The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-16 00:00:00

CIRCULAR.

Department of State, Richmond, Aug. 25, 1804.
Sir,—Numerous publications which have recently ap-
peared in the j Jurnals of the United States on the subject
of informal overtures for peace between the two Federations
of States now at war on this continent, render it desirable
that you should be fully advised of the views and policy of
this Government on a matter of such paramount import-
ance. It is likewise proper that you should be accurately
informed of what has occurred on the several occasions
mentioned in the published statements.
You have heretofore been furnished with copies of the
manifesto issued by the Congress of the Confederate States,
with the approval of the President, on the 14th June last,
and have doubtless acted in conformity with the resolution
which requested that copies of this manifesto should be laid
before foreign Governments. " The principal sentiments
and purposes by which these States have been and are still
actuated" are set forth in that paper with all the authority
due to the solemn declaration of the Legislative Executive
Department of this Government, aril with a clearness
which leaves no room for comment or explanation. In a few
sentences it is pointed out that all we ask is immunity from
interference with our internal peace and prosperity, " and
to be left in the undisturbed enjoyment of those inalienable
rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which
our common ancestors declared to be the equal heritage of
all parties to the social compact. Let them forbear aggres-
sions upon us, and the war is at an end. If there be quest.
lions which require adjustment by negotiation, we have
ever been willing, and are still willing, to enter into commu-
nication with our adversaries, in a spirit of peace, of equity,
and manly frankness." The manifesto closed with the
declaration that " we commit our cause to the enlightened
judgment of the xsorld, to the sober reflections of our ad-
versaries themselves, and to the solemn and righteous
arbitrament of health."

Within a very few weeks after the publication of this
manifesto, it seemed to have met with a response from Pre-
sident Lincoln. In the early part of last month a letter was
received by Gen. Lee from Lieut.-Gen. Grant, is the fol-
lowing words :

" Headquarters Armies of the United States,
City Point, Vs., July 8, 1864.
3 General R. E. Lee, Commanding Confederate Forces
near Petersburg, Virginia.

"General,-1 would request that Col. James F. Jacquesp,
73d Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and J. R. Gilmore, Esq.,
be allowed to meet Col. Robert Ould, Commissioner for the
Exchange of Prisoners, at such place between the lines of
the two armies hs you may designate. The object t f the
meeting is legitimate with the duties of Col. Ould, as Com-
missioner.

" If not consistent for you to grant the request here
asked, I would beg that this be referred to President Davis
for his action.

"Requestirg as early an answer to this communication
as you may find it convenient to make, I subscribe noyeLlt
very respectfully, your obedient servant,

"U. S. GRANT, Lieut.-Gen. U.S.A."

On the reference of this letter to the President he autho
rised Col. Ould to meet the persons named in Gen. Grant's
letter, and Col. Ould, after seeing them, returned to Rich
mond and reported to the President, in the presence of th,
Secretary of War and myself, that Messrs Jacquet-s and
Gilmore had not said anything to him abut Lis duties a,:
Commissioner for exchange of prisoners, but that they asked
permission to come to Richmond for the purpose of seeing
the President; that they came with the knowledge and
approval of President Lincoln, and under his pass ; that
they were informal messengers, sent with a view of paving
the way for a meeting of formal Commissioners authorised
to negotiate for peace, and desired to communicate to Presi.
dent Davis the views of Mr Lincoln, and to obtain the Pre-
sident's views in return, so as to arrange for a meeting of
Commissioners. Colonel Ould stated that he had told them
repeatedly that it was useless to come to Richmond to talk
of peace on any other terms than the recognised independ-
ence of the Confederacy, to which they said they were
aware of that, and that they were, nevertheless, confident
that their interview would result in peace. The President,
on this report of Colonel Ould, determined to permit them
to come to Richmond under his charge.

On the evening of the 16th July Col, Auld conducted
these gentlemen to an h)tol in Richmond, where a room
was provided for them, in which they were to remain
under surveillance during their stay here, and the next
morning I received the following letter :
~

" Spotswo-d Hotel, Richmond, Va., July 17, IS6I.
" Hon. J. P. Benjamin, Secretary of State, Confederate
States of America.
" Dear Sir,----The undersigned James F. Jacquess, of
Illinois, and James R. Gilmore, of Massachusetts, most re-
spectfully solicit an interview with President Davis. Th: y
visit Richmond as private citizens, and have no official cha-
racter or authority ; but they are fully possessed of the
views of the United States Government relative to an ad-
justment of the differences now existing between the North
and South, and have littlo doubt that a free interchange of
views bet seen President Davis and themselves would open
the way to such official negotiations as would ultimate in
restoring PEACE to the two sections of our distracted
country.
" They therefore ask an interview with the President
and, awaiting your reply, are most truly and respectfully
your obedient servants,

" JA.s. E, JACQUESS.
" JAS. R. GILMORE."
The word " official" is underscored, and the word " peace"
doubly underscored in the original.
After perusing the letter, I invited Colonel Ould to con-
duct the writers to my office, and on their arrival stated to
them that they must be conscious they could not be admitted
to an interview with the President without informing me
more fully of the object of their mission, and satisfy me
that they came by request of Mr Lincoln. Mr Gilmore re-
plied that they came unofficially, but with the knowledge
and at the desire of Mr Lincoln ; that they thought the war
had gone far enough ; that it could never end except by
some sort of agreement; that the agreement might as well
be made now as after still further bloodshed; that they knew
by the recent address of the Confederate Congress that we
were willing to make peace; that they admitted that pro-
posals ought to come from the North, and that they were
prepared to make these proposals by Mr Lincoln's authority ;
that it was necessary to have a sort of informal understand
ing in advance of regular negotiations, for if Commissioners
were appointed without some such understanding they would
meet, quarrel, and separate, leaving the parties more bitter
against each other than before; that they knew Mr Lincoln's
views and would state them, if pressed by the President to
do so, and desired to learn his in return.
I again insisted on some evidence that they came from Mr
Lincoln, and in order to satisfy me, Mr Gilmore referred to
the fact that permission for their coming through our lines
had been asked officially by General Grant in a letter to
General Lee, and that General Grant in a letter had asked
that his request should be referred to President Davis. Mr
Gilmore then showed me a card, written and signed by Mr
Lincoln, requesting. General Grant to aid Mr Gilmore and
friend in passing through his lines into the Confederacy
Colonel Jacquess then said that hie name was not put en the
card for the reason that it was earnestly desired that their
visit should be kept secret; that he bad come into the Gem-
federacy a year ago, and had visited Petersburg on a similar
errand, and that it was feared if his name should become
known that 601110 of those who had formerly met him in
Petersburg would conjecture the purpose for which he now
came. He said that the terms of peace which they would ctr, r
to the President would be honourable to the Confederacy ;
that they did not desire that the Confederacy should accept
any other terms, but would be glad to have Ivy promise, ss
they gave theirs, that their visit should be kept a profound
secret if it failed to result in peace—that it would not be just
that either party should seek any advantage by divulging
the fact of their overture for peace, if unsuccessful I as-
sented to this request, and then, rising, said, "Do I under
stand you to state distinctly that you come as messengers
from Mr Lincoln for the purpose of agreeing with the Pre-
sident ab to the prover mode of inaugurating a formal IA go-