Maysville weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1864-1866, 1864-07-28

rposition which embraces the restoration oil
peace, the integrity of the whole Union and
the abandonment of slavery, and which
comes by and with an authority that can
control armies now at war against the United
States, will be read and considered by the
Executive Government. of the United
States, and will be met by liberal terms on
substantial and collateral points, and the
bearer or bearers thereof shall have safe con =
! duct both ways.
| [Signed] ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
| Major Hay would respectfully inquire
whether Prof Holcomb and the gentleme en-
associated with him desire to send to Wash
ington by him (Maj. Hay) any message in
reference TO the communication delivered to
him on yesterday, and in that case when he
may expect to be favored with such mes
sages. .-.-.-.-. .#e ..F
INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, Thursday.
Mr.. Holcomb presents his mpliments
to Major Hay, and greatly regrets if his re-
turn to Washington has been delayed by
any expectation of an answer to the COM
munication that Mr.. Holcomb received from
him yesterday, to be delivered to the Pre-
sident of the United States. This commu-
nication was accepted as a response to the
letter of Messrs. Holcomb and Clay to Hon.
Horace Greeley, and to that gentlsman has
been transmitted.
CLIFTON, c. W., July 81.
The following is copy of the original
letter held by me, to deliver to Hon. Horace
Greeley. and which duplicate l now furnish
to the Associated Press.
[SignedI VIM. CORNELL JE WETT.
CLIFTON House, G. W., July 21.
n HArona
SIR: The paper handed to Mr.. Holcomb
on Yesterday. in your presence by Major
Hay, A. A. g., as an application in our note
of the 18th inst, is couched in the follow
ing terms:
Executive MANSION,
WAsHINGToN, July 18, 1864.
To whom it may concern:
Any PROPOSE tion which embraces the res
toratiou of peace, the Integrity of the whole
Union and the abau donment of slavery and
which came by and with an authority that
can control the armies now at war against
the United States will be received and con
sidered By the Executive Government of
the Unit ed States, and will be met by liberal
terms in other and substantial and collateral |
points, and the bearer or bearers thereof
shall have safe sonduct both ways.
GSignedI ABRAHAM LIN COLIN. |
The application to which we refer was
elected by your letter of the 18th, in which
you inform Mr. Thompson aud ourselves
that you were authorized by the President
United States, to tender us his safe conduct
on the hypothesis that we were fully ac-
credited from Richmond. as bearers Of pro-
positions looking to the establishment of
peace and desired to visit Washing ton, in
the fulfillment of this mission.
This assertion to which we then gave
and still do, entire credence, was accepted
oy us as evidence of an unexpected but
most gratifying change in the policy of the
President. a change which we felt author
Ged TO hope might terminate in the conclu-
ion of a peace mutually just. honorable
md advantageous to the North and to th e
South, exacting no condition, but that we
should be duly accredited from Richm ond
IS bearers of propositions looking to the es-
ablishment of peace, thus profferiug basis
or conference as comprehensive as we
could desire. 1t seemed to US that the
President opened door which had previous
been closed against the Confederate States
or full interchange of sentiments. free dis
,ussion of conflicting opinions, and untram-
nelled effort to remove all causes of contro
7ersy by libeal negotiation, I'VE indeed could
lot claim the benefit of safe conduct
which had been extended to US in a char
lcter we had no right to assume, and had
1ever affected to possess; but the uni
orm declaration of our Executive and
Congress, aud their thrice repeated,
md as often repulsed, attempts to open ne
,otations furnished a sufficient pledge that
his conciiatory manifestation on the part
If the United States would be met by them
q a temper of equal magnanimity. We had
L l. loo i -
his correspondence was communicated to
he President of the Confederacy he would
promptly embrace the opportunity pressn-
ed for seeking a peaceful solution of this
unhappy strife. We feel confident that you
will join in profound regret that the spirit
which dictated the first step toward peace
should not have continued to animate the
councils of your President.
Had the representatives of the two gov
met to consider this question. the
most nom entous ever submitted to human
in spirit Of becoming mo od-
Grafton and equity, they would have been
followed as their deliberations have been
oy prayers and benedictious Of every patriot
md christian on the habitable globe. Who
s here so bold as to pronounce that the
-rightful waste of individual happiness
md public prosperity which is daily sad
lening the universal heart might not
rave been term mated.
The desolation and carnage of war must
till be endured though weary years OF
blood and su ffering, that there might not at
east have been infused into its conduct
omething more of the spirit which softens
md partially redeems its brutalities. In
stead Of the safe conduct which We solicited
ind which your first letter gave US every
eason to suppose would be extended for
he purpose ofiuitatirg negotiation in which
oeither's Government would compromise its
rights or its dignity.
a document has been presented which