The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-08-09

would have been entertained bg US
for moment, it did not seem to me
wise to give our enemies the moral
and material benefit to be derived
from position they were not hon
estly entitled to occupy.
Had we returned the answer which
has been suggested, the friends of
President Lincoln could have ap-
pealed to the letter Of Mr.. Greeley as
a proof of his willingness to open
negotiations on the most liberal
basis. That letter wholly abandon
ed the attitude which the Govern
ment Of the United States had main
tanned since the secession of South
Carolina, and to which, according to
the declaration of Mr.. Seward in his
recent speech at Auburn, it has re-
turned Of 'no negotiations with reb-
els in arms" 1t expressed a readi-
ness to open negotiations, and at
tempt to settle through diplomacy
the questions which had been so
long in vain submitted to the arbi-
trament of war. 1t did not even an
nounce that the restoration Of the
Union was an indispensable condi-
tion Of peace, but profered free
and untrammelled conference. Had
the correspondence closed at that
point, it must have added strength
to the administration Of Mr.. Lincoln,
and thus increased its capacity to
carry on the war. Within our own
borders, it would have nOurished the
delusive and dangerous hope of a
comprOmise with our enemy on
terms consistent with liberty and
self-respect. A renewed pressure
would have been brought to bear on
the President to send commissioners
Ito Washington with the view Of
1opening negotiations, at the hazard
lof fresh indignities TO the conteder-
acy.
In framing our reply to the letter
of Mr.. Greeley, we endeavored to
shape il so as to compel such new
Developments from Mr.. Lincoln as
would disclose the true policy of his
administration, or such an adherence
to the position assumed in that let
ter as would enable our Government
to act upon it with safety. This pur-
pose was fully accomplished in call
J ing forth the celebrated document,
addressed "To whom it may con-
cern." No paper probably ever pro
: duced so great a revolution of public
sentiment in the same space of time.
T Although a gross delusion as to the
!, extent Of their recent military sue
5 cessesses has induced q reaction and
d secured the reelection Of Mr.. Lin
: coin, it is destined to exercise an en-.
during influence for good. 1t has
+ permanently weakened and distrac-
e ted the War party of the North, and
Q there is much reason to hope that
E before many months intervene it will
a wholly deprive it Of Democratic sup
! port. However this may be, it has
f united and animated our own people
) more than any political action of ou1
! adversaries since the commencement
: of the war.
a 1t has been suggested that the ef.
f feet of this correspondence, by rem
q dering probable the defeat of MIR
e Lincoln at the polls, was tnfavorabl'
: in the Northwest by repressing
e growing tendency to revolution in
/ that quarter. This was, no doubt
# Ito some extent, its temporary effect
# but it has worked no injury to oul
g cause. The revolutionary elemen+
e has been hitherto too feeble to bC
e employed in our service with any
o advantage. Before this correspond
J. ence took place our sanguine friend;
,r lin that region had fixed upon various
Il periods Of revolutionary outbreak
If but they were deferred at their owl
l. instance from time to time, as the
b conviction gradually daWned upoT
J. their own minds of the extent tC
|, which they had exaggerated thel
s strength. From all the develop
d lments which have since been made
s I am satisfied tnat no explosion
g could have taken place previous tC
d the election, which would not hav'
T, resulted in permanent injury to oul
s cause. The Northwest is not now
n and, without the systematic and pos
d sibly long-continued application ol
e the agencies which control the pop
/ ular mind, may never be,ripe for rev
d olution. But it is fermenting witt
i the passions, out of which reVolu
+ tions have been created. In Illinois
= Indiana, and possibly Ohio, ma
+ Ijority of the population are hostile
|, to the present administration. The
} recent election furnished no evidence
o to the contrary, Tor, with a large
3 body Of the peace party, McClellen
v was held in as much Odium as Lin
coin himself. The bitterness be-
4 tween these hostile factions is In
i tense. The one has received from
| the other every outrage which the
J strong can perpetrate on the weak.
q 1t would be a fatal mistake, in my
: opinion, to abandon all effort to sep
t arate this section from the United
States, because no results have as
vet been achieved commensurate
, with our expectations. The hope
: of closing the war by negotiation
D has been extinguished. Our resour-
5 ces are diminishing more rapidly, for
| obvious reasons, than those Of our
t enemy. To keep alive such degree
of apprehension as will lead to the
. concentration of large bodies OF
2 troops to repress insuTection with
I in their own limits, will, of itself, De
4 an important diversion in our favor
g We should employ money and talent
s without stint, to give this broodlng
T resentment the proportions OF anar-
: chy and civil strife. Let US preserve
| lOur communication with our friends
, lin the North. Warned by our past
/ experience. let us introduce arms
: more gradually and cautiously, as
+ far as practicable subsidize leading
J, presses, and through the ordinary
e channel of newspapers, as well as oi
d campaign documents, enlighten and
: influence the public mind. Enlist
e pubic men Of character and influence
= whose principles and sympathies are
r with us, by indemnifying them
: against the hazards to which bold