Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-02-08


'Fhat reminds me of story of a man in
out in IllinoisI /" Stephens, Hunter and
oamPbell instantly jumped up in q roar Of
merriment.
The interruption caused by this tsharac.
teElstic outbreak, and the apt story'which
followed being through with, the Rebel
Ice PRESIDENT resumed, and pursued to
the end of his statement Of the rights of the
Oontederate States and the terms on which
ne thought they would beiwiIlinR to ston
Ihe war. Recognition was the fret of them.
The proposition for an armistice was. of
course logical sequence.
1t is very certain that Mr.. Lincoln and
Mr' Seward were surprised at striking this
Snag ~ the very outset of the conference,
me preliminary CROPPING and feeling
aEounq oy our pioneer Of peace and his
assurances and convictions, had led to the
oeliei that the three snyoys had entered
our llnes to talk of a.Sestoted Union aud a
common coantry. ,Ethey iiHd -staySN for
about two 5esAf tby ..ssfIny headGstieS.ers
IN conversations thess WITH Gems. Giant.
Meade, and one or two other generals
Stephens professeds to love the old Union.
to be as much as ever in his feelings an
American of the United States and de-
p!ored the necessity which politiCs placed
MIN and all the. leaders of the Rebellion In
70 have something to give to the decima-
ted and impoverished people of the South
for their sacrifices. 1t is understood that
they declared at headquarters, that if. we
would recognizesthemfo for only a week, or
any suitable length of time, to satisfy the
pride of their people, they would pledge
their honorto bring about reunion. -
Whatever waslthe precise character of.
their admissions or tintimstions, our peace
prospectors went to Fortress Monroe on
what they teltwas sure thing EHBssHI
OF the whole character of thewhoIe i'm
teFVlew the country can judge from what
Mr.. Lincoln said to general officer on
saturday: IVY g could not do anything with
tnem Wn8teVer." ls -..a..-..,. ...--..-
n They stood on recognition. Mr.. Seward
considered their claims argum eutatiyely.
He kindly and oourteously spoke of. our
larger resources, and of our certainty of
victory in the end; They insisted on re.
cognition. The utter Misunderstanding of
this demand and of their other and conse.
quent demands was demonstrated. They,
were immovable-they stood for recognf-
ton. i'5.Eh1i.
Mr.. Stephens, more flexible and polite
than his associates, proposed and argued
his crafty scheme of a temporary recogni-
ton, repeating at length the considera-,
tious he had aired at Grants headquarters;
but on recognition, absolute or temporary,
the three Commissioners stood like rocks.
q The conference had to be broken off,
but it was not without results. AS seen
from Washington, it accomplished three
things: First: The demonstration of the
truth that this war. which is Gods me.
ohanism for viping slavery and slavehold-
ing aristocracy out of the United States,
has got to be,fought through to the end
Secondly: The demonstration of the truth
that the; rebels wiii>nut permit eestora.
ton of the Union. Thirdly: The adhesion
of the Peace Democrats to the Govern
ment, forthwith, and union of all parties
in a vigorous prosecution of the war toput
down the rebellion. Fernando Wood took
the war path on Saturday; Cox and other
Democrats will take it tomorrow. Fourth.
ly: The bracing up of the war all over i'm
mediately; the reorganization to some ex-
tent of the adoption of economy; the cor
rectiou of abuses; the stoppage of waste;
the stiffeniug of discipline; in all thugs a
radical preparation for the renewal Of a
contest nowhere near it's end. New legis-
lation in aid of all this will begin to-mor-
row.