The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-07-29

Richmond papers publish the following coz
respondence between JEFF. Davis and Alexan.
der III. Stephens, concerning the late attempt
ed mission to " ashington: z5.5
RICHMOND I'd, JUL, 1868.
Hon. a. II. Stephens, Richmond, Va:
SIR:-Having accepted your patriotic offer
to proceed as q Military Commissioner, under
flag of truce to Washington, you will re-
ceiFe herewith your letter of authority to the
Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy of
the United States. 81
The letter is signed by ne as Commander
in CHEF of the Confederate land and naval
forces. rs
You will perceive, from the terms of tn s
letter, that it is so worded as to avoid any po-
iitical difficulties in its reception Intended
exclusively as one of those communications
between belligerents which public law recog
nizes as necessary and proper between hostile
forces, care has been taken to give no 4pretext
for refusing ii on the ground that it would in
wolves tacit recosnition-of the independence
of the Confederacy.4 a aia
Your mission is simply one. of humanity
and has no political aspecs.
II objection is made to receiving your let
ter, on the ground ehat it is not addressed to
Abraham Lincoln, as President, instead of
CommaD Dder in Chief, etc, the n you will pre-
sent the duplicate letter, which is addressed
to him President, and signed by as
President To this latter, objection may be
made on the ground that I am not recognized
to lie President of the Confederacy. In 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 you
so fully in possession of my views that it is
scarcely necessary to give you any detailed iu-
struc,ions, even we're I, at this moment, well
enough to attempt it.. 80
My whole process is, in one word, to place
this war on the footing of such as are waged
by civilized people in modern times, ard to
divest it of the savage character which has
been. impressed on it by our elemies, in spite
of all our efforts and protests. War is full
enough of unavoidable horrors, under all its
aspects, to justify, and even to demand, of
any Christian ruler who may be unhappily en-
gaged in carrying it on, TO seek to restrict its
calamities, and to divest it of all unnecessary
seventies. You will endeapor to establish the
cartel for the. exchange of prisoners on such
basis as to avoid the constant difficulties and
complaints which arise, and to prevent, for the
future, what we deem the un fair conduct of
our enemies in evading the delivery of the
prisoners Who fall into their hands; in retaro-
ing it by sending them on circuitous routes,
and by OBTAINING them, sometimes for months
in camps and prisons, and in persisting in tax
ing captive mons -combatants. x.
Your atts ntion is also called to the unheard
of conduct of FEDERAL officers in driving from
their homes entire com NJ unities of women and
children, as well as of men, whom they find
in districts occupied by their troops, for no
other reason than because these unfortuna' es
are faithful to the allegiance due to their
States, and refuse to take an oath of fidelity
to their enemies. ~ +..4. 81.
The putting TO death of unarmed prisoners
has been a ground of just complaint in more
than one instance, and the recent execution of
officers of our army in Kentucky, for the sole
cause that they were engaged in recruiting
service in State which is claimed as still one
of the. United States. but is also claimed by
us as one of the Confederate States, must be
depressed by retaliation, if not unconditioually
al andcDed /; because it would justify the like
execution in every other State of the Confed-
eracy, and the practice is barbarous, uselessly
cruel, and can only lead to the slaug ter of
prisoners on both sides, a result too horrible
to Contemplate without making every effort to
avoid it. 3i5 Il
On these and all kindred subjects YOU will
consider your authority full and ample to make
such arfangements'as will temper the present
cruel character of the contest, and full conf
dence is placed in your Judgment, patriotism
and discretion that, while carrying out the oh.
jscts of your mission, you will take care that
the equal rights of the Confederacy be always
preserved. S atll
s9ati ir5sasa ss Very respectfully, s2i
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
ifs1t Zfic etcT1 ~ 1si-------s - Yf3 $50 ~
MR.. srErHENs REroRTs THE rAIL6aE OF HIS
MISSION Sti8st5
4Hf 90 -
-. .s';..5... RIcHMoNp, July 8, 1858.
HIS ErceAeney Jefferson DGuis sii'I %