, 1865-02-11

Maior and A. b. c."
On the morning Of the Sd. the three gentlemen.
Stephens, Hunter and Campbell, came aboard Of
our steamer and had an interview with the Secre-
tary Of State and myself Of several hours dura
ton. No question Of prell nlnaries to the meet
ing was then and there made or mentioned. No
otber perfon WIS present No papers werc cx-
changed or produced, and It Wis In advance agreed
on that the conversation WAS to be informal and
re1bol, merely, on Cur part. The whole sub
atarcc Of the Instructions 10 the Secretary Of
State herein before related was stated and insisted
upon, ard nothing wus said inconsistent there
with, while with the other party 1t was not SAID
that In any event or on any condition they ever
wonld consent to reunion, get they equally omit
ted to declare that they would not SO consent
They seemed to desire postponcment OF that
Qucston and The adoption OF some other course
first which, as conc OF them seemed to argue,
might or might not lead to a re-nnlun, but which
course, we thought, would amount to IN indefinite
postponement. The conference ended without
any result.
The foregoing containing, as Is believed, all the
information sought, is respectfully submitted.
(Si.ucd) A. LINCOLN.
Executive Mansion, Feb. 10, 1885,
FROM TIE SECRETARY OF STATE.
Tic following .ras enclosed in the message sent
to the Senate:
"Thc Secretary Of State, to whom was referred
q resolution Of the Senate Of the 6:h inst, re-
questine the President OF tho United States, II in
his opinion 1t IS not Incompatible with tho public
interest, to furnish tho Senate with MI tho inos-
nation IN IFS possession concerning the recent
conversation or communication with certain rch-
cle, said to have occurred under Executive s1nc-
ucn, including the communication with the rebel
Jefferson uayis, and any correspondence relating
thereto, has the honor to report TINT the Scnat:
y subee &
resolution, and transmitted to the House this day.
Appended to The report is copy Of the 1nstruc-
Adams, ESQ, Envoy EFaorainary and Minister
Plepipcten!iary Ut The United states ut London,
and which IL the only correspondence found in
In the resolution.
q Respectfully submitted.
"WA. Il SEWARD.
Estate DkrA6TxrsT. [
WAsu1Sd1oS, Feb. u. 1b65."f
MI. SEWARD TO MI. ADAMS.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON. Feb. o.
SIN: It is trulsm TINT in times or peace there
arc always lnstgatora for waz. So soon as war
begins there are cidzcns who Smphatiealiy de-:
var after IN agitation longer or shorter generally
gain their fearful end. though the war declared Is
not unfrcqncutjy unncerssary and unWise. So
peace agitation IN tune Of war ultimately brings
without securing the advantages which were orig
ina1]y expected from the coniiict- The agitation
FOR Nar IN time OF peace. End for peace In time OF
WEI are not necessarily or perhaps ordinarily un-
patriotic in their purpose or motives. Results
alone determine whether they arc wise Or unw1se.
The treaty Of peace concluded at Guadaloupe H.
da1go was secured by IN irregular negotiation.
some u the Efforts which hage been made
to bring about negotiations with = view
to cDd our civil war are known to the whole world,
because they hare employed foreign, a. well as
domestic agents.. Others With who:n you have had
to dcal corfdcntial!y, are known to YOURSELF al'
s! Wbes ony
to the persons actually moving in them, and to
this G9se1nment. lam now 70 give for your In
eral character, which recently received much At
tention here, and which doubtless will excite In
hon s% sSe aie eiel to FonsS
our Nnes. without definite views known to the
Government Nj. Blair visited Ilichruoad, aud on
which JEFF: Davis had written to IL. Blair, In
which Dayis wrote that Mr. B'alr WAS At liberty
to ssy to President Lincoln that JEFF:
6een. ~tllins to sena conulssfone9s' Il szea4sd
that they would be received, Or 10 receive any
that might be sent; that he vas not disposed to
ra1ssioners to confcr with the President With 4
view to restoration OF peace between the co0n-
tries, II he could be assured they would be re-:
Jannar7 addressed a note to III Ball, in Whlch
the President, after acknowledsing, that he had
+.
