Year: 1864

Joseph E. Brown, Of Georgia, delivered al
the opening Of an extra session Of the Le-


gislsiure Of that State, the following:
HOW PEACE SHOULD BE SOUGHT,
In view Of 1heee+ dhhculties, it may be
asked, when and how 10 this war to termin-
ate? 1t is impossible to say when it may


terminate, but it is easy TO say bow it will


end. We do not seek TO conquer the North


ern people, and if we are true TO ourselves,


they can never conquer us. We Go not
seek to take from them the right Of self
government, or to govern them without


their consent. And they have not force


enough to govern Us without our consent,
or to deprive US Of the right to govern our.


selves. The blood of hundreds Of thousands


may yet lie spilled, and the war wHl not


still be terminated by force Of arms. Ne


gotiatiOn will finally terminate it. The pen
ofthe statesman, more potent than the sword
of the warrior, must do what the latter has


failed to do.


But may be asked how negotiations are


to commence, when President Lincoln re-
fuses to receive commissioners sent by us,
and his Congress resolves to hear no pro-


position for peace. / reply that, in my
opinion, it il our duty to keep it always be-


fore the Northern people and the civilized


world that we are ready to negotiate for
peace whenever the people and Govern
ment of the Northern States are prepared
to recognize the great fundamental princi-
pies OF the Declaration Of Independence
maintained by our common ancestry-the
right of all to self-gOvernment and the SOW
ereignty of the States. In my judgment,
it is the duty of our Government, after eac ch
important victory achieved by our gallant
and glorious armies on the battlefield, to
make distinct proposition to the Northern
Government for peace on these terms. BY
doing this, if the proposition 10 declined by
hou NM vnei1 hnn I~, -,
the wrong, before their own people and the
judgment Of mankind. IL they refuse to
receive the commissioners who bear the
propositson, publish it in the newspapers,
and let the conduct of their rulers be known
to the people, and there is reasonable ground
TO hope that the time may not BE- far dis
tant when . returning sense of justice, and
desire for self-protecti0n against despo-
tism at home, will prompt the people Of the
Northern States to hurl from power those
who deny the fundamental principles upon
which their own liberties rest, and who can
never be satiated with human blood. Let
US stand on NO delicate point Of etiquette or
diplomatic ceremony. II the proposition
is rejected dozen times, let us tender IL
again after the next vict0ry-ihat the world
may be re-assured from month to month,
that we are::not responsible.fo for the continu-
ance of this devastation and carnage.


Let it be repeated again and again, to
the Northern people, that all we ask is that
they recognize the great principal upon
which their own government rests-the
sovereignty Of the States, and let our own
people hold our own Government to q
strict account, for every encroachment up
on this vital principal.


Here lies the simple solution Of all these
troubles.


If there be any doubt, or any question Of
doubt, ~ TO the sovereign will Of any one
or all the States of this Confederacy, upon
the subject Of their present or future alli-
and let that sovereign will be fairly ex-
preased at the ballot box, by the legal
voters Of the State and let all parties abide
r = the decision.


Let each State have, and freely exercise,
the right to determine It's own destiny, III
its own way. This 10 all we have been
struggling for from the beginning. 1t il .
to freemen, and .formable t. tyrants only"
Let both Governments adopt this mode
Of settlement, which was bequesthed to
them BY the great men Of the Revolution,
and which has since been adopted by the
Emperor Napoleon, rs the only just mode
for the government Of States, or even
provinces, and the ballet-box will soon
achieve what the sword can not accomplish
--Sestore peace to the country, and uphold
the great doctrines of State sovereignty
and constitutional liberty.


Ifit II . question Of strife whether Ken.
tucky or Maryland, or any other State,
shall cast her lot with the United States or
the Confederate States, there il no mode Of
settling y g justly, with 60 little cost,
people, = to withdraw Ill military force
from her limits, and leave the decision,
not to the sword, but to the ballot.box. II
she should decide for herself to abolish
slavery and 60 with the North, the Confed.
crate Government can have no just cause
Of complaint, for that Government had its
origin Ia the doctrine that all it, just '.pow-
ers are derived from the consent OF the
governed" and We have no right to insist
On governing sovereign State, against
her will. But II she should decide to re-
tain her institutions and 70 with the South.
as We doubt not she will, when the oues.
ton is fairly submitted to her people at
the polls, the Lincoln Government must
acquiesce, or it must repudixte and tram
which It was founded, and which were car.
ried out in practice by the fathers Of the
Republic, for the first half century Of its


What Southern man can object to this
mode Of settlement3 It il all that South
Carolina, Virginia or Georgia claimed when
they seeded from the Union. It IL all that
either has at any time claimed, and al that
either can justly claim. And what friend
Of Southern independence fears the result?
What has the Abolition Government done
70 cause the people Of any Southern State
to desire to reverse her decision, and re-
turn inglo oriously to its embrace :? Are we
afraid the people of any seeded State will
desire to place the State back in the Aboli-
tion Union, under the Lincoln despotism.
after it has devastated their fields, laid
waste their country, burned their cities.
daughters? There il no reason for such
fear.


But ] may be told that Mr.. Lincoln has
repudiated this principle in advance, and
that it IL idle to again tender settlement
on these terms. There in no reason whv We
should withhold the repeated renewal of
the proposition. Let it be made again and
again, till the mass OF the Northern people
It; and Mr.. Lincoln can not