Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1863-07-22

lQg. ueaTQ uUtntuS 1uiGu0A AtVuA 'ao -@uoah,
raj OF IL o'clock NJ, on that day, ] directed
Lieut.. Davidson again to speak the gun
boat on guard, and to hand to the officer in.
command another note to the Admiral
This was done, A copy Of this note is ap.
pended, marked G. At half past two o.
clock, P. NJ, two boats approached US from
below, one bearing an answer from the Ad-
miral to my note to him Of the 4th. This
answer is annexed, marked D. The other
boat bore the answer Of Lieut.. Col. VIM.
H. Ludlow, to my note of the 4th address
sed to the officer in command at Fort Mon
roe A copy.of this is annexed marked 3.
Lieut. Col. Ludlow also came up in person
in the boat that brou ght his answer to me,
and conferred with Col, Ould, on board the
Torpedo, upon some matters he desired to
see him about in connection with the ex-
change Of prisoners. From the papers ap-
pended, embracing the correspondence re-:
ferred to, it will be seen that the mission
failed from the refusal Of the enemy to re-
ceive or entertain it, holding the PROPOSE
ton for such conference, ainadmissible. !"
The influences and views that led to this
determination after 50, long a consideration
Of the subject, must be left to conjecture.
The reason assigned for the refusal by the
United States Secretary Of War, to- wit:
that ssthe customary agents and channels
are considered adequate for all needful mil
itary COMMUNICATIONS and conferences" to
one acquainted with the facts, seems not
only unsatisfactory, but very singular aud
pnaccountable, for it is certainly known to
him thst these very agents, towhom he ev-
identity alIudes, heretofore agreed upon in a
former conference in reference to the ex-
change Of prisoners, Gone of the subjects
embraced in your letter to me- are now, and
have been for some time, distinctly at issue
on several important points. The existing
cartel, owing to these disagreements, is vir.
tually suspended, SO faras the exchange Of
officers on either side is concerned. No.
tices of retaliation have been given on both
sides. -. 81
The effort, therefore, for the very many
and cogent reasons set forth in your letter
|sof instructions to me, to see if sheae differ.
ences could not be removed, and if clear.
er understanding between the parties as to
the general conduct of the war could not be
arrived at before this extreme measure
should be resorted to by either party, was
no less ia accordance with the dictates of
humanity than in strict conformity with the
usages of belligerents in modern times
Deeply impressed as was with these views
and feelings, in undertaking the mission,
and asking the conference, ] can but ex.
press my profound regret at the result of
the effort made to obtain it; aud I can but
entertain the belief, that if the conference
sought had been granted, mutual good could
have been effected by it; and if this war,
so unnatural, SO unjust, so uuchristiau, and
SO inconsistent with every fundamental prin-
oiple of American constitutional liberty,
"must needs" continue to be waged against
US, that at least of its seyerer horrors,
which now so eminently threaten, might
have been avoided.
Very respectfully,
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS.