Daily national Republican., 1863-09-09
THE PRESIDENT AND FERNANDO
WOOD.


aud fernando Wood on the subject Of peace,
which took place last December, has Just tran.
.pired. II wac private altogether, but Wood
has thought proper To make 1t public, in order
10 rcfuto the assertion Of the President that no
propositions OF peace have ever been made by
the rebels. Al that Fernando gains by the
publication Of the correspondence Is ~ fastcn
upon him the responsibility of having been so
thoroughly Identified with tho rebels that hu
'.lt authorized tn speak for them "scmi-
Officially"
On tho sth Of Dccembcr Mr.. Wood sddrcsscd
= letter to the President, in which he made the
following statements sud suggestions:
On the 18th Of November last was advised
iy an authority, which deemed likely to he
""ll.niormed AS well rs trustw orthy and truth.
tul. that the Southern States would send Repre-
.'ulatiNes TO the next Congress, provided that
:, iul and general amnesty should permit them
{" d" 50. No guarantees or terms were asked
Tor other than the amnesty referred to.
" As an humble but loyal citizen,
Itvply imuresscd with the great pecessity of
itstOring the [ uion OF these States, ask your
immediate attention to this subject The msg.
nitudU of the Interests at stake warrant sOulc
executive action proiiuattd upon this informs.
tion II II be only TO ascertain II IL be grounded
upon even probable foundation. II II shall
rrovo groundcss no harm shall have been done,
provided the inquiry be made, as it can be,
without compromising the Government Or in.
jury to the cause in which II ID now engaged.
If, however, 1t shall prove well founded, there
is no estimate too high to place upon its ma.
tioual value.
"Now, therefore, Mr.. President, / sugges,
that gentlemen whose former political and
social relations with the leaders of the southern
m hr spd tn hplb ,.tu Al
spondence with them on this subject-the cor
rcspondeseS ~ be submitted " YOU. il ma,
he thus asccrtaincd what credence, II any MAY
be given TO these statements, aud also whethe
apcacciui solution Of tue present struggle una
not be sttainable. am surc nothing that ca
say can add to your wcll-kuown desire " pre-
ducc this result"
To this letter the President replied as 10
lows
"Exr,urrE MANSION.
WARRINGTON, Dec. II, 1859. !
Hon. FERNANDO WooD-My Dear Sir: Yol
letter OF the oth, with the accompanying moi
OF same date, was received yesterday.
Tho most important paragraph In the IL
ter, as ! considUr, is In those words 'On th
!5th Of November last I sdvised by =
suthorly which deemed likely TO be wcll-in
formed, as well 2s reliable aud truthful, tha
the Southern States would send representative
10 the next Congress, provided that full an,
general amnesty should permit them to do SO
No guarantee or terms were asked for othe
than the amnesty referred to-
:" strongly suspect your information will
prove TO be groundless; nevertheless, thanl
you for communicating II to me. Understand
ing the phrase In the paragraph above quoted
the southern States would send representative
10 the next Congress Ito be substantially I'll
same as that the people of the souther
States would cease resistance, and would reil
augurate, submit to, and maintain the naton
authority within the limits of such states, und
the Constitution Of the United States.' / 50
that In such case the war would cease oE Il
part of the United States and that II within
reasonable time u full and general amnesty
were necessary to such end, It would net 1
withheld.
81 do not think II would be proper now
communicate this, formally or Informally, /
the people Of the Southern states. My belle
is that they already know II and when the
chose, II ever, they can communicate with III
uuequivocally. Nor do think ii proper no,
TO suspend military operations to try any eX
pertinent Of negotiation.
~ should, nevertheless, receive with grea
pleasure the exact information you now have
and also such other as you may IN any wa
obtain. Such information might be nor
valuable before the LIST of January than after
ward.
while there is nothing In this letter whc
shall dread to see In history, it is, perhaps
hc'ter ioI the present that it's existence shoul,
uot pcCdmc puDlC. therefore have TO Telucs
that you will regard II as confidential.
Your obedient servant,
a. LIs.oLs."
Wood rejoued under date of December !
with an expression OF his profound regret" tha
the President had declined his proposal. IL
added
Your Emancipation proclamation told O
punishment. Let another be issued, spcakln,
the language Of mercy aud breathing the spirI
of conCiliation.
"The painful eyeute which have o.curre
since my communication of the sth instant bu
cmboldcns me TO renew its suggestions.
hope you Will now no longer refuse to s,,,
pend military operations 10 Try an experiment
u negotiation fceI that military operations
81" bloody aud exhaustipg as ours, must soon.
later be suspended. Tho dsy of suspcusio
must come. The only question is. whether
hal hc before the whole American pcopl,
'uIih aud South, shall be involved in genera
AN, of whether IL shall be while there is T,
ndining sutiicicnt Of the recupsrative elemeu
1T. by which tu restore our once happy
'lr rcfous aud peaceful American Union.
IL compliance with your request that you
'fI shal' not for the present becomC public,
va Withhold Its publication at this time.
WIN nigh regard, yours, &C.,
"FERsAkDo WOOD"
naoue 'siahuers a'e boasting that their STATE