Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1863-02-19

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| questing the president, If compatible with th
public interests, to lay before the Senate an
correspondence which has taken place bclwcei
this government and the government of France
on the subject of mediation or other measures
looking to the examination of the existing civi
war, has The honor to Law before the presidcu
copy of the correspondence called for by th
said resolution.
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM II. SEWARD.
NJ DRoUYN D'GHUYs TO NJ MERCER.
DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN ArFArRs. J
Political Division, Paris. 9th Jan. 1868. {
Sir In forming the purpose of assisting
by the proller of our good offices, to shorter
the period of those hosilities which are dcsola
ting the American continent we have not to bt
guided beyond all, hy the friendship which ac.
tuates the government of the emperor in re-
gard to the Uuiled States. The little success,
of our overtures might chill the interest with
which We follow the fluctuations of the contest
but the sentiment to which we have Welded is
too sincere for Indifference to find place in
our thought that we should cease to be pain
fully effected, whilst the war continues to rage
We cannot regard without profound regret, this
war, worse than civil, comparable to the most
terrible distractions of the ancient republics,
and whose disasters multiply in proportion to
the resources and the valor which each of the
bel!igeren parties develops. The government
of his majesty have. therefore, seriously ex-
amined the objections which have been made to
us where we have suggested the idea of a
friendly mediation, and we Nave asked ourselves
whether they are truly of a nature to set aside
as premature, every tentative to a reconciliation.
On one part has been opposed TO us the repug-
,f mi, II,
tcrvenion OF foreign influence in this dispute !;
on the other, the hope which the federal gov
ernmenl has rot abandoned of attaining its So
luton by force of arms. Assurcdly, sir, re-
course to the good offices of one or several
neutral powers, contains nothing Incompatible
with the pride so Legitimate in a great nation,
and means purely international are not those
alone which furnish examples of the useful
character of mediation.
We flattcr ourselves, besides. that in proffer.
ing to place ourselves at the disposal of the
belgcrent parties, To facilitate between their ne
golia,ions the basis of which we abstain from
preIudging, we have manifested to the patriot
ism OF the United States all the considerations
to which it is entitled Now perhaps still more
than ever, after such new proof of moral force
and energy, we are one the less ready, in the
wishes which we form in !avor of peace, to take
feeling, and we do not at all question the right
OF the federal government to decline the CO.
operation ot the great maritime powers of Eu-
rope. But this co. operotion, is il not the only
means which offers itself to the cabinet of
Washington, to hasten the close of the war, or
if it believes that it ought TO repe any foreign
intervention, could il not honorahlv accept the
idea of direct poujp0'}erS? Informal confer
ences with the authority which may represent
the States of the South !?
The federal government does not despair we
know, of giving a more active impulse to nos
tilitcs. Its sacrifices have not exhausted its
resources, still less its perseverance, and its
steadfastness. The proraclion Of the strug-
gle, in a word, has not shaken it. confidence in
the deiiuilive success of its efforts, but the
opening of informal conferences between the
belligerent parties does not necessarily imply
the immediate cessation of hostilites. Nego-
tiations about peace are not always the conse-
quence of a suspension of war, for they pre-
cede, ON the contrary, more often the establish.
ment of truce. How many times have we
not seen plenipotentalies meet, exchange COM
municalions, agree upon all the essential pro-
visions OF treaties, resolve in fine the question
even of peace or war, whilst the leaders of ar
mics continued the strife and endeavored even
to the last moment, to modify by force Of arms
Illustration, drawn from the history oi the Uni
ted States; the negotiations which concentrated
their Independence, were commenced long be-
fore hosuleS had ceased in the new world
and the armisice was not established until the
act OF the 30lh November 1882. which, under
the name of provisional articles, embraced in
advance the principal clauses of the defnitive
treaty of 1888. Nothing, therefore, would hin
der the government Of the United States, with
out renouncng the advantage which it believes
il can attain by the continuation OF the war,
from entering upon an informal conference with
TIE corfederateS of the South in case they
should show themselves disposed thereto.
Representatives or commissioners of the two
parties could assemble at such point as it should
he deemed proper to designate, and which could
for this purpose be declared neutral and rpcip.
rnca Reciprocal complaints would be exsm-
ined into at this meeting in place oi the accusa-
tions which the North and South mutually cast
upon each other. AT this time would be sub.
stluted an argumentatiye discussion OF the inter-
csts which divide them. They would seek out hv
means Of well ordered and profound delibera-
tons whether these interests are deinitivey IT.
reconcilablej whether separation is an extreme
which can no longer be avoided or whether the
memories Of commercial existence, whether the
ties Of any kind which have made OF the North
and of the South one sole and whole federalve
state, and have borne them on to so high de.
gree OF prosperity, are not more powerful than
the causes which have placed arms in the hands
of the two populations. a negotiation the as
pect OF which would he thus determinatve.
would not involve any of the objections raised
against the diplomatic intervention of Europe,
and without giving birth to the same hopes as
the immediate conclusion of an armisice, would
exercise happy influence on the march OF
events.
WHY. therefore, shoull not a combination
which respects all the relations of the United
States, obtain the appreciation of the federal
government Persuaded on our part, that it is
in conformity with their true interests, We do
not hesitate to recommend it to their attention,
and not having sought in the project of me.
diNll"n OF the maritime powers of Europe any
VAN display of influence, we would applaud,
with entire freedom from all susceptibility of
sell esteem, the opening of negotiation which
would invite the two populations to discuss,
without the cooperation OF Europe the solu |
tion of their differences.
request you, sir, to give this assurance to
the cabinet at Washington, while commencing
TO its wisdom counsels dictated by the most sin
cere interest in the prosperity of the United
States. You are, moreover, authorized, il Mr..
Seward expresses the wish, to leave with him
copy Of t}is dispatch. Accept, sir, the assur.
ance of my high consideration.
DRoUYN DE L'HUYs.
To Nj. MERCER, minister of France at Wash
ington.
n