The Richmond Dispatch might have (feared) and loathed Abraham Lincoln and his Black Republican party, but it didn’t like Northern Democrats much either. 150 years ago this week the newspaper reported on a speech in the U.S. Congress by New York Democrat Fernando Wood, who advocated an immediate peace: eventually peace had to come; why not now before both sections were entirely exhausted and impoverished.
Representative Wood apparently said the war was started without cause.
From the Richmond Daily Dispatch February 5, 1864:
A Declaration for peace.
In the Yankee House of Representatives, on the 25th ult., Hon. Fernando Wood delivered a speech in opposition to a resolution explanatory of the confiscation act. His concluding remarks are reported as follows:
Napoleon-esque Copperhead
The Administration and the party in power were opposed to the restoration of the Union, and desired a continuance of the war by which to accomplish designs of partisan advantage. The ruling elements were fanaticism and corruption.–Thus the war is sustained. Under the plea of patriotism the most damnable deeds were being perpetrated. This war must cease. It was commenced without cause and has been prosecuted without glory, and will end in national impoverishment, disintegration, and ruin. Those who favored the war favored disunion. Peace is the only hope of restoration. It was idle to talk of the policies of the war. It made no difference what were the policies. The result would be the subversion of republican institutions and utter destruction. He was opposed to the conduct of the South, but was equality opposed to the conduct of the North, under the Republican policy. Both were for dissolution. Let us, therefore, attempt a peaceable solution of the difficulty. Peace must come sooner or later. Why not procure it before both sections were exhausted and all their material interests destroyed? Mr. Wood appealed earnestly to the boasted spirit of Christian civilization of progress and of common humanity to throw itself the arena and save the American people.
Peace! peace! God of our fathers, grant us peace!
Peace in our hearts — at thine altars, peace.
Peace in the red waters and their blighted shores;
Peace for the leaguered cities, and the hosts.
That watch and bleed around them and within;
Peace for the homeless and the fatherless;
Peace for the captive on his weary way.
And the rude crowd who jeer his helplessness;
For them that suffer, them that do thus wrong–
Sinning and sinned against — O. God, for all,
For a distracted, torn, and bleeding land,
Speed the glad tidings — give us, give us peace.
