The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-02-17
THE PEACE CONFERENCE.
Dispatch from Secretary Seward
to Minister Adams.

s.. to Minister Adams.
In addition to the correspondence printed
in The PIONEER, relating to the Peace
Conference the following from Mr.. SEWARD
was enclosed in the message sent to the
Senate by the President
The Secretary of State, to whom was referred
a resolution of the Senate of the 9Th inst, re.
questing the President of the United States, if,
in his opinion, it was notincompatible with the
public interests, to furnish to the Senate all In.
formation in his possession concerning recent
conversations or communications with certain
rebels, said to have occurred under executive
sanction, including communications with the
rebel Jefferson Davis, and any correspondence
relating thereto, has the honor to report that
the Senate may properly be referred to spe.
cial message of the President bearing upon
the subject of the resolution, and transmitted
to the house this day. Appended to the report
is copy of the instructions which have been
addressed to Charles Francis Adams, ESQ.,, en-.
voy extraordinary and minister plsnipo potentiary
the only correspondence found in this depart
ment touching the subject referred to in the
resolution. =
(signed) VIM H. SEWARD.
Department of State, Washington, Feb. 10,
1866.
T Mr.. Se,card to Mr.. AdGms1
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, Feb. 81
SIR: 1t is a t-uism that, in times of peace,
there are always instigators of war. SO soon
as war begins, there are citizens who emphati-
cally demand negotiations of peace. The ad.
vocates of war. after an agitation, longer or
shorter, generally gain their fearful end, though
the war declared is not unfrequently unneces-
ovnA sv~ of
war ultimately bring about an abandonment of
the conflict, sometimes without securing the
advantages which were originally expected
from the conflict. The agitators for war in
time of peace, and for peace in time of war, are
not necessarily, or perhaps ordinarily, unpatri-
otic In their purposes or motives. Results
alone determine whether they are wise or un.
loupe Hidalgo was secured by an irregular
negotiation. Some of the efforts which have
been made to bring about negotiations with a
view to end our civil war are known to the
whole world, because they have employed for
eign as well as domestic agents. Others with
whom you have had to deal confdentially are
known to yourself although they have not
red here which are known only to the persons
actually moving in them and to this govern
ment.
lam now about to give for your informa-
ton an account of On affair of the same gener.
al character which recently received much at
tention here, and which doubtless will excite
enquiry abroad. A few days ago, Francis P.
Blair, Esq, obtained from the President a sim.
pie leave to pass through our lines, without de.
finite views known to the government. Mr..
Blair visited Richmond, and, on his return, he
showed to the President letter which JEFF.
Davis had written to Mr.. Blair, In which Davis
wrote that Mr.. Blair was at liberty to say to
President Lincoln that Davis was now, as he
always had been, willing to send commission
ers, If assured they would be received or to
receive any that should be sent; that he was
not disposed to find obstacles in forms that
he would send commissioners to confer with
the President, with view to restoration of
peace between the countries, if he could be as
sured they would be received. The President,
therefore, on the 18th of January, addressed
note to Mr.. Blair, in which the President, after
acknowledging that he had read the note of
Mr.. Davis, said that he was, is, and always
should be, willing to receive any agents that
Mr.. Davis, or any other influential man now
actually resisting the authority of the govern
ment might send, to confer informally with the
President with vieV to the restoration OF
Mr.. Blair visited Richmond with this letter,
and then again came back to Washington. On
the 29th ult., we we're advised from the camp
Of.Lieut. Gen. Grant, that A. q. Stephens, r. NJ,
7. Hunter, and j. A. Campbell were applying
for leave to pass through the lines to Washing
ton as peace commissioners to confer with the
president. They were permitted by the lieu
tenant general to come to his headquarters, to
await there the decision of the President. Mai.
Eckert was sent down to meet the party from
Richmond at Gen. Grants headquarters. The
major was directed to deliver to them a COPY
of the Presidents letter to Mr. Blair, with
note to be addressed to them, and signed by
the major, in which they were directly in
formed that, if they should be allowed to pass
our lines, they would be understood as coming
for an informal conference upon the basis OF
the aforesaid named letter of the 18th of Jan.
uary to MI. Blair. If they should express their
assent to this condition in writing, then MAJOR
Eckert was directed to give them safe condact
to fortress Monroe, where person coming
from the President would meet them. IL pc
Ing thought probable, from report OF tnen
conversation with Lieut.. Gen. Grant, tnat tne
Richmond party would, in the manner Pre-.
secretary of state was charged by the president
with the duty of representing this government
in the expected informal conference. Inc sec.
retary arrived At Fort Monroe on the night OF
the LIST day of February: MAJOR Eckeft met
him on the morning OF the "a, wite lni9.ma-
tion that the pssOsnSd M1T IN Writing the condi.
tion mon which be was allowed to give them
conduct to Fortress Monroe. The major had
GIVEN the same information by telegraph to the
President at Washington.
On receiving this Information the President
,onared Un 4 Telegram directing the Secretary to
retlrn to washington. The Secretary was pre-
pairing at the same moment TO return, without
Int al the same juncture, Lieut. General Grant
teieeraphed to the Secretary of War, as well
"a to the Secretary of State, that the Richmond
narty had reconsidered and accepted the con-
dition rendered them through Major Eckert,
and General Grant urgently advised the Presi.
dent to confer in person with the Richmond
party. Under these circumstances, the Secre-