Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1865-02-21

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VI

and aceordingly telegraphed him and the1Secre-
tary Of State respectively IS follows:
War DEPARTMENT., WASHINGTON, D. g.
& zas g. February 9, 1885, (
Lieutenant General Grant, City Point, VSroi1ia:
Say to the gentlemen that will meet them n.r.
sonAlly at Fortress Monroe, as soon as I can ont
there. -, --.- A LINCOJN
tSent in cipher at 9 A. Nj ="
WAR DEPARTMENT, WAsHmGroN, D.-G.,l
February 2, 1865
Hon. William II .Ss.Oard, Fortrsss Monroe, Hir.
Induced by dispatch from Gen. Grant. 7 min
you at Fortress Monroe as soon as can come.
A. LINCOLN.
Before starting the following dispatch was shown
me-. proceeded nevertheless:
-OFFIcE UNITED STATES MILITARY TELEGRIPH
WAR DEPARTNENE-[Oipherl The following tel.,
gram WAS received at Washington, February q,
1855: From City Point Virginia A. M. Fsb
1850 Hon. William II. Seward Secretary of
State, Fortress Monroe, copy to Hon. Edwin ".
stanton, Secretary of War, Washington, D. Co.,
Inc gentlemen here have accepted the proposed
An .. n g GRANT
y..-... Lieutenant-GeneraI
On the night OF the I'd reached Hampton Roads
and found the Secretary of State and Major Eckert
90 steamer anchored off the shore, aud learned Of
them thatAhe Richmond gentlemen were ON unotheY
steamer, also anchored off shore in the roads, AID
that the Secretary of State had not yet seen or
communicated with them. ascertained that Mai.
Eckert had literally complied with his Instructions,
and saw, for the first time the answer of the Rich.
mend gentlemen to him, which, in his dispatch to
me Of the lst he chaIacterzes as not satisfactory.
! That answer is as follows, to wit:
m, GITT PoLsF, VIRGINIA, February l, 1865.
.fheHaa a. EeEert, Major and A. d. G.:
MAJOR Your note, delivered by yourself this
oay' mas been considered. For reply We have to
cal hat Ill 1t
ter OF President Lincoln to Francis P Blair of the
18th of January ultmo, another copy of which in
appended to your note. Our intentions are con.
tained in letter of which the following ia copy:
- RICHMOND January IS, 1856.
=" In conformity with the letter of Mr.. Lincoln, Of
which the foregoing is copy, you are to proceed
! to- Washington city Tor informal conference with
him upon the issues involved in the existing war;
and for the purpose Of securing peace to the two
countries.
With great respect, your obedient servant,
| JEFFERSON DAVIS"
The substantial effect to be obtained by the in
formal conference is to ascertain upon what terms
the existing war can be terminated honorably.
Our instructions contemplate personal interview
| between President Lincoln and ourselves at Wash.
ington, but with this explanation we are ready to
| meet any person or persons that President Lincoln
may appoint, at such place as he may designate.
| Our earnest desire is that inst and honorable
| peace may be agreed upon, and we are prepared to
receive or to submit propositions which may pos
| sIbly lead to the attainment of that end
Very respectfully yours, -.
ALEX. H. STEPHENS,
| r. NJ. T. HUNTER
| JOHN A. CAMPBELL
A note of these gentlemen, subsequently address
ed to General Grant has already been given in Ma
jor Eckerts dispatch of the 1st instant 49,
also here saw for the first time, the following
note, addressed BY the Richmond gentlemen to
| Major Eckert:
| CIrT PoINT VIRGINIA, February 9, 1866 .
Thomas d EcEert, Major and Aid de- Camp:
MAJOR In reply to your verbal statement that
| your instructions did not allow you to alter the
eondErps upon which passport could be given 10
49, IyrthAt We are willing to proceed to Enk=.
tress MONROE, and there to have Informal confer
ence with any person or persons that President
Lincoln may appoint, on the basis of his letter to
I. T. Blair of thel6th of January, ultimo, or upon
any other terms or conditions that be may hereaf.
| ter PROPOSE not inconsistent with the essential
principles of selfgoVernment and popular rights
upon which our constitutions are founded. It ID
earnest wish TO ascertain after free Ango
OF ideas and Information, upon what principles and
terms if any, just and honorable peace can be e.
tablished without the further efusion of blood and
to contribute our utmost efforts TO accomplish such
. result we think it better to add that in accept.
ing your passports, We are not to be understc oil -
committing ourselves to anything but to carry to
this informal conference the views and feelings
above expressed.
Very respectfully yours, &C.,
ALEX. H, STEPHENS,
j. a. CAMPBELL,
s R, H. T. HUNTER.
NoTE.-The above communication was delivered
to me at Fortress Monroe, at 4:30 P. NJ February
:, by Lieutenant Colonel BabcOek, of Genera
Grants staff
THOMAS T. ECKERT,
Major and Aid de Camp.
On the morning of February 8, the three gentle
men, Messrs Stephens, Hunter and Campbell, Cana
aboard our steamer and had an interview with the
Secretary Of State and myself of several hours du
ration. No question of preminaries to the meet
ing was then and there made mentioned. Nc
other person present No papers were ex
changed or produced, and it was in advance agreed
that the conversation was to be informal and Terba
merely. On our part the whole substance of the
instructions the Secretary of State hereiubeforG
recitsd, was stated and insisted upon and nothing
said inconsistent Herewith while by the othSI
party it was net said that in any event or in any
condition they ever would consent to reunion, and
yet they equally omitted to declare that they would
not consent. They seemed to desire postpone
ponement of that question and the adoption of some
\ other course first, which some of them seemed
to argue, might might not lead to Reunion, bui
which course we thought would amount to an in
definite postponsment The conference ended with
out result
The foregoing containing, as is believed, all th.
information sought is respectfully submitted.
: ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Executive Mansion, Feb 10, 1866.
ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS.
, WAsHIsGToN, February 1o-The following va
7 inelosed in the message sent to the Senate:
: To the Prssidsnt: ...-
The Secretary of State, to whom was referred {
resolution of the Senate of the 9Th instant request
ing the President of the United States, if in hi
opinion not incompatible with the public Interests
ta furnish to the Senate any information IN his pos
session concerning recent conversations or commu
ncations with certain rebels, said to have Occurre
i under Executive sanction, including communities
g tons with the rebel Jefferson Davis, and any cor
, respondepce relating thereto, has the honor to re
port that the Senate may properly be referred to
special message of the President bearing upon tn
subject of the resolution and transmitted to th
!, House this day.
8 Appended to the report is copy of an instrue
!, ton which has been addressed to Charles FrAnei
| E~Er dinar md iniat