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

ne was not disposed 70 ma ODsJuclVS
in forms-that he would send commits
sioners to confer with the President
with q view to restoration of peace
between the two countries, if he could |
be assured they would be received /
The President therefore, on the 18th
day OF January, addressed a 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 influential man, now actually
resisting the authority of the govern
ment, might send TO confer informally |
with the President, with a view to the
restoration of peace to the people of
our common country. MIR. Blair visi-
ted Richmond, with this letter and
then again came back to Washington
on the 29th nit.
We were advised from the camp of
Lieut.. Gen Grant that Alexander H.
Stephens, II. NJ. 7. Hunter and J. a.
Campbell were applying for leave to
pass through the lines to Washington
rs peace commissioners to confer with
the President. They were permitted
by the Lieut.. Gen to come to his
headquarters to await there the de-
cision of the President. Major Eckert
was sent down to meet the party from
Richmond at Gen Grants head-quar-
ters The Major was directed to de-
liver 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 under
stood as coming for an informal con-
ference upon the basis of the afore-
named letter of the 18th of January to
Mr.. Blair. If they should express
their assent to this condition in
writing, then Major Eckert was direct
ed to give them safe conduct to For
tress Monroe, where person coming
from the President would meet them.
1t being thought probable from a
report of their conversation with
Lieut.. Gen. Grant, that the Richmond
party would in the manner prescribed
accept the conditions mentioned, the
Secretary of State WAS charged by the
President with the duty of represent
ing this government in the expected
informal conference.
The Secretary arrived at Fortress
Monroe in the night of the 1st of Feb
Major Eckert met him on the morning
of the % of FEBRUARY, with the infor-
nation that the persons who had come
from Richmond had not accepted in
writing the conditions upon which he
was allowed to give them conduct to
Fortress Monroe. The Major had
given the same information by tele-
graph to the President t'Washington.
On receiving this information the
President prepared a telegram direct
ing the Secretary to return to Wash
ington. The Secretary was preparing
at the same moment to SO return
without waiting for information from
the President but at this juncture
Lieut.. Gen. Grant telegraphed to the
Secretary of State, that the party from
Richmond had reconsidered and ac-
cepted the conditions rendered them
through Major Eckert, and Gen. Grant
urgently advised the President to
confer in person with the Richmond
party.
Under these circumstances the Sec
rotary by the Presidents direction re-
NAMED ut Fortress Monroe, and the
President joined him there on the
night of the % of FEBRUARY The
Richmond party was brought down
the James River il a Z. S. steam
transport during the day, and the
transport was anchord III Hampton
Roads.
On the morning Of the Sd inst, the
: President. attended by the Secretary
received Messls. Stephens, Hunter and
E Campbell on board the U. S. steam
transport River Queen, i'll Hampton
Roads.
The conference was altogether in
formal There was no attendance O
secretaries, clerks or other witnesses
Nothing was written nor read Tn,
conversation, although earnest and
{ full, was calm and courteous and kline
= on both sides. The Richmond party
| approached the discussion rather in
5 directly, and at no time did they max,
r categorical demands OF tender for
/ nal stipulations or absolute refusals
t Nevertheless, during the conference
3. which lasted four hours, the severa
= points at issue between the govern
t ment and the insurgents were distinct
: ly raised and discussed fully, intelli
e gently, and in an amicable spirit.
. What the insurgent party seemed
e chiefly to favor was postponemen
t of the question of separation upol
: which the war is waged, and mutua
J. direction of the efforts of the govern
y lnent as well as those of the insurgent
# to some extrinsic policy or scheme TO
: a season, during which passions nigh
: be expected to subside and the armie
be reduced and trade and intercours
e between the people of both section
S be resumed 1t was suggested b
e them that through each postponemen
c we might now have immediate peac
s with some, not very certain, prospec
n Of an ultimate satisfactory adiustmen
q of the political relations between tn