Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-07-28
THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
In his first message to Congress, called to meet
in extraordinary session the 4th of July, 1861,
President LINCOLN held the following language:

President LINCOLN held the following language
LEST there be some uneasness the minds Of candid
to what is to be the OF the Government TO-
wards the Southern States after the rebellion shall nave
been suppressed the Executive deems proper to say
will be his purpose then ever to DC guided by s Con-
stituon and the talosj and that he probably Wi nave
different of the powers and duties oil the
Federal Government relatively to the rights OF the States
and the people, under the Constitution than that
the inaugural address He desires to preserve the Gov
ernmen that it be administered for all as ioas al
inisteyed bp the tohO made a. Loyal cHtseHs sreTy
ohere hape the right to claim this OF their Government ana
the Government has right to uithhod or nsgec u"
not perceived that in giving it, there is any coercion,
conquest any subugaon in any just sense OF those
terms"
On the 28d of August, 1862, in his well-known
letter to Mr.. Greeley, rs originally published In
| our columns, the President wrote as follows:
my paramount object is to save the Union and not
either save or destroy slavery If could save the Union
without freeing any slave, would do 1t; If could save
save it by freeing some and leaving others alone would
also do that What do about slavery aud the coored
race do because believe it helps to save the Union;
and what forbear, forbear because do not believe
would help to save the Union thall do less whenever
shall believe what am doing hurts the csuse and shali
do more whenever believe doing more will help the
cause"
In the opening words of the preliminary Pro-
camation of Freedom" issued on the 22d of Sep
tember 1862, the President, as if anxious to pre-
cude the inference that he meant thereby to
change the object Of the war; was careful to declare
that hereafter as heretofore the war will be prose-
cuted for the object of practically restoring the con-
stituional relation between the United States and
each of THE STATES and The people thereof in
which States THAT RELATION is or may be sus-
pended or disturbed" This is "the object" of
the war as the President understands ito restore
the constitutional relation between the United
States and each of the States in which that rela-
ton is now suspended or disturbed.
In reply to a communication from the Hon.
Fernando Wood, of New York, who, in December,
| 1862, had impaired to the President some infor-
nation to the effect that the Southern States
| would send representatives to the next Congress
provided that full and general amnesty should
permit them to do So" Mr.. Lincoln, under date
of December 18th of that year, held the following
explicit language:
81 strongly suspect your information will prove to be
groundless nevertheless thank you for communicating
Understanding the phrase the paragraph above
quoted the Southern States would send representatives
to the next Congress- be substantially the same
sssnce and would renaugurste submit to- and maintain
the national authority within the limits OF such States,
under the Constitution of the United States that
such the should the part of the United
States and that, II ioithn reasonable time, full and
general amnesty necsssary such end Doald not
| b pithheld"
Early in the autumn of 1868, in his celebrated
Letter addressed to the Springfield Republican
Convention, the President wrote as follows, as if
to exclude the cavil or objection the part of po
liticI opponents that he had any design to con-
tinue the war for the purpose of emancipation after
the declared object Of the war should have been
reached in restoration of the Union. To this
effect the President said
:" You say you will not fight to free negroes Some Of
them willing to fight for you. But matter; fight
you then exclusively to save the Union issued the pro
olanaion purpose to aid you in saving the Union.
Whenever you shall have conquered all resistance to the
Union If shall urge you 10 continue fighting, piH be an
apt time then or yoa 10 declare goa oiH not gh 10 free
negroes"
We have arranged these declarations of the Pre-
sident in the order of their chronology for the pur
pose Of showing that his declared policy under
this head has been uniform, deliberate, definite,
and determinate.
In the month of July, 1861, he declared'it his
purpose to preserve the Government that it might
be administered as it was administered by the men
who made it, and he added that "loyal citizens
every where have the right to claim this of their
Government and the Government has no right to
withhold it."
In December, 1862, he said that if "the people
Of the Southern States would cease resistance and
would reinaugufats, submit to, and maintain the
national authority within the limits Of said States,
under the Constitution Of the ted State, an such
case the ,could on the part Of the United
States"
In September, 1863, directing his remarks to
supposed dissenticns from his negro policy he said
eight you then exclusively for the Union"
WheneveryOu shall have conquered all resistance
to the Union, # shall urge goa 10 continue ynyht.
ing, II 'oiH be an apt time TOR goa TO declare yoa
aoW not fight TO free negroes"
1t is in the light of these Presidential declara.
tions that the readeris prepared properly to appre
cate the latest terms which the war will cease, as
far the President /, concerned and without which
he purposes to continue fighting" We allude
Of course to the stpulstions announced by him a
few days ago as the necessary conditions prelimi-
nary to negotiations with the Confederate authori-
ties, as follows:
i EXECUTIVE MANSION,
i Washington July IL, 1864.
To phom may concern
A.. tka 1f