Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-02-26
The Emperor's Last Peace Proposition
MIR. Stewards REPLY.

iespoHuenCe ana papers, concerning media.
ton or arbitration between the Federal
Government and the rebels proposed
by the French Government. The
NEST important of these is let
ter from NJ. DRoUYN DE L'HuYs
dated January 9th, proposing a
meeting of Commissioners from the Fed
eral and the insurrectionary Governments
on neutral ground for the purpose of agree.
ing upon terms of peace, with the reply of
Mr.. SEWARD, addressed to Mr.. DAYTON,
our Minister to France. The latter we
subjoin:
Mr.. SEWARD TO Mr.. DAYTON.
r. DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, Feb. 6, 1868.
WM L. DAYTON, ESQ.,, &C., &c.,-Sir:-
The intimation given in your dispatch Of
January Is, (No. 255), that might expect
a special visit from Mr.. MERCER has been
realized. He called on the Sd inst, and
gave me a copy of a dispatch which he had
just received from Mr. Drouyn de Lhuys,
under the date of the 9th of January.
have taken the Presidents instructions.
and l now proceed to give you his ideas
upon the subject in question. -E. f.
1t has been considered with seriousness
resulting from the reflection that the peo-
pie OF France are known to be faultless
sharers with the American nation in the
mistortunes and calamities of our unhappy
civil war. Nor do we on this any more
than on other occasions forget the tradi-
tional friendship of the two countries,
which we unhesitatingly believe has in
spired the counsels that Mr.. Drouyn de
Lhuys has impaired. He says: "The
Federal Government does not despair, we
know, of giving more active impulse to
hostilities )" and again he remarks. "the
protraction of the struggle in a word has
not shaken the confidence of the Federal
Government in the definite success of its
efforts.n ---t ' ..
These passages seem to me to do unin-
territorial injustice to the language wheth-
er confidential or public in which this
Government has constantly spoken on the
subject of the war. 1t certainly has had
and avowed only one purpose, a determin.
alton to preserve the integrity of the
country. So far from admitting any laxi-
ty OF effort, or betraying any dependency,
the Government has, on the contrary,
borne itself cheerfully in all it's vicissi.
tudes, with unvsrying confidence in an
early and complete triumph of the national
cause.
Now when we are in manner invited
by friendly Power to review the 21
months history of the conflict, we find no
occasion to abate that confidence through
which in an alienation of victories and
defeats, as is the appointed incident of
war, the land and naval forces have stead
lily advanced, retaining from the insur-
gents the ports, forts and posts, which
they have treacherously seized before the
strife actually begun, and even before it
was seriously apprehended. So many of
the States and districts which the insur.
gents included in the field of their project
ed exclusive slave.holding dominion, have
already been re-established under the flag
of the Union that they now retain only
the States OF Georgia, Alabama, and Tex
as, with half of Virginia, half of North
Carolina, two-thirds of South Carolina,
half of Mississippi, and one-third respect
lively of Arkansas and Louisiana, The
national forces hold even this small terri
tory in close blockade and siege.
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, has a nation, when
rendered all unready for combat by the
enjoyment of eighty years of almost IN.
broken peace, SO quickly awakened at the
| alarm OF sedition, put forth energies so
vigorous and achieved successes so signal
and effective as those which have marked
the progress of this contest on the part of
the Union. Mr.. Drouyn de Lhuys, fear.
has taken other light than the correspond
| ence of this Government for his guidance
in ascertaining its temper and finances.
He has probably read of divisions of SEN
timent among those who hold themselves
forth as organs of public opinions here,
and has given to them an undue i'm
portance.
1t is to be remembered that this is q
nation of thirty millions, civilly divided
into torty-one States and Territories which
cover an expanse hardly less than Europe :;
that the people are peace Democracy
exercising everywhere the utmost freedom
of speech and suffrage; that a great crisis
necessarily produces vehement as well as
profound debate, with sharp collisions of
individual, local and sectional interests.
sentiments and convictions, and that this
heat of controversy is increased by the
Intervention of speculations, interests,
prejudices and passions, from every othes
part of the civilized world. 1t is, how.
ever, through such debates that the agree.
ment of the nation upon any subject is
habitually attained, its resolutions formed,
and it's policy established.
While there has been much difference of
popular opinion and favor concerning the
agents who shall carry on the war, the
principles on which it shall be waged, and
the means with which it shall be prose-
cuted, Mr.. Droun de Lhuys has only to re-
fer to the statute book of Congress and
the executive ordinances to learn that the
national activity has hitherto been, and yet
Is, as efficient as that of any other nation,
whatever its form of Government, ever
was under circumstance. of equally grave
import to its peace, safety, and welfare.
Not one voice has been raised anywhere,
out IT the immediate field of the insurrec-
ton, in favor of foreign Intervention, or
mediation, or arbitration, or of compro =
mise, 18th the relinquishment of one acre
OF the domain, or the surrender of even
one constitutional franchise. At the same
time, it is manifest to the world that our
resources are yet abundant, and our cred
it adequate to the existing emergency.
What Mr.. Drouyn oe Lhuys suggests is
that this Government shall appoint Com
mlssloners to meet on neutral grounds
Commissioners OF the insurgents. He
snnn0saa that in the nonfnrAnnoa 70 ho III M