I House of Representatives.] 
 
 HOUSE OF REPRE-^ENTATIVES, December 16,1861— Order- 
 ed to be primed. 
 
 [By Mr- McMuLLiN.] 
 
 A HESOLUTTON 
 
 Upon the subject of peace. 
 
 1 Whereas, According to the Declaration of IiiJepeudence of 
 
 2 the United States and tlie Constitution of the Confederate 
 
 3 States, the peojile of each of said states, in their higliestsover- 
 
 4 eign capacity, have a right to alter, amend or abolish the gov- 
 
 5 crumcnt under which tMr-y jivr. ^ml oc(f,liluii ^nr'i otlier a^they 
 
 6 may deem most expedient; a}id, whereas, the jjeople of the sev- 
 
 7 eral Confederate States have thought proper to sever their po 
 
 8 litical connection with the people and government of the Unit- 
 
 9 ed States, for reasons which it is not needfal here to state ; a7id, 
 
 10 whereas, the people of the Confederate States have organized 
 
 11 and established a distinct government fo-r themselves; and, 
 
 12 ivherens, because the people of the Confederate States have 
 
 13 thus exercised theii undoubted right in this re?i>ect, the people 
 
 14 aid government of the United States have tlioosrh* proper to 
 
 15 lyaka wai- njKjn tliem ; and, whereas, there seems to be a differ- 
 
 16 ciice of opinion on the part of the rcsj>ective governments and 
 
 17 pef'plc as to which of the contending parties is respontiblo for 
 
 18 the (ommencement of the present war. Therefore, 
 
2 
 
 1 Resolved, Thaf, whilst it is not expedient, and would be in- 
 
 2 compatillc ^Mh. the dignity of the Confederate States, to send 
 
 3 commissioners to Washington city, for the purpose of securing 
 
 4 a cessation of hostilities, yet it would be, in the judgment of this 
 
 5 body, eminently proper that Ihe House of Representatives of 
 
 6 the Confederate States should despatch without delay, to some 
 
 7 convenient i)oint, a body of commissioners, thirteen in number, 
 
 8 composed of one representative from each of said states, to 
 
 9 meet and confer with such individuals as may be appointed by 
 
 10 the Government of the United States, in regard tOvall the out- 
 
 11 standing questions of difference between the two governments, 
 
 12 and to agree, if possible, upon the terlns of a lasting and hon- 
 lo orable peace, subject to the ratification of the respective govern- 
 
 14 ments and of the sovereign states respectively represented 
 
 15 therein. 
 
 rd,