Year: 1864

would necessarily involve the UcStrnc-
tion of the Constitution. and the over
throw of their liberties as well as ours.
The men or party at the North, to
whom you refer, who favor peace,
must be brought to full realization
of this truth in all its bearings, before
their efforts will result in much prac
tical good. And peace growing out
of Union of States, established by
force, will be as ruinous to them as
to ua


The action of the Chicago Conven-
tlon, so far rs its platform of princi-
pies goes, presents, as | have said on
another occasion, a ray OF light, which
under Providence, may prove the
dawn of the day to this long and
cheerless night, the first ray Of light |
have seen from the North since the
war began. This cheers the heart,
and towards it could almost exclaim,
"Hail, holy light, offspring of Heav-
en-, first born ofthe eternal co-eternal
beam May I express thee unbalanced,
since God is light


Indeed, | could have quite so ex.
claimed but for the sad reflection that
whether it shall bring healing in its
beams or be lost in Il dark and omi-
nous eclipse ere its good work be
done, depends so much upon the ac-
ton of others who may not regard it
and view it as do. SO ut best it is
but ray, a small and tremulous ray,
enough to gladden. the heart and
quicken the bone.


The prominent and leading idea in
that Convention seems TO have been
desire to reach a peaceful adjust
ment of our present difficulties and
strife through the medium Of n con-
vocation the States. They propose
to suspend hostilities, to SEE what can
he done, if anything, by negotiations
Of some sort. This is one step IN
the right direction. To such a Con.
vention of the States l should have
no objection, as peaceful conference
and Interchange of views between
equal and sovereign powers, just as
the Convention of 1877 was called
and assembled.


The properly constituted author
tiles at Washington and Richmond,
the duly authorized representatives Of
the two Confederacies of States now
at war with each other, might give
their assent to such proposition
Good might result from tt. Itwould
be an appeal on both sides from the
sword to reason and justice. All
wars which do not result in the eX.
tinction or determination OF one side
OF the other must be ended sooner or
later by some sort Of negotion.


From the discussion or interchange
of views in such u Convention, the
history as well as the true nature Of
our institutions and the relation of
the States toward each other and to-
ward the Federal head, would doubt
less be much better understood gen
orally than they now are; but | should
favor such Il proposition only as n
peaceful conference, as the Conven-
tion OF l7S7 was. / should he op-
posed to leaving the question at issue
to the absolute decision Of such a
body.


Delegates might he clothed with
powers to consult and agree, if they
could, upon some plan Of adjustment,
to be submitted for subsequent rati-
lication by the sovereign States whom
it affected, before it should he obli-
gatory or binding and then binding
only on such as should so ratify it.
1t becomes the people Of the Sonth,
as we'll as the people Of the North, &c
be quite as watchful as jealous Of their
rights as their common ancestors
were.


The maintenance OF liberty in all
ages, times and countries, when and
where it has existed, has required not
only constant vigilance and jealousy,
but it has often required the greatest
privations and sacrifices that people
or States are ever subjected to-
Throuh such an ordeal we are now
passing. Through n like and even
sevcrer ordeal oar ancestors passed
in their struggle for the principle
which has deyolved upon us thus to
defend IN | maintain.


But great our sufferings and sac
riGces have been, and are, to which
YOU allude, they sre rs vet far short
of the like sufferings and sacrifices
which our fathers bore with patience,
courage and fortitude in the crisis
that tried mems souls in their day,
These arc the virtues that sustained
them in their hour Of need Their
illustrious and glorious example bids
us not to under estimate the priceless
inhcritsnce they achieved for us al
such cost of treasure and blood.


Great as are the odds we are strug
Cling against, they are not greater than
those against which they successfully
struggled. In point of reverses our
condition is not to be compared with
theirs. Should Mobile, Savannah,
j! Charleston, Augusta, Macon, Mont
gomery, and even Petersburgh and
Richmond, fall, our condition would
not then be worse or less hopeful
than theirs was in the darkest hour
that rested on their fortunes.


With wisdom on the part Of those
who control our destiny in the Cabinet
and in the field, in Outstanding and
n,onerly welding our resources at