, 1864-07-22

THURSDAY. July Il. ]
The following is copy Of the original let
ter held BY me TO deliver to Hon Il. Greeley,
and which duplicate I now furnish to tic
Associated Press.
{Sigueo) WM. CORNELL JEwETT.
TIE BURDEN ENTRUSTED TO JEWETT.
C11sTox HousE, @. W., Thursday, duty II.
To Hon. Horace GraeIey:
s1R-The paper handed to Mr. Holcomb
yesterday, In your presence, by Mn). Hay, A.
a. G., as an answer to the application IN our
note Of the 18th inst, is couchsd In the fol-
loving terms.
>. EXECUTIVE NA@z1o.,
WASHINGTON July 18, 1864
To whom 1t maj concern:
Any proposition which embraces the restoration
Of peace aud the integrity Of the whole Enon, and
the abandonment Of slavery, aud wbfcu comes By
ard with IN authority thar can control tho armies
now At war nEafnet the United States, Will be re-
ceived and considered bJ the Executive Govern
e1al terne On other snbs.antisl and co!lssera1
points; and the bearer or bearers thereof shall
hare s.ie conduct both ways. y.,.u
The application to II hfch VIC refer vas elicit
ed by Your letter Of the 17th Inst, In which
yon inform Mr.. Jacob Thompson, and our
selves, that you were authorized BIZ the FIRE.
sicent Of. the United States to tender to us
his Eaie conduct, on tue condition that We
were duly accredited from Richmond as
liEhment Of peace, ana desired to visit Wash
ington in fu1fllment Of thiR mission. This
assertion to which we then gave, and still do,
entire c1cdence was accepted by us as tue
evidence ot an unexpected but most grattty-
irg cbange in the policy Of the President,
change which We felt authorized to hope
might u1timately lead, to the conclusion Of O
peace, mutually just, aud advantageous to
The North and to the South.
Exactfpg no conditions but that we should
be duly accredited from Richmond Us bearers
of propositions looking to the establishment
of peace, thus protiertng basis for confer
cree as comprehensive as VIC could desire,
| it seemed to us that the President opened d
door which hud previously been closed
| aEalust the Confederate States for full inter-
cGunge OF sentiments, free discussion Of con-
hictiDg opinions, and nntrammellcd effort to
remove Ill causes Of controversy by libcrll
negotiation. We, indeed, could mt claim
the benefit OF q safe conduct which hid been
extended to us in q character We had no
right to assume and had never affected to
possess, but the uniform declaration Of our
Executive and Congress, and their thrice re-
pehted and as often repu1sed attempts to
open negotiations, furnished q sufficient
pledge tint this conciliatory manifestation
on the part of the President Of the United
States would be met by them IN temper
Of equal nagDanlmity.
We had, therefore, no hesitation in declar-
nlcated to the President of the Confederate
States he would Gladly embfuce the opportu-
nifty presented for seeking peaceful solution
| Of the unhappy strife We te=l confident
you must share our profound regret that the
spirit which dictates the first step towurd
peace had not continued TO aninlaret the coun-
| ellis Of your Preefdent. Had the representa-
t1res Of the two Governments met to con-
slider this question, the moet momentous
| eyer submitted to human statesmen, in q
| temper of becoming moderation aud equity,
followed US their deliberations would have
| been by the prayers and beDedictions Of
| every patriot and Ch1istian On, the habitable
GLOBE, who Is there then so bold as to pro-
nounce the fs3ghuu. waste Of individual hap
| pinese and public prosperity which is daily
| taddeuiug the universal heart, might not
have been Terminated, or If the desolation
and carnage Of war must still continue many
weary years Of blood and euIering, that
there might at least have been Infused into its
conduct something more OF the spirit which
eoitens aud partially redeems It's 0rutalism,
Instead Of tile safe conduct which We So
1ie!ted, and which your first letter gave Us
| every reason to suppose roald be extended
| for the purpose OF Initiating negotiations In
promise its rights or its dignity, o
document has been presented which
psoyokes as much Indignation IS surprise.
