Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-07-22
GREELEY AND SANDERS CORES.
PONDENCE.


Letter from the President-Hls Views of
the II estor atien of Peace-How the Cor.
respond ence Originated.
BUFFALO, July 2l.-The correspondence with
the rebel agents shows that Messrs. CLAY, Hol-
comb and Sanders asked, on the 18th, OF Hor-
ace Greeley, the protection of the President or
the Secretary OF War to visit Washington. Mr..
Greeley, in reply Of the 18th, understanding
that they were bearers of proposition from
Richmond looking to peace, rendered safe
conduct of the President
They replied they were net accredited with
such proposition, but were In confidential en-
ploy Of their Government, and felt authorised
TO declare, If the circumstances isclosed in this
correspondence were communicated at Rich
mond, they or other gentlemen would be vested
with full power. They asked safe conduct to
Greeley answered that that state of facts being
materially different from that understood to
exist by the President, it was advisable for him
to communicate by telegraph with him and OBJ
tain instructions.
After some further correspondence in rela-
ton to Greeley's communication with Presi-
dent Lincoln, the following was received from
the latter:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, }
WASHINGTON, July ls, ls6l.}
To tchom 1t may concern:
Any proposition which embraces the restor-
alton Of peace, the integrity of the whole
Union, and the abandonment OF slavery, and
which comes by and with authority that can
control the armies now dt war against the
United States, will be received and considered
by the Executive Government OF the United
States, and will be met by liberal terms on
other substantial and collateral points; and the
bearer or bearers thereof shall have safe
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
To Hon. Horace Greeley.
Major Hay, on the Goth, in note, asks Hol-
comb and others If they have any communlca-
ton to send to Washington by him. Holcomb
replies on the 21st, regretting he has been de-
layed by any expectation OF an answer to his
communication delivered to the President OF
the United States, adding that the communi.
cation was accepted as a response to the letter
of Clay and Holcomb to Mr.. Greeley, and to
that gentleman has an answer been trans
mitted.
The letter to Mr. Greeley, after alluding to
the tender of a safe conduct to Washington on
the hypothesis that we were duly accredited
from Richmond as bearers of propositions
looking to the establishment of peace, says
this assertion was accepted as evidence of an
unexpected but most gratifying change in the
policy Of the Presidents change which we
felt authorized to hope might terminate in
the conclusion Of peace mutually Just. hon.
orable and advantageous to the North and the
South.
Exacting no condition but that we should be
duly accredited from Richmond as bearers of
a proposition looking to the establishment Of
peace, thus proffering basis for conference as
comprehensive as we could desire, it seemed
to us that the President opened a door that had
previously been closed against the Confed.
crate States tor full Interchange Of sentiments,
free discussion OF conflicting opinions, and I'M
trammelled effort to remove all causes Of con.
troversy by liberal negotiations.
We indeed could not claim the benefit of
safe conduct which had been extended to us
in character we had no right to assume, and
had never affected to possess, but the uniform
declarations Of our Executive and Congress,
and their thrice. repeated and as often repulsed
attempts to open negotiations, furnish suff-
cient pledge that this conciliatory manifesto.
ton on the part Of the President Of the United
States would be met by them in temper of
equal magnanimity. We had, therefore, no
dence was communicated to the President of
the Confederate States, he would promptly en-
brace the opportunity presented for seeking
% .ns
regret that the spirit which dictated the first
step towards peace had not continued to ami
mate the counsels Of your President. Had the
representatives OF the two Governments met
to consider this question, the most momentous
temper Of becoming moderation and equity,
followed as their deliberations would have
been by prayers and benedictions Of every
patriot and Christian on the habitable globe,
who is there so bold as to pronounce that
this frightful waste Of individual happiness
and public prosperity which is daily saddening
the universal heart might not have been termi-
mated, or, if the desolation and carnage Of war
must still be endured through weary years of
blood and suffering, that there might not at
least have been infused into Its conduct some
TALLY redeems its brutality!
Instead of the safe conduct which we solicit
ted, and which your first letter gave us every
reason to suppose would be extended for the
purpose of Initiating negotiations in which
neither Government would compromise its
rights or its dignity, document is presented
which Provokes as much indignation as sur
prise. 1t bears no feature Of resemblance to
that which was originally offered, and is unlike
any paper which ever before emanated from
the constitutional Executive Of free people.
% -
cludes negotiations and prescribes in advance
the terms and conditions Of peace.
1t returns to the original policy OF no bar.
gaining, no negotiations, no truces with rebels,
except to bury their dead, until every man
shall have laid down his arms, submitted to
the Government, and sued for mercy. What
may be the explanation of this sudden and en-
tire change in the views of the President; Of
this rude withdrawal of a courteous overture
for negotiation at the moment it was likely to
be accepted of this emphatic recall of words Of
peace just uttered, and fresh blasts OF war to
the bitter end, we leave for the speculation of
those who have the means or Inclination to
penetrate the mysteries OF his cabinet; or to
fathom the caprice Of his imperial will.
1t Is enough for us to say that we have no
use whatever for the paper which has been
placed in our hands. We could not transmit
1t to the President Of the Confederate States
without offering him an indignity, dishonoring
ourselves, and mourning the well.merited
scorn Of our countrymen. Whilst an ardent
desire for peace pervades the people of the
Confederate States, we reJolce 70 say there are
few, if any, among them who would purchase
it at the expense OF liberty honor and self
respect
If there be any military autocrat at the North
who is entitled TO proffer the conditions Of this
manifesto, there is none in the South author
lied to entertain them. Those who control our
armies are servants Of the people, not their
masters, and they have no more an inclina.
ton than they have q right to subvert social
institutions of sovereign States, to overthrow
their established constitutions, and to barter
away their priceless heritage Of self-govern-
ment
~ The Emperor of Russia has presented
Yale College with q fac smile copy OF the cell
ebrated Greek manuscript Of the Holy Bible
found in 1859 at the convent Of ST. Catharine,
on Mount Sinai, by DR.. Tischendorf.
~The milkmen Of Albany have raised their
price to eight cents, in consequence Of the
scarcity Of water -
n-MRTROPOLITAN RAILROAD-Ths First
Il u. HI4 0kNnL hNlA - 81