Year: 1864




respect, therefore, they hold an important
position. Sanders ras simply delegated
by the other two gentlemen to act with
them a. sort Of man Of all work, or pio.
neer in the movement, - an Offset to
Jewett


Thecouditions under which they desired
to 60 to Washington were simply without
any basis laid down and agreed upon as
the starting point beforehand. They were
anxious and willing to go and risk the in.
teresss Of the South in candid and fair
negotiation, and then and there to come
to some mutual understa nding and agree
ment with which they could 60 back to
the South and secure its adoption and
close the war. This was prevented by the
fact Of Mr.. Lincoln changing his terms to
start with and insisting that the abolition
of slavery must be the starting point To
this they were unwilling to assent, aud the
result is that they have got Old Abe on
the record as to what be wants 10 the set
Element, and the other side is lot COM
mitted and has presented no proposition.
That they would have presented PROPOSE
tions if they had gone to Washington, no
person who has watched the movements of
this negotiation can for moment doubt.
If the President had merely said he would
have received any proposition for peace,
based upon the integrity of the Union,
they would have consented to have gone
to Washington aud made their PROPOSE
tions. OF course they would have labored
to secure the best terms possible for them
selves; but they represented themselves
willing to take their chances. 1t is now
broken of, aud the only result, as it
now stands, will be to furnish strong
document for the coming campaign,
strengthen the peace men, and turn q
much larger portion Of the people against
Old Abe. Every man who breads the
coming draft will instinctively fall on that
side aud against Mr. Lincoln.


VIEWS OF Tue REBEL COMMISSIONERS.
These gentlemen have given the impres.
sion to those about the Clifton House that
the South have been anxious for some
time to present to the Administration at
Washington peace propositions, have tried
four times and have been rejected. They
consider that they have settled the fact
that they have been able to maintain
1hemse!ves, and can yet, and can therefore
offer to settle without disgrace. One gen.
tleman, and person of high standing in
the Confederacy, who has been at the Cliff
ton House this week, did use to Northern
gentleman when talking over the ques.ic n
Of settlement. the following words:
~ don't believe that there is in all the
Confederate States to day a rebel to the
United States Government. don't be-
lieve that there is single man so CON-
temptible within the limits Of the Confed.
crate States as to be loyal to this admins.
,ration."


The reason for the latter was that the
Administration had violated the Consti-
tuition.


10 addition to this the rebel commits.
sioners on all occasions asserted that un.
der the theory Of the Southern Confedera.
cy, whenever any STATE became dissatisfied
it could leave, and if the North desired to
get them back they could do it by making
themselves more acceptable to the differ
ent States than the Southern Confederacy
but they would not do that by following
the lead Of New England fanaticism, and
carrying on war Of plundering and in
numerous ways violating the Constitution.
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