! It bears no feature Of resenu1auce to that
a hicb was originally offered, and is unlike
any rnper which ever before cuauatcd from
The constitutional Executive Of free
| people. .,
ALdreesed-"7 10 mho,9s it may concet""-Ik
| precludes pegotlatiou and prcscrihes ID u1-
| vunce the tcrma and conditions Ut peace. It
returns to the original policy Of no llaroor'
ing, no, Negotiations. no trucss ;s with rebels
should have laid down his arms, submitted
TO the Government, and sued for merc7.
What may be the explauation Of this sud
| den and entire change In the views OF the
President OF this Withdrawal OF courteous
overture for negotiation. ut moment It. sas
woros Of pcace Just uttered and fresh blasts
OF war to the bitter end, We 1eavs for the spe:'
ulatiop Of those who have the means or inc1t
nation to penetrate the mysteries OF his Cab
Inst, or fathoin the caprice Of Ills imperial
will.
It is epough for us to Eay that we see no
use whatever 1or the paper which has beer
pluccd in our bands. We could not tfAustnl,
# to the President Of the Confederate States
without offering him an fndignits, d'shonot
Ing ourselves and incurring the well meritet
scorn Of our -cout trymen.
While an ardent desire for peace peFya1ei
the people OF the Confederate States, we re-
joice to believe that there are few, IL any
amongst them who wonld purchase it at tn
expense Of liberty, honor and seIfrespect.
If It can he secured only by their SID
mission to terms Of conquest, the Leneratlon
ret unborn which will witness It's restor:t
lion. II there be any military autoerat II
the North who Is entitled to proiler the con
| tlitions Of this manifesto, there is none In th
| South authorized to entertain them. Ihos
who control our armies, are the servants
! the people, not their masters, aud they hay
| no more inclination than they have right t
eubycrt the social institutions OF soverei91
1 20 hotr f0n6tl
| tutions aud to barter away their p1leele:
heritage OF selfgoyernment.
| This correspondence will not, however, "
trust, prove wholly bar5n Of good results
| II there is any cltizeH Of the Conteoerat
States who has chung to q nope tnal pstc
Federal Government, it will strip from III
eyes the last film OF such delusion, or II thef
| be apy whose hea1t6 have grown ialnt unae
the suffering and agony Of this bloouj strue
I ele, it will inspirit them with fresh emery
@ nrcserye to themselves aud their children d
that gives dignity and value to lite5 or hop
and consolation in death; end If there .
u11y patriots or christians in your land Wh
| sh1ink appalled, from the inevitable or pr
yate misery and public Calamity Walc
s1retchts over them, we pray that IL th-1
culm their abused authority und ylodicate u
| outraged civilization Of thrir country TOR tt
. ] suicide YOU have eDdearored to tnauy1ratf
| more, which cuntenplates the most nob.c IN
yumane. we would return nnr most sinceI
tbanks, and urc most respectfully yours. dsc
c. G. CLAY, in !,
Il P. c. HoLco,rB.
, LAST WORD TO JEWETr.'
CLIFTON HorsE, July 20, 1861.
sm:-We ore IN receipt Of your note o.
risirg us Of the departure Of Hon. E. Grecl'
from the Falls, that he regrets the sad term
nation oi the initiatory steps taken for peat
10 consequence Of the change made BY Y
President III his instructions to convey t
q Commissioners to Washington for npsoti
e tion, ind that Mr.. Greeley will be pleased
r receive any answer We may have to Has
| through you
We avail ourselves of this offer to enclo
letter to Alr. Greeley which you will oblf
us By delivering.
We cannot take leaye Of you without e
pressing our thanks for your courtseG Al
kind offer rs the intermediary through who
Q our correspondence with Mr. Greetey d
d been conducted, and assure you taat We q
: very respectfully, your obed;ent servants,
G. C. CLAY, in.
i, r. G. HoLco,1B.
o TIE CONCLUSION oFTHE WHOLE MATTE
: WASHINGTON, Thursday, July at
r Administration have never Ind before tht
T. fur consideration any proposition from rel
authorities relative to parincat.on, nor ID
=, known TINT any such has been received, a
- whatever may be the facts concerning
reported conference at Nisgara Falls, t
presumption here ID that while th'
II lus been no formal action on the part Of Il
at Government looking to initiating measnl
II for negotiation Of peace, 1t is not lad
10 10 posed to hear from Niagara Falls or Ell
1T 1T where whatever prominent rebels, aetipg