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

(TILE LAST EDITION OF " THE SUN,"
eutitaluing the Late3t SVOLLTINU INT r.:Lt.ltik...Nt
oaw be had Leery k.veniug 01
G. LL GLL.NLE, NENvs AGENT,
Igo. 4. Connaught-terrace, Ily de-park.

THE LAST EDITION of " THE SUN "
supplied as boon as Published containing all the
LA LEST £ EWS anl SPORTING INTELLIGENCE, by
W. HARRIS, NeA spaper Agent, 4, Blacklriars-road,
London, S.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

THIS DAL—Morning, Bh. 10m.—Afternoon, Bh. 46in
To-Moußow.-Morning, 9h. 26m.—Afternoon, 10h. 12m.

'
f. 2.1 4°'`ZAlt
WiTg f1"44-
°of- 0,

LONDON, MONDAY, FEB. 20, 1865.

----

By the arrival of the Cuba we have a synopsis of
the proceedings at the Peace Conferences at Fort
Monroe. It differs very little from the account
given in the earlier news, but all details of such an

important matter must necessarily be interesting
It seems that the Confederate Commissioners at
first pressed for permission to visit Washington,
alleging that their own Government had only
agreed to their mission in consequence of the as-
surance received from Mr. BLAIR that they should
have a personal interview with LINCOLN himself.
This difficulty was got over as we know by the
PRESIDENT'S arrival at Fort Monroe, having evi-
dently been summoned thither by Mr. SEWARD, in
consequence of these representations on the part of
the Confederate Commissioners. But when the
PRESIDENT appeared on the scene matters did not
advance much further. The interview was friendly
and courteous throughout, President LINCOLN de-
claring his wish to treat every point of difference
but one with the utmost liberality, and the Con-
federate representatives insisting in their turn upon
but one condition. Unhappily the subject of both
these exceptions was the same. The Commissioners
declared at the outset of the Conference that they
had no authority to make, receive, or consider any
proposition which did not rest upon the basis of
Confederate independence. Not for a moment
would they swerve from this rule, the simple ulti-
matum of DAVIS'S Cabinet, and, indeed, of the whole
Southern people. President LINCOLN in his turn
made many specious promises and friendly
offers, but unhesitatingly assured them that such
recognition was impossible. " All the conversation,"
says the New York Times in a semi-official account,
" came back and turned upon this irreconcileable
difficulty," and the Conference broke up with the
distinct understanding that it was to be as though it
had never taken place. The New York 7inies
thinks that the inability of the North to acknow-
ledge independence, and the inability of the
South to abandon it, renders all attempts at nego-
tiation fruitless; but where the inability of the
North lies, except in the
perversity and grasping
ambition of its people,
i 3 difficult to see. The
Southern States may •
eed
be unwilling to sur-
render all for which they have
so long suffered and
t
striven, and submit again the supremacy which
they have so long resisted ; but for
waste life and treasure on the attempt to recon-
struct a hopelessly shattered constitution, is
wilful
blindness or headstrong perversity. It would be
almost ludicrous, were it not so grievously tragical,
to find the Tribune declaring that full ranks and a
full treasury would kill the rebellion in 60 days,
but the action of the Congress with regard to the
p2ace movement is significant, and shows how

strong a party is still favourable to hostilities. On
thefailure of the negotiations both partiesseemingly
resolved on making active demonstrations, and the
North apparently determined on a grand concen-
trated effort to harass and entangle the Southern
forces. SHERMAN is pushing forward in two
columns--one towards Charleston and On other