Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-08-11
position Of Msssr O. o. Clay and Holcombs and lis ire
eyant abuse Of sundry others Msss Clay aud Hoeombs


eyaDt abuse OF sundry others Messrs Clay aud Hoc0bs
say, In their frat note to me: ,.-e l.s-a a1- i.
The safe the President the United States
prhenson Of facts We have not been accredited 20 A
from Richmond as the bearers OF propositions looking TO the
We are however IN the confidential employment of
Government and entirely familiar with its wishes and
opinions on that subject and we feel authorized TO declare
were communicated 10 Richmond would be at once in-
vested with the authority which letter refers or other
gentleman clothed with full powers would be immediately
sent Washington with the view OF Fastening consun
nation much be desired and terminating at the earliest
possible moment the calamities OF war. 81
'Is there any doubt of tho truth of these assertions
And il they true ia it not plain that Messrs O. and II
Zone Senat0rthe other Representative in the rebel
Coneress quite other than the Irresponsible unal-
thozied dscredted persons that the Times would make
them Their mission appears to be directed toward the
Democratic leaders, simply because they had no hope OF
access to the Government.
"Now, suppose the President had said, We'll, gentle
men, to Richmond If you wish, by the shortest route
and whenever you others duly authorized by the Power
no.warrpg upon the Union shall desire access to Wash
gon there to propose conditions of peace you shall have
safe conduct and hearingwbere would have been the
harm7 Suppose they had made intolerabe PROPOSE.
ton would not that have aided the national caussi Sup
pose they had made that could be properly and honor
ably accepted, who would have rtjoiced And sup
pose nothing had Of it but tho manifestation by
Government of kindly spirit and earnest desire for
any honorable peace would not that have been worth lis
trifng COST
~ am quite the mistake not originally the
Presdents, but that Of of the gentle
men who are paid $4,000 year from the Treasury for
giving him bad advice; and from certain earmarks in
fer that 1t had its initial impulse from the War Depart
ment. The campaign in Maryland and on the Potomac
against Early aud Breckenridge, which contaminated
simultaneously with the issue of To whom it may con-
cern must have had origin with that stroke Of
craftsmanship. There hardly be two fsrent men
living conemporaneousy who equal to these two ex
hiboDs of genus Nature is not lavish OF her grand
achievements.
." deny that the overture submitted through Msor Hay
the same offer that had been authorized to make
deny that required to impose any snch con
ditions those embodied in Major Hays rescrpt. And
respectfully ask all who may fit to deal with this
statement to quote it entire
As Mr.. Greeley conceives that the President, by
the terms of his volunteer ultimatum, committed a
"mistake" to the detriment of the supporters of
the national cause, he would probably specify the
following different classes of loyal citizens be-
ing likely to take exceptions to the Presidential
conditions Of peace: .
l. All those who object to recognition of the
Confederate Government because the President
makes it a condition Of receiving even such pro-
position as he describes that it shall come by and
with an authority that can control the armies now
| at against the United States, =" g., " President
Jefferson Davis"
2. All those who are opposed to making any
compromise with rebels" because the President
engages to meet any proposition of the kind he
indicates with "hberal terms on other substantial
and collateral points thus establishing the con-
ditions of compromise 10 which Substantial
points are to be yielded by the United States in
return for the concession of "pesce, the integrity
of the whole Union, and the aba ndonment OF
slavery" to be granted by Gen. Jefferson Davis
3. All those who deny the right of the Presi.
dent to prescribe any terms of peace and union
beyond those defined by the Constitution and laws
of the United States, because the President has
! added to these rcquisition not justified by the
one or the other when he requires !" the abandon
ment of slavery as condition of making or ac
ceptng peace.
4. All those who regret that the President
should have volunteered a statement which has
had for its only effect to stimulate the spirit of re-
sistauce in the Seeded States, because Messrs
Clay and Holcombe made it apparent, by the avid
ity with which they seiged on tn, PRESIDENT
manifesto for the purpose of indignant comment,
that they plainly saw it could be made tributary
to the cause of dsupion and Southern indepen-
dence, if not of union and reconciliation