The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-02-19
SeWard's Answer 10
Frances Offer of Mediation.

WASHINGTON, Feb. l3-The following
able letter concludes the correspondence
between Secretary Seward and our French
Minister, regarding the proposition Of
France. Mr.. Seward, in letter to Mr..
Dayton, dated Feb. 9th, 1868, says:
! ''This government, if required, does not
hesitate to submit its achievements to the
test of comparison, and it maintains that
in no part Of the world and in no times,
ancient Or modern, had nation when
rendered all bnready for combat by the
enjoyment of eighty years of almost un-
broken peace, so quickly awakened at the
| alarm Of seditiOn, put forth energies so
vigorous, and achieved success SO signal
| and effective as those which have marked
| the progress of the contest on the part Of
| the Union. NJ. Drouyn De L'Huys, l
fear, has taken other light than the cor
respondence of this government for his
guidance in ascertaining its temper and
frmness. 4e has probably read of divis-
ions of sentiment among those who hold
themselves as organs of public opinion here
and has given to them an undue influence.
"What NJ. Drouyr De L'Huys suggests
| is, that this Government shall appoint
commissioners to meet on neutral ground
| commissioners of the insurgents. He
| supposes that in the conferences to be
held, reciprocal complaints could be dis
| cussed, and in place of accusations which
| the North and South now mutually cast
! upon each other, the conference would be
| engaged with the discussion of interests
which divide them. If it were possible
| for the Government of the United States
! to compromise the national authority SO
far as to enter into such debates, it is not
| easy to perceive what good results could
| be obtained by them. The commissioners
must agree iii recommending either that
| the Union shall stand or it shall volunta-
| rily be dissolved, or else they must leave
! vital questions unsettled TO abide at last
the fortunes Of war The Government
has not shut out the knowledge of the
/. present temper any more than OF the past
purposes of thesinsurgents. There is not
the least groun to suppose that the con-
| trolling actors would be persuaded at this
moment, by any arguments which the
| National commissioners could offer, to
forego the ambition that inlpelled them to
the disloyal position they now occupy
Any commissioners who should be appoin-
ted by those actors, or through their infu-
ence, must enter the conferences imbued
with spirit and pledged to the personal
fortunes of the insurgert chief, and the
, loyal people IN the insurrectionary States
would be unheard, and any offer of peace
By this Government on the condition of
the maintenance of the Union neces sarily
/, rejected.
'sOn the other hand, this Government
has not the least thought of relnguishing
the trust which has been confded to it by
the nation, under the most solemn of all
political sanctions, and if it had any such
thought, it would have still abundant
| reason to know that peace procuredat the
cost of dissolution would be immediately,
universally and Indignantly rejected by
| the American people.
'sIt is great mistake that European
statesmen make, if they suppose this pco-
pie Gemoralized. NJ. Drouys De l. Huys
draws to his aid the conferences which
took place between the Colonies, and
Great Britain In our revolutionary war.
He will allo~me to answer that action in
the crisis of a nation must accord with its
necessities, and therefore can be seldom
compared to precedents. Great Britain,
when entering on that negotiation, had
lnanifestly come to entertain doubts of her
success, and it is certain that the councils
of the Colonies could not fail to take new
courage, if not gain other advantages,
when the parent State compromised SO far
as TO treat Of peace on terms of conceding
their independence.
$ 'Iis true, indeed, that peace must
come at some day, and that conferences
must attend, if they are not allowed 70
precede the paci6cation. The Congress of
the United States furnishes the constitu-
tionai form for debates between alienated
parties. Senators and Representatives
from the loyal portion of the people are
there already, fully empowered to confer,
and seats, also, vacant and inviting Sena-
tors and Representatives fram the discon--
tented party, who mag be constitutionaliy
sent there from States involved In insur-
rection. Moreover, the conferences which
can thus be held in Congress, have this
great advantage over any that could be
organized upon the plan of De l. Hugs,
viz That the Congress, if it were thought
wise, could call National Convention to
adopt his recommendations, aDd give them
the solemnity aud binding force of organic
law Such conferences between alienated
parties may be said to have begun Ma
ryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee
and Missouri: States which were claimed
by the insurgents, are already represented
in Congress, and submitting with perfect
freedom and in proper spirit their advice
upon the best course to bring about ii firm,
lasting and honorable peace. Representa-
tiyes have also been sent from Louisiana,
and others underst BOD to be coming from