The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-08-03
Wednesday Morning, August 8, 1864.
The Late Peace Negotiations.

The Late Peace Negotiations.
PEACE A DANGEROUS SUBJECT TO REBEL
LEADERs-TREPIDATIoN OF THE RICH
MoND ExAMINER-IT wo'Nr DO TO
HINT AT PEAcE-THE SOUTHERN PEo-
PIE ONLY TOO ANXIOUS FOR IT-A
HOLLOW GRAVEYARD LAUGH,
From The Richmond Examiner, July %.
For the first time we have the pleasure of
heartily approving State paper OF Abraham
Lincoln. 1t is his letter addressed ITO
Whom 1t May Concern" 1t concerns Messrs,
Holcombe, c. C. Clay and George n. Sanders,
and, We would fondly believe, no other person
or persons whomsoever. When officious ind-
viduals go creeping round by back doors,
asking interviews with Lincoln for.' full in
terchange of sentiments" it gives US sincere
qualification to see them spurned, yes, kicked
from the said back door. To Abraham we
say Bravo" Or, If he likes it better "Bully y
Think Of an ex-senator from Alabama, and
Virginia Member of Congress-for we say
nothing of the third notwithstanding
themselves gratuitously,' idly and unbidden
to receive such an ignominious rebuff at the
hands of the truculent bufIoon of Illinois.
The eccentric procedure of those two gen.
tlemen has all the air of device of the in
genious Sanders. He 1t was who, finding Mr..
Clay and Mr.. Holcombe travelling in Canada
for their health, and sojourning at the Clifton
House, bethought him of getting them into
correspondence about peace; and it was he
who opened it himself to no less person
than that sanguinary philanthropist, Horace
Greedy, asking him tGreely) to procure safe
conduct for the party to Washington, and
thence TO Richmond. 1t appears that Greey,
at first thinking this was real embassy 10
offer submission, eagerly promised the safe
c0ndnat N the prasidapsse
ed they were not exactly and altogether pleni-
potentiaries; but had no doubt that If the
circumstances disclosed in the correspond
ence" were communicated to Richmond, they
or somebody else would be invested with full
powers. And what were the circumstances
disclosed? We learn this from a long letter
Of Messis. Clay and Holcombe, written after
their repulse. The circumstances disclosed
were nothing in the world except Greely's
unauthorized offer of a safe conduct They
say-and in reading what they say, remember
that it is two eminent Confederate gentlemen
addressing paltry aboltionist editor, not
having the presumption TO write to the En-
peror Abraham himself-"exacting no condi-
tions but that we should be duly accredited
frou Richmond, as bearers of propositions
looking to the establishment of peace, thus
proposing basis for conference as compre-
hensiye as We could desire, it seemed to US
tildt luc Icslutut Opt1tu u QODT that naQ
been closed against the Confederate States
for full interchange of sentiments, free
discussion Of conflicting opinions and an un-
trammeled effort 10 remove all causes of con-
troversy by liberal negotiations What right
had they 10 even allude to propositions look
ing 10 the establishment of peace? Who
commissioned them to interchange sent-
ments with Lincoln? And what do they
mean by causes OF controversy and negotia-
tion? Ii these otficious gentlenen had been
received at Washington, and had been ac-
credited from Richmond, we should have felt
very nervous on the subject of those liberal
negotiations. However, Lincoln, so soon as
he was informed that there were such people
looking about that back door, surmising that
1t was now partly open, though previously
closed and parlying with New York edi-
tor in the hope OF getting admittance-shut
up the door with bang right In their three
noses, and warned them off by notice-"To
Whom II May Concern"
1t is suggested that perhaps the cunning
device Of Mr.. Saunders was only a contrivan-
ce for helping the peace party in the enemy's
country; that the answer OF Mr.. Lincoln was
just the very kind of answer which the "many
counseled" George expected, and that 1t is to
be used to show how lerociusly and unreent-
ingly the present Yankee administration is
bent on war and repulses the slightest sign of
peace. As usual with such excessively cum
ming schemes, this one not only defeats ITSELF
but IL helps the cause which it was possibly
intended 10 damage. To exhibit an ex-Sen-
ator aud member Of Congress of the Rebel
States thus timdly crawling, by roundabout
way, TO the footstool of the Emperor OF the
Yaboos, whining and sniveling about peace
and "liheral negotiations and haughtily re-
fused even admittance To the sovereign pre-
sence, will serve, not the peace, but the war
party, because IL will be used to create the
impression that the Confedcracy must be in
the agonies of death when two such distin-
guished legislators make so pitiful an attempt
10 reach the ear of offended majesty. lfsuch
was the idea, then, in this case, in the other,
"those whom 1t may concern have got what
they deserve.
Has any one seen the Reverend Colonel Jac-
ques and one Edmund Kirke? What are the
detectives about? Here have been two spies,
manifestly spies, at the Spottswood Hotel,
Richmond, on a secret mission. and now,
instead of being in Castle Thunder, Kirke
and the Rev. Colonel are again in their OVID
country, giving mysterious hints to the Wash
ington correspondents about their three days
entertainment in Richmond, and about two
interviews which they said they had with
Mr.. Davis. They cannot disclose "for the
prcsent'-those deep dIplomats--which pass
edat those interviews, but sit Is intimated''
and here Is truly startling fact-"that MIR.
Davis would consent to nothing short of the
recognition of the Sou thern Coniederacy.'
OF course these two Yankees were spies; or
else they wanted to sell something in Rich
mond which they had run through the lines
or probably they combined the two objects
Our passport system we fear, is but little pro.
lection; and the detectives are not sufficient
ly yigilant.
Peace may be nearer to us than we think,
and may come suddenly, though one cannot see
precisely how. One thing, however, is clear
So desirable an event cannot be fastened by
amateur negotiators Exchanging sentiments
with Mr.. Lincoln; nor by blockade runners
thrusting interviews" on Mr. Davis nor by
any possible or conceivable correspondence
between George Sanders and Horace Greeiy