Year: 1864




to Mr. J. Il. Gilmore and Col. Jacques,
sweep away most of the chat which the
latter-day democracy had laboriously got
together as capital for the presidential
election. We referred in our last issue
to the parting words of JEFF Davis, that
1t would be useless TO approach him
with any proposals of peace except ON
the basis of rebel independence. Demo
Gratis who desire the restoration OF the
Union, should carefully ponder the ac-
count OF the whole interviewoand un-
derstand from it, if they have not before
been convinced by similar utterances Of
the rebel leaders, h0w worse than use
less, how fatal to the interests of the
Union, would be any other treatment of
rebellion than that of the heaviest and
thickest blows we can deal it, until the
rebel leaders and rebel armies which
stand between the people of the North
and the people of the South, are over
come. Let the fact be understood that
those only who are willing to treat on
the basis of a destroyed Union, can now
consistently talk of stopping the war by
negotiation; that the clamor for arm
istice and peace can be honestly in
dulged in by no man who is not ready
to see the Union 90 to pieces. Let the
people understand this we say, and they
will dispose OF such men at the polls
in the manner a Union-loving people
should.


But another statement was freely and
emphatically made and repeated by jeff
Davis, which is wonderfully destructive
to copperhead capital. He confirms
what others North and South have
maintained that slavery was not the
cause of the war at only fred the
musket which was already capped and
loaded" So long as the rebels could
rule the North in the Union they were
content to remain; when constitu-
tional majority (in the rule of which
Mr.. Davis says he does not believe)
was found against them, they fired off
the musket of revolt long kept loaded
for the purpose, and slavery was merely
the instrument of striking the fire.
Slavery has not been an essential ele-
ment in the contest, says the rebel pres
ident; we are not fighting for slavery /;
zoe are fighting for independence. In view
of this, what silly and senseless twaddle
becomes the copperhead clamor that but
for the anti slavery policy of the admin
istration, we might now have peace in
restored Union. The rebel chiefs are
fighting for the dissolution Of the Union
and their independence. For this they
fought during the first part of the war
before an anti-siavery policy was pur-
1 sued, as hard as now for this they will
4 continue to fight, so long as they have
1 the power, against this or any other adj
ministration, until their military power
is exhausted, or their independence is
acknowledged and the Union is disrupt
ed


No man of intelligence can reat
the words of JEFF Davis spoken il
this interview, without clear un
derstadning that the Union can on
ly be restored by pushing on the VS.
till the remaining strength Of re
bellion is crushed that the only alter
native presented to the loyal people ii
war and Union, or peace "a temporar,
one at that and disunion; that peac
and Union are impossible until war shal
have conquered them for us; that
permanent peace, alone, is impossible
without the Union, for jeff. Davis him
self admits that the disunited state
could not live in harmony with eacl
other; in short, that the only issue Is


present war against rebels for the SAX
of the Union and a permanent peace o
disunion and continual war thereafte
for the sake of a present temporary peace


All other issues are shams. This one


the most momentous one for US, for ou


posterity, for the whole world, that eve


entered into political contest, is to b


decided by the loyal people in the com


Ing presidential election. In order tha


1t be decided Alright it is only necessar


that the people understand it; and thes


declarations of the rebel president com
in good time.