Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-02-14

- A wssHsseroS. Feb 10 .. IN.
The republican newspapers Of this city strive
eth each other 10 zee which OF them shall be
spstter Mr. Lincoln the most with the titles and
the attributes Of roTsty. During the whole
course of the rec nt peace negotiations. the pres
dents poues IA the matter were spoken Of as
supreme. sud The Chronicle went 80 far as to
speak Of Mr.. Lincoln the sovereign head OF
great nation. and of the presidents having left
bis capital, IN his sovereign capacity. % cOiief
With the southern commissioners. SJch Ian
gnsge sill be regarded With dissppr0yal, and
even with apprehension, by Democrats every
where. But IL i regarded With far different feel
ing< by the present republican congress. Your
readers will see in the proceedings Of the House
yesterday, that a resolution condemning the u-s
OF such language 20 the president, ard setting
forth the fact tha, the president - not the sOver
sign authority. but that the Sovereignty resides
10 tbc people, w. laid over, the House refusing
70 consider IL Hence by the decision OF the
House. IL is now regIe TO regard the president
ss having the capacity and powers y; a sOver
eign. This Is certainly an Interesting fact 10
the history OF republican government. aud
It shows the progress We are making tOEsft be
coming great nation
The affection Of mystery which has been
thrown around the recent peace conference IL RI
dicuous in view OF the fact that IN day or two
more We will have a full report OF the same in
readers will not bave failed 10 observe that some
OF the administration organs are trying TO create
the impression that the conference not
failure. that the result arrived at was not final
ity. and that this meeting has paved the way for
future conference, at which peace may yet re
suit The silence OF the administration gives
color to this view. which is Que that must pro-
duce the most unhappy consequences to the
north. Although &c Is impossible for a full his
TORS Of shQ 10 10 Il ia
features have nevertheless been privately ii
vulged, and are Is follows:
The conference WAS frank and unreserved on
both sides. Mr Seward tried TO be diplomatic
at first but failed, and the conversation was then
maintained on our side by the president with
all his accustomed planness OF speech and di-
rectness OF manner. On the other side the COM
miseioners had only one tact to ascertain. and
there was no need their part. for circumlocu-
ton.
It a great mistake TO suppose that the com
mlsslOners came IN the capacity Of private citi-
xens. Mr. Stephens came in his capacity OF vice
president of the confederscy, and all three OF
them came a ENJOYS from the confederate gov
eminent from which they had received their
powers and their Instructions The latter we're
minute and imperative. the former we're full and
ample Their instructions were not 10 ascertain
IL peace could be made. for IL had been ascer-
tanned from Mr. Blair that peace could be made;
but 90 ascertain whether peace could be made Oh
the basis Of separation. Nc. Davis had informed
Mr. Blair. before the latter left Richmond the
last time. that the commissioners sen; by the
south could only treas on that basis: and both
Mr. Lincoln aud Mr. Seward knew, before
they lett Washington 10 meet the commission
crs, that the latter would not trea, on any
other basis
The commissioners fully empowered by the
confederate government to negotiate an mmedi-
ate treaty OF peace and amity, on the above basis
aud terms that would otherwise have been
highly advantageous 20 the north. This treaty
would have had To be ratified by the confederate
senate. it is true But il would also have had To
be ratified by the Senate at Washington. Ii the
House considers Mr. Lincoln as u sovereign, the
Senate does not Treaties, to be valid. must be-
ratified by the Senate; at least until another
constitutional amendment" Is pissed. altering
the former practice of the government in that
respect.
ns commissioners left Richmond for Wash
ing,on fully expecting that they would bring
back With them the draft, at lie ,st. of treaty
of pence The radicals ia this city, too. both In
and ont Of congress. were furious at the presi
dent for going 10 meet the ENJOYS. aud they
too expected and feared that ;hst extraordinary
step would open the way to peace The most
violent abuse heaped upon Mr. Lincoln by
men OF his own party. simply because they be-
leved that he was going TO make Deace
Fln.iiy, the presidents and secretary oil state
lett the conference. satisfied that there wss
more in the instructions OF the ENJOYS than APP
pesred on the surface that the frmness with
which they adhered TO 20 their ultimatum was
founded on a conviction of their ability to Oh
tain. finally. What they now demanded. and
that the military resources Of the south had not
We, begun TO reach tie point OF exhaustion
Nothing said during the conference about
any expectation Of foreign aid or OF French
cogntion. On Toe ether had, the eOvoys APP
peared to be from people who depended up
on themselves alone and on their own resources
for the Accomplishment OF their Independence
MALCOLM.