, 1863-07-21

The Mission Of Ale1. q. Stephens to WASH
lngt0n.

The Mission Of Ale1. q. Stephens to Wash.
ington.
THE OBJECT Of IT OFFICIALLY EX-
planned.
From the Richmond papers of the 18th and
14tb, Just received, ne compile the following
interesting extsacts:
RICHMOND, July ID, 1868.
Hon. A. Fl. Stevens, Richmond, W.:
| SIR Having accepted your patriotic offer
| to proceed as Military Commissioner, under
a flag Of truce to Washington, you viii re-
ceire herewith your letter Of authority to the
CommandeI;in.Chief Of the army and navy Of
| the United States.
| This letter Is signed by me as Commander
in-Chief Of the Confederate land and naval
| forces.
| You will perceive from the terms Of tho
letter, that it is so worded as to avoid any po-
ltical difficulties in its reception. Intended
! exclusively as one Of those communications
| between be!ligercnts which public law recog-
izcs as necessary and proper between hostile
; ices. Care bus been taken to give no pre-.
i teSt Tor refusing to receive 1t On the ground
that It would involve tacit recognition Of
the Independence Of the Contcdcracy.
iour mission Is simply one Of humanity.
| a1d has no political aspect.
II objection Is made to receiving your letter
on the ground that 1T is not addressed to
Abraham Lincoln, Us President, instead Of
Commander Chief, &c, then you will pre-
sent the duplicate letter, which is addressed
| President. To this letter, objection may be
nude on the ground that am not recognized
| to be President Of the Confederucy. II this
| event, you will decline any further attempt to
confer on the subject Of your mission, as such
conference is admissible only on the footing
| Of perfect equality.
My recent interviews with you have put
y"u so fully in possession of my slews that 1t
is scarcely necessary to give you any detailed
Instructions, even were ], ut this moment,
well enough to attempt it.
My whole process Is, In one word, to place
this var on the footing Of such as ure wuged
l,1 cisilized people In modern times, and to
oiyest It Of the savage character which has
been impressed on 1t By our cnemies, In spf'e
Of a1l our efforts and protests. War Is fall
CROUCH Of unavoidable hor4 ors, under al1 its
aspects, to justify, aud even to demand, Of
any Christian ruler who may unhappfly be
engaged In carrying 1t on, to aeek to restrict
its calamities, and TO diyest 1t Of all unncces-
sa'y seyerities. You will endeavor to estab-
! lish the cartel for tho exchange Of prisoners
IN such basis as to ayold the constant dtffl-
culfles anu complaints which nrise, and to
LreFeht, loT Inc lntere, what We deem the IN.
| lalr conuhct OF our enemies IL evaufng tne
| drlisery Of the prisoners who full Into their
bands in retarding 1t by sending them on
| cfrcuitous routes, and ty detaining them,
sometimes for months, In camps and prisons,
ita1,3a ann n pefslsung IN taxing captive non com"
! 1oa! a.teas!9n n 10 aiso sallea 10 me unneara
| lheir HOMES entire communities o. women
. sha e!l'!useii, as wen a. o. men Wnom tney
nuu ~ o1s.atc.s @ ocGulago oy tAeit troops. iof
| Lo otueF ttas9n auAn o;cause tnese uhIoftu'
Saaes ate ia!th!ul 70 " a1egaanee que 10 taslf
ataee, nnu 1e!use W tahe ai oa'a o1 uaeuty
70 fne'r ..En enfm1es. a.., -,o,
| ne putting 70 aeat1 oi unarmea prisoners
no. ueeh GROUND OF Jast complaint IN more
1han one instance ana Lne recent execution o1
oulesfs Q! our asmy IN hensuekS, lof the soie
cause 1nat tee3 Wefs engaged IN recruiting
EN-, esis5 ~ SI.o "niS!t ~ eltue9 ~ sti4 ouo
OF tne on!tea States, pnt = a!so Claimed oy ua
o uo ~ ~ rne r.t,9iatou y 10y o., na; pe IT,.
