The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-06-22
Rebel Offers of Peace.

The Richmond papers have lately pub
lished a correspondence which took place
last winter between Gov. Vance of North
Carolina, and JEFF. Davis, concerning the
propriety of making overtures to the Fed
eral Government for peace.
We clip from Davis letter the follow
ing paragraphs which have somthing
more than a mere historical interest.
I'VE have made three distinct efforts
to communicate with the authorities at
Washington, and have been invariably
unsuccessful. Commissioners were sent
before hostilities we're begun. and the
Washington Government refused to re-
ceive them or hear what they had to
say.
"A second time 1 sent a military of
Seer, with a communication addressed by
myself to President Lincoln. THhe let
ter was received by Gen. Scott, who did
not premit the officer to see MIR. Lincoln;
but promised that an answer would be
sent. No answer has ever been received.
The third time, few monthhs ago, a
gentleman was sent, whose character and
reputa tiun were such AS to insure his re-
ccption, it the enemy was not determined
10 receive no proposals whatever from the
Government Vice President Stephens
made patriotic tender OF services in the
hope of being uble to promote the cause
of humanity and although little belief
was entertained of his success, | cheer
,uliy yielded to his suggestion, that the
iexperiment should be tried.
The enemy refused to let him pass
through their lines, or to hold any confer
cncc with them. He was stopped before
he reached For:ress Menroe, on his way
to Washington, To attempt again in the
lace OF these repeat,d rcje 'tions of all coz
i,rtnee with us to se.d commissioners OF
agents to propose peace is to invite Insult
and centuncly, and to subjec: ourselves
to indir nifty without the siihtest chance
oi being listened to.
/, has been persistently denied by the
Admin is:ration journals in the North that
The relels were ever willing to Listen to
any telms of reconciliation Or puace.-
| Those most interested in the continuance
of the war, stoutly maintain that not only
have the rebels re rained from making
any proposition of peace themselves, but
they would indignantly spurn almost any
uffers short of the concession of the mos1
uxtravagant demands The first of these
assumptions is authoritatively denied i'll
he extract we have given above, and from
'hc tenor Of other parts of the same cor
rcspondence, we are inclined to believe
the second also untrue.
We all remember the circumstances
hat attended Vice President Stevens
miss on to our Government and the very
| d scrcditabc manner in Which he was re
ceiveI, or rather. in which he was not re
eiued at all. 1t was distinctly asserted
4 hen that he came seeking terms ofpeace
but the Administration journals, actin.
under instruction received from Washing
ton City, falsely proclaimed that his visi
had an entirely different object and re
lated TO the exchange of prisoners o
something Of that Kind. At all events h,
was sent back, having failed either to ac
complish the object of his visit or receiv'
for himself that personal courtesy whicl
the importance Of his mission seemed tt
demand