, 1864-02-23
/; REBEL POLITICaL TACTICS.
7. BUTLER KINGS LETTER 4
FORGERY,


Correspondence Of the n. X. Tribune.
WAsu1se7oa, Feb. tt, 1881.
My attention was yesterday called to let
ter published In the New York Duly Nt,rs, Of
been written by T. Butler King, Of Georgia,
to Robert f. Whitfield, Of Virginia The let.
ter Is dated at Stamford, Ga, june 90, 1868,
and purports to present the views Of Mr.
King in regard to the war, aud the terms up
on which he Wou1d favor peace.
The Aete, In Introducing the letter, says ut
is undoubtedly genuine; !" that MI: King is
q practical man, and takes o practical view Of
things in view Of the necessities OF the South"
Now, desire to inform your readers, and
in question never was written By M7. King;
thnt he does not entertain the views or scuti-
mcnts therein aBcribcd to him; that the let
teri genuine rebel humbug, and genuine
Peace Purity trick to deceive the nnWary, nud
prepare the public mind for issues to be
win Congressional converts to Fernando
Wood'atpe scheme for sending commissioners
South to propose to the rebel authorities
terms Of peace. - =
Here LET me proceed with as much breyity
90 possible to state. the facts and circnm
stances that warrant my making the broad
ASSERTION.
The readers Of my previous letters will re-
member that T was a rebel conscript, who,
after being severely wounded, was detailed
rs clerk Ia the rebel War Department., In
which capacity served until tho 10th OF No
ycmber last.
During last :'autnmn many of tho rebel
leaders became satisfied from their corrcs-
pondcnce with prominent peace men in New
York. Ohio, md other States, and from the
reports of returned emf6Earies IN the North,
that if the peace leaders were enabled to show
the Northern people strong probability, or
plausible reasons for the belief, that the
Ia 24n4A1 WIN a. Rr$- &1xxr
turn to the Union, ,thc peace members Of the
next (pEesent) Feden1 Congress could, with
such prospect OF SUCCESS, offer resolutions to
send commissioners South to propose terms
of peace; and in case the resolutions werc
rejected; argue to the people in the next Pre-:
prosecuted for the restoration Of the Union,
but is an abolition crusade for the extirpa-
tion Of fslavery-that with this object it must
be a..gar Of years, and failurd at last-and
that the Uni>n can and will be restored with
out further waste Of blood and treasure II the
peace candidate is elevated to the Presiden-
tia1 chair. ..-.. ~
=. In this connection l. will make short ex-
tract from the written report Of Col. Mar:
grave, the cool, plotting, calculating villain;
quoted By INC in my last letter, who, Us q
leading rebel emissarJ, has spent much time
In speaking Of the Peace party, he says:
F.. Nearly all the leaders with whom con-
yersed sgree that while a minority Of the
Northern people would favor carrying on the
war for twenty years rather than submit to
division OF the Union, yet they would prefer
to restore the Union By peaceful measures.
ttIf,' said one of the most prominent lenders,
t. sswe could only satisfy the people that the
South would, upon reasonable terms, return
to tho Union, our party would soon be in
the ascendant, and quickly put an end to tho
| war. But all the papcrs and public men Of
the South, in their writings and speeches, in
sist on recognition of the Confederacy Us
the only terms Of peace that will be listened
to, These articles and speeches are quoted
| by the War party to show that the only hope
for the Union is through prosecution Of tic
| war. How are VIC to convince the people
tbat tho Union can be restored by pacific
measures, when all the leading men In the
South arc continually declaring rcconstruc-
| ton impossible.
This, md subsequent reports, together with
| Letters Of II similar tenor from Copperhcads
] in the North, induced certain rebel politicians
| to constitute themselves Committee to de-
wise scheme to assist the peace party tsto
nut down the war party and Abolifiopists"
The 6elfconstituted committee, consisting
Of Gilmer, B. R. Wexford. Jun, G. ". Lanier
of Richmond, and Henry E. Marsh Of Savan-
nHl, met several times for conference and de-
liberation In one of the rooms Of the Wax
Department, before settling upon any plan OF
procedure. On two Of these occasions wad
4 present, With two or three others connected
i with the Department, and heard. tho: views
aud policy Of the respective members. As
some ofthese views may be Interesting, and
| will be re4uisite to 4 proper appreci stson Of
1.-The chicancry that the honorable men, tut