The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-20 00:00:00

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.

-o-----

(From the Times' Correspondent.)

NEW Your, Feb. 3.
The city, if not the whole of Federal America,
was taken by surprise yesterday morning by learn-
ing that no less a person than Mr. Seward had left
Washington for Fortress Monroe to receive and con-
fer with Vice-President Stephens of the Southern
Confederacy and two other prominent Southern
gentlemen despatched from Richmond on an infor-
mal mission to the Federal Government. Last
night the surprise was augmented by the announce-
ment that Mr. Seward had no sooner reached his
destination than he had telegraphed to Mr. Lincoln
to follow him without delay, and that Mr. Lincoln
had packed his small effects in a carpet bag, and,
attended by one servant, had departed by special
express too Annapolis within less than hour after
the receipt of the message. Most people were in-
credulous, but the assertion came from so many
and such independent sources in Washington that
none who saw the telegrams could remain in doubt
that the facts were substantially as stated, and that,
-waiving all considerations of his official or personal
dignity, Mr. Lincoln, in the sacred interest and the
firm hope of peace, had determined, remote from
the intrigues, the cabals, and the passions of the
capital, to heai with his own ears what proposals
the Confederate emissaries had to convey, and to
learn whether submission to the ancient constitu-
tion without further struggle or bloodshed were or
were not in the heart of the Southern people. Of
course, :under such extraordinary circumstances,
the whole talk of the public in every circle, so-
ciety, and place of resort, as well as in the news-
papers, is of Peace. To cite all the rumours
there are afloat would serve no good purpose, for
they are not only contradictory and absurd, but
evanescent, and live one moment but to fade away
the next. Yet amid the multitude of assertions that
are made and of hopes and opinions that are formed
with reference to the startling turn which affairs
have taken three separate theories challenge notice,
as well from the standing and character of those
who form them as for the inherent probability that
they may be true.

The first is that Mr. Lincoln having twice per-
mitted and encouraged Mr. Blair, senior, to proceed
to Richmond, Mr. Jefferson Davis, not to be out-
done in courtesy, or to be justly accused of turning
a deaf ear to all attempts at negotiation, has infor-
mally deputed three gentlemen highly respected at
the South to confer with the Washington Adminis-
tration ; that the ultimatumis the recognition, pure
and simple, of Southern independence, and that,
consequently, nothing can come of it but a demon-
stration, both to North and South, that the war
must continue ; to the North, because it will hear
of nothing but re-union, and to the South because
it will hear of nothing but separation. The second
theory which finds a great body of believers is that
the South is exhausted ; that, despairing of recogni-
tion or help from Europe, the Sourthern people are
bent upon peace ; that the Southern leaders, de-
sirous to secure their personal safety and to make
terms, are willing to lend all their aid to bring about
a re-union ; that Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward are
as anxious for peace as the South, and that there
are no terms to the people of the South and no
favour, whether a general amnesty, the repeal of the
Confiscation Act, compensation to all slave owners
for the abolition of slavery, the assumption of the
Southern debt, and the promotion of Mr. Davis and '
General Lee to high office under the Federal Go-
vernment, that would not be cheerfully granted
upon the sole condition of a return of the Southern
Staten to their allegiance individually or collec-