of the opposite plan proposed at Chicn
10 OF restoring 1t BY negotiation The Government
has accepted that decision imperative indorse-
eDt Of its policy and is pursuing that policy with
fresh energy and augmented vjgor. 1t sees peace
tg,enab icar,--more resoutely and more exclusively
L.f.. and fhnra hna hlnn n
since the war began, when 1t was less inclined than
nnv 70 seek peace from the Confederate authorities in
any other way
Those therefore, who arS looking for peace through
nriyate diplomacy, consequence, immediate or
remote, ofSersoua interviews with the rebel Govern
Tnent are, ii our judgement resting their hopes on
,,lse Dasis very little reflection, 1t seems TO us,
win convince any that all such attempts, even if
they we're compatible with the principles on which
the wac has been conducted, must prove abortlve-
They assume that are first to ascertain what the
rshes want and that this is to be guide in nego
fiatine with them. Does any body suppose for mo-
rn that they will accept voluntarily, or as the re-
snl, ef negotiation, less than they had when the war
hegang Anddo any body suppose that we viii give
them more Can We give them peace that VIII make
thelr rebellion an advantage to thema positive and
suhsiantia success? Even if they waive their claim
10 Independence, can concede their construction of
ihc Constitution Can We give them State Sovereign
Is 10 their accepaton of the term Can we concede
10 them anything on any point which they did not
have when they began the war? Yet without ssme
chance of such concession, there is not the slightest
,htce of their entering into negotiations of any sort
But although we look for it in another direction,
tb prospects Of peace seems to by remote
Irs army is all that remains of the rebellion, and SO
long rs that does remain we have no right to expect
snri peace as can accept When that is Destroy
ed iho rebellion is crushed, and we must have such
as must follow the restored authority of the Uni
te ates But that great battle remains to be fought
II can no more be avered or evaded than could Wa
terloo, and its result side at least, must be
equally as decisive. 1t is to this final issue that the
Government Is advancing. 1t is bringing all its
available military force to bear upon that. Its first
effort Of course will be TO compel Gen. Lee to meet III
ID is4ecessul IN that, Ito next endovor will be to do
at and oyerwhem him. lift fails in either the war
ay be prolonged lift succeeds in both, we must, in
the natural course of events have prompt snd last
log peace And in ne other way and at no earlier mo-
nont in our judgment, we have any peace at all.
THE PEACE Mission FAmuRE.-The N. Y. Worlds
Wellington correspondent, dating Jan. 18th, says
Mr.. Blair's visit to Richmond continues to be the
subject of numerous comments and shares with our
Eeious decd at Fort Fisher the honor of engrossing
public attention. heard many stories concerning
that that visit, on which, by the way, Mr. Blair keeps
perfectly silent, that do not feel authorized state
nnythipg positive the subject III had any opinion
20 express, would simply say that do not believe
h as satisfied on his return he was on his depsr
tue and that he has obviously failed in the mission
he undertook at the instigaeD ofMr Greeley and the
ABOLITION clique which sits in Washington Mr. Lin
oon who also perfectly of the character OF
his visit and who has seen Mr.. Blair since his return
looked gloomier after conversation with him, and
seemed, am informed, to labor under heavy disap-
gointment at the close Of the interview with the
Richmond traveller.
The only reliable news have from Mr.. Blalr's ex-
feriment In Richmond is based upon a conversation
Rad with friend Of Mr.. Seward, who seemed TO be ac-
qualified with the whole affair He says that once in
Richmond, Mr.. Blair wasreiused an official reception
by his former friends now in power, and all that
granted him the permission TO visit them in pri-
Iate capacity. without reference TO any mission he
.aght or might not have been intrused with by Mr..
Lincoln.
Of course, Mn Blair accepted He expressed as an
individual the hope that the Confederate Cove
would not decli0e the oer peace il was presented
in proper shape 10 which the reply was that peace
based upon the Slate rights doctrine snch it exist
ID under the four first Presidents would certainly be
accepted; and that II Mr. Lincoln ready to offer
it, the Confederate Government would have obiec-
tion to listen such overtures and TO take the sub
sct into consideration This said to Mr. Blair by
gef. Davis himself and by several members of his
cabinet.
The answer given to Mr.. Blair by Mr.. BENJAMIN
was OF different character The polished politician
aud orator told him that any propositions coming
from Mr.. Blair we're entitled to consideration, and
that be would not hesitate TO look into Il himself were
IL not that the agreements made by the Confederate
Government with Eurorean powers forbade any idea
efa return Of the South TO the UniOn and bound the
former persevere in the pursuit ofs Independence
Such Is what heard from very reliable source and
have doubt myself that such conversations were
carried on tefween Mr.. Blair and the Richmond au-
tloritiss Bot whether or not anything told him by
Jeh. Davis and Mr. Benjamin was true, Is thing
which have means TO ascertain. / understand,
h1sr, that the old gentleman Is disposed TO salts
" the curiosity Of his friends by publishing short
srcount Of his experience In rebellion in OF the
Washington papsrs-