Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-11-04
The Peace Questfon.

| OF tue1r I0du0IS jS uJ no meAus tue SdUI
now as at the opening of the war, and th
costs of the continuance OF the struggl
are fearful to the working classes. Thei
sympathies are also strongly aroused TO-
their friends in the field, who are airead,
suffering greatly from the early inclemen
cy of the season. Besides, the loss of human
life has been so fearful that the land il
filled with the walls of mourners.
The desire for peace is not yet so ap
pearently and strongly developed in the
French people. They have reached the
last pit of desperation they have been
dashed into fury by the general devasta-
ton OF their fair land and the presence OF
an arrogant, hostile foe upon their soil, die.
Eating their own wishes and exacting sus-
terance while there are SO many contend
| ing political opinions among them that
| it would be hard to obtain anything like
unanimity of sentiment or concert of &C
upon any subject beyond the present
prosecution of the war. Besides, they be-
hold the utter hopclessness Of exacting
terms ard the apparent consequence OF
only yielding to such as are dictated to
them. All these combined have madden
ed the French people to such pitch of
fury that it would be hard to obtain a
wholesome peac sentiment in their pres
ent situation, and with the prospect of
terms before them.
England has been working persistently
to secure al armistice looking to perma-
nent peace negotiations, but has thus far
met with Indifferent success. Hitherto
she has been unaided by the great neutral
powers, but at last, the telegraph informs
Us. has secured the support of Italy and
Austria. Russia has positively, but polite
~. declined to co operate with her-an attl-
tude which is subject to many suspicious of
that powers interestedness. England Of
course moves from interested motives, but
as that interest lies On the side of peace,
she is entitled to some credit for humanity
of action at least.
The people of the United States have
hitherto watched the conflict with an in
terest proportionate to their sympathies
for one or the other of the respective pow
ers engaged. But it has ceased to be a
merely amusing OF excitingly interesting
fight TO money loving America. It as
grown into such protracted struggle as to
occasion depression in financial, CONNER
cial and agricultural circles, and we heart
lily wish the war we'll over In the deeper
interest which we now feel, our French or
Prussian sympathies are i'll great meas
ure buried We assume the level of Amer
leans again, consulting our own Interests,
and with desire for the termination of
the war on almost any terms to either par
ty to the struggle, SO that they be the ba-
sis Of a firm and enduring peace.
Col. Dockerys Letter.
We publish. to day, tho letter written by
Hon. Q. IL. Dockery, to the Raleigh Sen
tine1, relative to the assertion advanced by
the Ashville Pioneer, that Gov. Ho!dcn's
recent military movement was made with
his sanction and advice.
Col. Dockery is very emphatic in his
positive dsapproval of the act, and CEN
sures it severely. But he goes still fur
ther, and thereby makes to us revelation.
He says: 81 secured, by timely and earn
est intercession, from the proper author
ity, q pledge, that no troops should be
sent into any portion of my District, with
out my consent. This consent has neoer get
been giUen altlough troops soere sent"
The italics are not ours, but are Col.
Dockery's. They are used by him prob
ably, to express, most emphatically, the
fact that the pledge given him was DELHI
erately broken. He does not tell us, in so
many words, that Governor Holden is the
" proper authority" from whom he receiv-
Cd the pledge that no troops should be sent
into his District, but the inference is plain |
and unmistakeable. The pledge was as
violated as it was deliberately
given. This is. however, but one more
falsehood to be treasured up against Gov
ernor Holden.
Notwithstanding Col. Dockery's remon-
strances, and the pledge that was given
him, we all know that troops were sent
into the District. Both Sampson and
Moore counties were invaded, without the
shadow of an excuse, by organized bands
of disorderly men, and that, too, in times
of peace and quiet. The assertions If
the Congressional Representative for this
District went for nothing the law was
broken, and the troops were sent Let it
be put upon the political record of the
times, along with Gov. Holden's other
criminal acts, that two peaceful counties
of the State were invaded by bands of
cutthroats, acting under the orders of the
Radical Governor of North Carolina, for
the purpose of enforcing an election. at
the point of the bayonet, and against the
remonstrances Of the Congressional Rep
resentative from this District. By and by
he will be punished for this and his other
infamies.
Mr.. ALEXANDER OLDHAM, of this city,
offers. through the Raleigh Sentinel, the
following challenge:
1 do not know or care who may be the un,ner-
sted competitor at the State Fair, will challenge
|, &c H. ia