and always. should be willing 10 receive any
agents TINT Mr. Davis or any other influential man
now actually resiss!ng the authoEitYlof The gov
President, viii = view to tie ' restoration a lon
IT. B'a!r slsi,Fd Mshnon$ nits ias ie.isS, aad
sh @ oil: % ne were @ asf1cd @ rom he camp OF ii Leat
Gen. Grant that A.. II. Stephens, n. II. r. Hunter,
and j. A. Gappbe ,tGe e5e applying 70. ieavs to
Commissioners to confer with the Presiient
They were permitted By the Eeutenant General
To- come hs to aiit there the
Sfsat's hesdqaarteSs: fhe Nsjor Tas directed %
SSYs S h N; a ss s 10 s to
and signed BY the Major, in which they were ii,
recuy Informed that il they should be allowed
11aerssood ssssd u co nSs ssy an ~0Ss aorns
conference upon the bsais Of the Aforesaid letter
otJanuary 16th. to Mr; BlaiE: T. they should e.
then Major Eekert was directed to giye them eais
coming from the President would meet them. 1t
eeRs @ asa Sm sea tae he Fe
mond party would in the manner prescribed, ac-
eept the condition mentioned, the Secretary Of
ofrcp1esentiug this Government In the expected
Informal conference. Tie Secretary arrived at
Fortress Acn:ee r the n.sat 81 TIE asst day ot
Of the I'd, with information that the persons who
cane from Richmond bad not accepted in writing
He ta ~nten ae ~ a.foMTu IT. sise
'd to3 @ sa,s y" ;nier1o,,n ~ p
the President at Washington.
prepsrcd tefeaIa @ dsectinr The secretaFV 70
return to Washington. The Secretary was
preparing at the same moment to 80 retnrn
M1Inon1 No. Naln4rg ioI inlotMatlon 1eom ne ttesi-
tie Secretary Of state, that ne Rehmond party
bad rcconaidercd and accepted the condition. ten,
dered them through y Melor l , Eekert, and General
Gratt urgently advised the PRESIDENT 70 confer IN
person with ne lschmon5 party; Under these
GiIeamslanses iae seefstary, oy !ae rfesi9cnas ~,
President Joined him there On the night Of Feb"
rua5y I'd:
ver IL ats ssam
+ M5P!os I'll &ssas: 9P tss r. 5ss5aiss 4 tss q
Messrs siep6ens e Mun,cf y md campbef on boafd
IN hampton Roads. .,..,.
There was no attenSsnse al scsEetartes clerks go q
Ihe conversation, afthopEh earnest M and free, was
Th'e Richmond pity approached the discussion
aSu,eI tn15ccey. anu ~ ~ sLus w tnsy 1iahe
catefof1eal dcmands, or tenoer iGzma1 snpa.a1ions
sonts5enee wh'sh lasted four hours. the ssye5al
points at issue between the uoEernment and the
;n;'aTgents we1c Distinctly ralssa and disc15sed
.9tF. anu ID az anleaole epl[it: noat
pasH . seeaie SniGfny u tasor VIZ
PostronemenL o. INC qaesnon ol scpafat1on upon
MAfcn uc war 1s wagcd+ anu mutual a1reGnon o.
81 e as n9 e o7 o.
fos bis 0ht III m ~
pested 10 snoelae, ana ths a1maes %
fecn The neon,e # both % Sections Be resumed
was susgeetea by tnem, taaL In19uEa :o 5nsn
We gnt orx row rs+at ara ~ NC
Peace m1 ~. vE[y y tbe nesan9 -. a
ultimate e2uslac1ory aolnsIMeht M Q! .ns ptesens s
Poilucal felauons pet"esG tac GoseaamsHs T. @ nno
lne saies, sec1on OF IeoE ~" b"na dsitharatei
H1cL WIN Il 1ne euE6eauvn 1puEu nelige. r. Ga'Hy .;y