The Soldiers' journal. (Rendezvous of Distribution, Va.) 1864-1865, 1864-08-03
The Niagara Peace Conference.

Quite a sensation was created recently by what
was generally termed "The Niagara Peace Con.
ference and many persons INDUCED the hope
that it's proceedings would be attended with,
momentous results, but in this all have been
mistaken. In lieu of the correspondence, which
was quite extensive and interesting, we publish
the following journal, copied from the Philadel-
phia Enquirer, which contains the substance of
the negotiations:
"JULY 12.-George N. Sanders writes Horace
Greedy that Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Holcombe and him
self are willing to go at once to Washington,
under safe conduct, but sta tes no purpose and
claims official authority.
"JULY 17.-Mr. Greeley writes Messrs. Clay
and Holcombe that if they are accredited from
Richmond as bearers of a peace proposition he
is authorized to extend them a safe conduct to
Washington.
July 1s.-Messrs. Clay and Holcombe write
Mr.. Greeley that they not accredited to treat
for peace, but that they are in the confidential
employment of their Government and that il
it were known at Richmond that peace PROPOSE
tons would be received, they would soon receive
the requisite authority, or other persons, with
full powers, would be sent. They then ask safs
conduct, via Washington, through the lines to
Richmond.
Gully Is, same date-Mr. Greeley writes
Messrs. Clay and Holcombe that the facts pre-
scented in their letter materially different
from those under which the safe conduct
granted, and he will confer further with the
President.
Gully 19.-Mr. Greeley informs the Clifton
House party that he expects further instruc
tions from the President by noon of the Goth.
"JULY 2O.-Major Hay, private Secretary of
the President, hands to Messrs. Clay and Hol.
combe the following paper from the President:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, July Is, 1864.
To aohom 1t may concern ANY proposition
which embraces the restoration of peace, the in
tegrity of the whole Union and the abandon
ment of slavery, and which comes by and with
an authority that can control the armies now at
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 substantial and collateral points, and
the bearer or bearers thereof shall have safe con-
duct both ways.
(Signed) ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
"JULY 21.-Messrs. Clay and Holcombe send
| a long and final letter to Mr.. Greeley, purport-
ing to recite the whole course of the conference
in which they commence in a moderate and dig
nified tone but soon run into personality and
invective, altogether unusual to diplomatic in
tercourse in modern times. They refused to
ceive the paper sent by the President, and so the
session ended.
"By most persons this is regarded as the end
of the affair, but Mr.. Greeley is not among those
who think SO. In his editorial reference to the
subject in the Tribune, he observes that, in his
Judgment, the paciication of our country is
neither SO difficult nor so distant as seems to be
generally supposed
The late invasion of Pennsylvania turns out
to be nothing more than cavalry raid, during
which immense quantities of public and private