Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-15

;n.s.s ~ Jonht that those who clamor
for Il would take it on any terms
would, in fact, rather prefer to take u
on the terms upon which Lincoln oilers
it--,hat IL. absolute submission. The
gentlemen know that Lincoln viii not
receive deputy from us, or listen 70
ANYTHING we have to say; but no mat
ter. Blair has been here on peace mis-
sion. and as there is no peace, the fact
| will afford ample ground to assail the
| Government. Now, do not let the
peace-agitators seize hold Of Blair's
mission and tell the people that the
President is rejecting offers Of peace,
when no offers are made. "--Rsehmo'd
WAig, January Ia, 1865.
Query Were the commissioners sent
merely to appear to satisfy this de-
MANDY 1t seems they declared no
offers were made even before the com
missioners were sent, and it wiz be
seen also from the foregoing that they
manufactured in advance the cry oil "n-
conditional submission.
"Let it be conceded that the Presi-
dent is entirely right, and that public
opinion is entirely wrong. still the pub
lie opinion exists, which is the only i'm
portant fact now to be considered. IL
may be very unfortunate, but it is true.
But it is Just here that the danger lies.
1t is so difficult for President to see
that he is unpopular. "--Richmond
Wing, January rs, 1865.
"For our part, we are ready to con-
cede everything else Except the per-
petuity of slavery to recall our erring
brethren" ~ Washington Chronicle,
February 3 or 4, 1865.
Read the address of the delegation in
Congress, through Mr.. Bocock as chair
man, published about February III,
1865.
Dependency pervades army and
people to a great extent. Men are out
ragged almost as much where the enemy
has not been as where he has been.
The great cause of desertion and dis
content are the oppressive and uncon-
stitutional exactions Of the Govern
ment. The common soldier had not
been paid in year, and if a soldier
wants corn he must press it. No army
in the world can be preserved under
such management. "-Speech Of Cen
eral Robert ToOmbs at CITY Hall, Au-
gusta, Ca, February l6, 1865.
"If we succeed, l am free man.
If. by the obstinacy and weakness Of
our rulers, we fail, a common ruin
awaits us all. The night is dark; the
tempest bowls the ship is dashed with
turbulent waves; the helmsman is
steering to the whirlpool; our remon-
strances are unheeded, and we must
restrain him or the crew must sink to-
gether and be buried in irretrievable
ruin. ''-GOrerno BrOrn's Message to
Georgia Legislature, February %,
1865.
Was not the unheeding helmsman"
responsible for the course he persisted
in steering?
A leading northern journal Of Febru
airy 25, 1865, said General Lee was
before them Ia committee Of the Con-
federate Senatel as witness. Senator'S
Hunter, Hill, Graham, Walker, and
Orr all endeavored to question the dis
tiDguished witness into the confession
Of something hopeful, but in vain. He
will give them no comfort. He stout
ly maintains that the army cannot be
got out of Virginia; that he has not
troops enough for the opening cam
paign; that we cannot last till mid
summer; that the army is unanimous
for peace; that the best policy is to
make peace on the plan proposed by
Mr.. Stephens, and that no human power
can save the cause" 1t then gives the
names of some fifteen congressman
who are known to favor a return to the
Union. 1t also says that Vice-Presi-
dent Stephens is quite certain that they
would have peace, and an honorable
peace, before May l, 1865.
Now, no one will dare assert that
General Lee was not in the trenches,
or that his associations were unfortu-
nate.
Read Major S. B. French's letter to
Colonel L. b. Northrop, commissary-
general of subsistence, Pollard's Lost
Cause, 64S. 1t shows the utter hope
lessness Of feeding the army.
All confidence in the Administration
at Richmond was gone the people were
heart-broken. A majority Of the people
Of the Confederacy actually deprecated
any single success, and did not desire a
victory to their armies which might
give new occasion Of prolongation of
the war for having already taken it for
granted as hopeless, they prayed in
their hearts that it would be closed at
the earliest moment. They did not de-
sire any more fluctuations Of fortunes
which they were sure were to be adj
verse at the last. eff failure was to
ensue, the sooner the better. South
ern History of the Var, 1891
at is not to be disguised that the
condition Of the Confederacy was de-
moralized in the extreme, and is was
difficult to recognize as the patriots of
1861 men who were now [about Febru-
airy, '65l eIclaiming everywhere their
despair, and counselling embassies Of
submission. "-Histoyy ofthe Southern
Var, AGA.
Than to state the simple and indis-
putable fact that, in the winter of
lS64-'5, Lee lost nearly half Of his
army by desertion alone, and the other
half was frequently bordering on star
walton. "-History Of tie Southern
Var. 476.
Did those who went over to the enemy
get better terms than unconditional
submission Were they not willing to
accept such terms, or will it be denied
that they went over by hundreds :?
"The failure of the Fortress Monr oe
Commission was made the occasion in
the South Of a new attempt to rally the
spirit of its people, and to infuse into
the war new element Of desperate
passion. The people were told that the
result of the conference at Fortress
Monroe showed plainly enough that
every avenue to peace was closed,
except such as might be carved