The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-19

LETTER FROM PRESIDENT d. /
V1S TO THE GEORGIA SENA-
TORS.
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA,
~ November II, 1864.
To the Honorable Senators Of Georgia.
Messrs: 4. r. Wright, President or !
Senate: 7. L. Query, j. III. Nkam- /
bers. Thomas T. Lloyd, Frederick n. |
West, Robert B. Nes6et:: t%
Gentlemen: answered by telegram |
this morning your letter Of 11th instant,
as requested, and now respectfully com. |
ply with your desire that [ should ex-
press my views on the subject 70 which |
you invite my attention. Il
In forwarding to me the 1esolutions
introduced into the House Of Represeil-
tatiyes Of Georgia by Mr.. Stephens, of
Hancock, you state that you arc not in
clined to favor the passage Ct these or
ang similar resolutions, bging them
to have a tendency to create divisions
among ourselves and to unite and
strengthen our enemies; but that it is
asserted in Milledgeville that | favor such
action on the part of the States, and
would be pleased to see Georgia cast her
| influence in that way. You are KIND
enough to say that if this be true, and if
the passage of these Or similar resolu-
tons would, in the slightest degree, aid
| or assist me in bringing the war to
successful and speedy close, you will
give them your earnest and hearty sup
port.
I return to you my cordial thanks for
this expression of confidence, but assure
YOU that there is no truth in the asser-
tions which you mention and l pre-
sumo that you will already have seen by
the closing part Of my annual message,
which must have reached you since the
date of your letter, that have not con-
templated the use of any other agency in
treating for peace than that established
by the Constitution of the Confederate
States.
That agency seems to me to be we'll
adapted to its purpose, and free from the
INJURIOUS consequences that would follow
any other means that have been sug.
gested.
. The objection to separate State action
which you present in your letter ap'
pears to be so conclusive as to admit nc
reply. The immediate and inevitable
! tendency of such distinct action by each
, State is to create discordant instead o.
united counscls; to suggest to our enc
mics the possibility Of a dissolution O
the Confedcracy, and to encourage them
!. by the spectacle of our divisions, t.
r more determined and united actor
( against us.
They would readily adopt the false ide'
that some Of the States of the C0nfede
t racy arc disposed to abandon their siste
- States and make separate terms of peac
h for themselves; and if such suspicion
however unfounded, were once engen
> dered among our own people, it woul'
l. be destructive of that spirit of mutua
e confidence and support which forms ou
r chief reliance for success in the mainte
! nance of our cause.
. When the proposal of separate Stat
e action was first mootcd, it appeared t
! me so impracticable, so void of an
promise of good, that l gave no heed
J. the proposal; but upon its adoption b
20 citizens whose position and ability Civ
y, weight to the expression Of their opinion
10 was led to serious consideration
is the subject. My first impressions hay
er not been changed by reflection.
Sc If all the States Of the two hosti
a federations are to meet in convention.
>, is plain that such q meeting can only tai
eo place after an agreement as to the tim
;e. place and terms on which they are
meet Now, without discussing Il
minor. ..although not triRing difficultie
of agreeing as to time and place, it
certain that the States would never COZ
gent to convention without a previo'
agreement as to the terms on which tn
ed were to meet. The proposed conventlt
must meet on the basis either that
III State should, against. its own will,
he hound by the decision of the conventio
ed, or that it should be SO bound. But It
ire plain that an agreement on the basis tn
"a no State should be bound, without
Gu consent, by the result of the deliber
eir tons, would be an abandonment, on
est part of the North, of it's pretended rig
of coercion; would be an absolute
cognition Of the independence Of
several States of the Confederacy'; wot
be, in a word, so complete a concessi
of the rightfulness of our cause that
most visionary cannot hope for such
agreement in adrance of the meeting
a convention. The only other possi
basis of meeting is that each State sho,
agree, beforehand, to be bound by
ern decision of the convention; and 81
cisl agreement is but another form OF su