PRESSED " lEtallatlon IL neI GncondltlonatlG
noanaVneo, because II Wouid Justify NE llke
eNecut1on II esely other 9'ate ol Inc Coniea-
eIhe}' ana me practice IS barbalous, u5elessly
e1nes. nno san PLY teao ~ tnn siaugnte1 o.
prisoners oh pota elaes. Tesu!e 100 n9l1ole
~ sToia Ssn It p''3So "1'n'uA "aA1os ''Ds 'nof' "
1
oIt Itlnese ana al kinused subjects Jnu will
c"ns'aef your authorlt5 auA and ample 70
p'Re sach arrangements ~ Will temper the
senl e,uel Character OF Inc contest, ant
ti4ll confidence is placed in your Judgment,
ont the'objects Of Jour mission, you will take
care fhat the equal rights VI the Contederasy
te always preserved
very respectfully,
tstenedj JEFFERSON DAVIS.
RICHMOND, July 8, 15G3.-Ms Efec{Ytutt
| J.Ut1&ou Daris: SlR:-Under your AUTHORITY
.nd instructions Of your letter to Mo on tha
I'D list, proceeded on the mission therein
assigned without delay. The steamer Torpe.
CO, commander by Lieutenant Hunter David
ecn, Of the navy. was put in readiness as soon
H. possible, By order Of the Secretary Of the
| navy, and rendered for the SERVICE At noon,
On The Cd, she started down james River,
toiefing and bearing flag Of truce after pass.
| iEg City Point. The next day, (tle 4tn.l at
atUut one o'clock, D. H., when within d few
miles Of Newport News. we were mot by a
small bout Of the enemy, carrying two guns,
which also raiscl white fluz bcfY5a auproach.
I i,gus.
| Tile officer In command informed Ti.ut.
| Davidson that he had orders from Admtral
| Lie, on board the o. s. flug ship Atinuesoia. a.
| lying below, and then Ia view, not to allow
MY boat or vessel to pass the point near
u ;,icl lc was stationed, without lis permis.
tiru. By this officer I sent to Admiral Leo a
| nctc, stating my objects aud Eishcs. a cony
| If which ia I,ereunto annexed. marked A I
also sent to the Admiral, to be- forwarded.
III other in the kan,e language. addressed to
thu officer In command Of tlp u s, iorces at
| Fe1tress Monroe. The gunboat proccedea
Immediately to the Minnesota with these dis
| patches, while the Torpedo remaIned at nn-
| cAor. Between three and four o'clock D. NJ.
alo'hcr boat came up to us, bearing tho Ad.
nirsfs answer, which Ii hefernto annexed,
marked ..
We remained at or about this poiut on the
river, until the 6th inst, when, having heard
notlihg further Iom the Admiral, a. u o.
clock NJ. on that day, directed Lieut.. David
ooH agn1n to speak the gunboat on gunrd, aud
| u hand TO fhe o1hcer IN command another
ne'e 10 tne ADMIRAL inns WIS done. A copy
o. ~ no.e IL APPENDED. loafkea =. a. halt,
past Two O'Clock p H., two boats approached
us from beloW, one bearing the answer from
&c Admiral. to 10Y pote to hun Of the 4th.
lhe nnsWeF Is annexed, marked u.
!He othtr ooas pore the answer OF Lieut..
Cel. w u. Ludlow to my note OF the 4th. ad-
10 Inc oesf T. az
r. Lieut.: Col. LhaloW also camo up IN peg
sfn, on the boat that brought bis answer to
me, and conferred with Col. onld, on board
Ire 1ofpedo, upon Some matters ne desired
70 zee MIN about, IN connection with the eI-
prrded, embracing the correspondence refer
rcu TO, it VIII be seen that the mission failed,
from the refusal Of the enemy to receive or
entertain 1t, holding the proposition for such
conference 'lnadmissible."
iLe 1n1uence and views that led to this de-
Examination after 60 long consideration Of
the subject, must be left to conjecture. The
Etason assigned for the ref usal by tho United
States Secretary Of War, to wit: that "the
customary agents and chaanels'' are consid-
ercd adequate for all needfm military com
munications and conftrcnces;" to one ac-
quninted with the facts, seems not only
unsatisfactory, but very singular and unac-
ccuntable; forit Is certainly known to him that
these very agents, to whom he evidently
alludes, heretofore agreed upon in u former
&C Inference tn reference to the exchange Of