The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-02-17
Result of the Peace Conference.

The official report of the late peace
conference in Hampton Roads has been
published, together with all the prelimina-
~ correspondence. 1t was given to con-
gress by the President OH FRIDAY. and
agrees substantially with the report of the
rebel ENJOYS. Putting it all together the
Boston Jounal comes to the following
conclusion:
First, that the position of the Presi-
dent throughout was precisely in accord
ance with his official record: and his bear
ING was Just, was honorable TO himself and
cre'litable TO the loyal cause. AT the very
beginning, he opened the way to the con-
terance only upon the basis of % securing
peace to the people of our common countr.y.''
L. remained true to the anti-Slavery lecis-
latiOn of congress and his own emancipa-
ton record; he adhered to the position of
all loyal men that the insurgents must
abandon their warfare against the govern
ment is the first step 10 peace and then.
in the event of the complete restoration
of the national authority, he promised the
utmost leniency consistent with the official
limits of his power. These are, and al
ways have been, the positions of the LOYAL
country, upon which we have fought and
shall fight, till peace is won.
Secondly, it is evident from all the re-
ports, that the rebel commissioners avoid
ed any direct demands or propositions will
respect to permanent peace or Il final set
uement of the natural controversy. The
President says that, while avoiding anv
commlttal on the subject of eventual re-
union, they seemed to desire a postpone
ment of that question and the adoption
of some other course first, which, as some
OF them seemed to argue, might or might
not lead to reunion" MIR. Seward ex-
presses the same idea in different language.
that is, they recommended that the atten-
ton OF both sides should be turned "to
some extrinsic policy or scheme for sea-
son." This curious suggestion could not
be gone into with much particularly, be-
cause 1t amounted to an armistice without
any restoration Of the national authority
or disarmament Of the insurgent forces
which the government in no case could
sanction.
Thirdly, it still remains a question, af-
ter all the documents have been perused.
why and ior what Jeff. Davis sent his
commissioners through our lines9 Though
he began his correspondence with referring
to peace to the two countries" yet he
seemed to waive that, by saying of Mr..
Llncolns willingness to confer about peace
to ''our common country" that she un-
derstood it." If, indeed, he had not
waived his previous phrase, it is very Ger
tain that no rebel commissioners would
have been received, and he knew it. Was
his conduct, then, trick, designed for Sc
curing some rebel advantage, or was he
really willing to see what could be done
to secure peace on the basis of reunion
lhe course of the commissioners, to which
we have referred in the paragraph imme-
dlately preceding, forms part of the
same inquiry. 1t was artful enough to
raise suspicious of disingenuousness in the
case OF any but men of high personal in
tegrlty. But, on the other hand, allow
Ing the commissioners tn he such mon
their course might possibly be consistent
with desire for reunion, coupled with a
conviction that the Southern mind was
not yet ready, through pride, for consider