Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-09-14
NE" AONh' DeCVHUcI o fOO@.
To Hon. Abraham Lincoln. President Of the
NEw YoRK. December 5. ls6s

NEW AOhhs DccSnoct o. iCo~.
To Hon. Abraham Lincoln, President of the
United States:
DEAR Sir: On the 25th of November last, /
was advised by authority which / deemed likely
to be well informed as well as reliable aud truth
full, that the Southern States would send repre-.
SENTATIVE s TO the next Congress. provided that a
full and general amnesty should permit them to
do so. No guarantees or terms were asked for,
other than the amnesty referred to. Deeming
this information of great value, is well founded,
i communicated il in substance to the Hon. Geo.
OUdyke. the Mayer of thus city, whom | knew to
hold confidential relations TO members of your
administration and proposed through him that,
il the Government would permit the correspond
ence under its own inspection. | would under
take TO procure something definite and positive
from persons connected with the so called Con
federate authorities. Mr. ODdyke stated in reply
that several Senators from the New England
States were then IN this city on their way TO
Washington, to whom he would at once commu-
nicate the proposition and advise me of the
answer. Knowing that these gentlemen were
your friends. and surprising that they would i'm
mediately confer with you on their arrival at the
capital, and supposing that | should be speedily
informed of the result. | have della, ed until now
making a communication direct to you. / now
learn. however, from Mr. Opdyke, this day. that
he failed To see the Senators when in New York.
and that he had not made the proposition. and
that, therefore. you are not in possession of it.
AS coming from myself, as an humble but loyal
citizen, deeply impressed with the great necessity
of restoring the Union of these States, ] ask your
immediate attention to the subject. The magni.
tude of the interests az stake warrant some ex-
ecutive action. predicated upon this information.
IL il be only TO ascertain if il be grounded upon
even probable foundation
If shall prove groundless no harm shall have
been done, provided the inquiry be made, as it
can be, without compromising the government or
injury to the cause i'm which it il now engaged.
Ii. however, it shall prove well founded there is
no estimate too high To place upon its national
value. Now, therefore, Mr. President, | suggest
that a gentleman, with former political and social
relations with the leaders of the Southern revolt
may be allowed to hold unofficial correspon-
dence with them on this subject, the corsespon
dence TO be submitted to you. IL may be
thus ascertained what. if any, credence may be
given to those statements, and also whether a
peaceful solution of the present struggle may not
be attainable. / am sure that nothii g ] can say
can add to your own well known desire to pro-
duce this result. Your exalted position. the en-
barrassments, and the responsibilities which sur
round you on all sides. the bleeding condition Of
country becoming exhausted not only in the i'm
poeeriShment of its best lie blood and industrial
production, bit the deterioration and consequent
destruction OF our political nstitutions.-ail call
upon you, as our chief ruler, to take one step
upon the road of peaceful effprt, by which to as
certain whether the time has not arrived when
other methods than brute fighting may not ac-
complish what military force has failed to do. In
the origin of this struggle you foresaw that such
"a lime would come. Your inaugural address, de
livered near two years ago, pointed out with pro
phetic vision the certain results OF the impending
conflict of arms. Your language then was:
'Suppose YOU go to war, YOU cannot fight al
wavs; aud when, after much loss on both sides
and no gain on either, you cease fighting, the
Identical questions as to terms OF intercourse are
again upon you You saw that. after a bloody
and terrible struggle, the still, small voice of
reason would intervene and settle the cOntrover-
sv. YOU knOw that since the establishment of
Christian civilization, negotiation and compro-
mise have sooner or later determined every mill
tary contest. IL cannot be otherwise here. Has
not the time arrived when. to quote your own
language, We should cease fighting at least long
enough to ascertain whether the identical ques
tons about which we began the fight may not be
amicably and honorably adjusted. aid the terms
of intercourse be once more peaceably established?
1t is to this end that l now address you, with
confidence in YOUR patriotism, and with no desire
to interfe with your legitimate constitutional pre-
negatives.
lam with high respect, yours, very truly.
FERNANDO WoOD.