The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-02-17
From Richmond.


from Richmond.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-The Rich
mond Wig of the It'll says the fol-
lowing documents were laid before
Congress this morning:
40 he Senate and House Of represent
atices Of the Confederate States. Of
dmer{cG:
Having recently received written
notification which satisfied me that the
President of the United States was
disposed to confer informally with UNI
official agents that might be sent by
me, with a view to the restoration OF
peace, | requested Hon. r. NJ. T.
Hunter, Hon. Alexander H. stephens,
Hon. John A. Campbell to proceed
through our lines to hold a confer
ence with Mr. Lincoln or such per-
sons as he might depute to represent
him. | herewith submit for the in
formation of Congress the report Of
the eminent citizens above named,
showing that the enemy refuse to en-
ter into negotiations with the Confed-
crate States, or any one of them sep
arately, or give our people any other
terms or guarantees than those which
a conqueror may grant, or to permit
us to have peace on any other basis
than an unconditional submission to
their rule, coupled with the accep-
tance of their recent legislation, in
Guiding an amendment to the Con
stitution for the emancipation of ne
gro slaves, and with the right on the
part of the Federal Congress to legis-
late on the subject of the relations be-
tween the white and black population
of each State. Such is, as | UNDER
stand, the effect of the amendment to
the Constitution which has becn
adopted by the congress of the United
States. JEFFERSON DAVIS.
RlcHMoND, Feb. ).
ITO The President Of The Co4fdcraie
States:
"Sm-Under your letter and ap-
pointment of the 28th, we proceeded
to seek an informal conference with
Abraham Lincoln, President of the
United States, upon the subject men
toned in your letter The conference
was granted and took place on the
Both, on board of u steamer anchored
in Hampton Roads, where we me.
President Lincoln and Hon. Mr.. Sew
ard, Secretary of State of the United
States. 1t continued for several hours
and was both full and explicit. We
learned from them that the message
of President Lincoln to the Congress
of the United States in December last
explains clearly and distinctly his sen
timents as to the terms, conditions
and method Of proceeding by which
peace can be secured to the people
and we are not informed that they
would be modified or altered to oh
tain that end. We understood from
him that no terms or proposals of any
treaty or agreement looking to amy
ultimate settlement would be enter
tanned or made by him with the au
! thorities of the Confederate States, be.
cause that would be q recognition o.
their existence as q separate power
which under no circumstances would
be done, and for like reasons that nc
such terms would be entertained by
him from the States separately; that
no extended truce or armistice as al
present advised would be granted
or allowed without satisfactory assu-
RANGES in advance, of complete res
toration of the authority of the Con
. stitution and laws of the United
States over all places within the States
of the Confederacy; that whatevel
consequences may follow from the re
establishment of that authority mus
be accepted, but that the individual,
subject to pains and penalties undel
the laws of the United States nigh
rely upon very liberal power con
fided to him to remit those pains ant
penalties if peace be restored.
During the conference the propose,
amendments to the Constitution of tn,
United States adopted by Congress
on the 3lst ult were brought to on
notice, These amendments proyid
that neither slavery nor involuntar'
seryitude, except for crime, should ex
list within the United States, or an,
place within their jurisdiction, an,
} Congress should have power to enforc
this amendment by appropriate legis
i lation.
Very respectfully your obedien
servants, A. ii. STEPHENS,
r Nj. Il. HUNTER,
j. A. Campbell.
| Louis Napoleon is constantly I'm
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