The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-02-16
The Peace Interview.

The Peace Interview.
The following Report of the Rebel
Peace Commissioners of the result OF their
;n,erv;ow with President Lincoln and
Secretary Seward
@RIcnMoND, Va, Feb. 5, 1865.
aTo tic President Of the Confederate
States:
"SIR: Under your letter of appoint
ment of the 20th ultimo, we proceeded to
seek an Informed conference with Abra-
ham Lincoln, President of the y. States,
upon the subject mentioned in the letter
The conference was granted, and took
place on the 30th inst, on board steam
er anchored in Hampton Roads, where
we met President Lincoln and Hon. Mr..
Seward, Secretary Of State of the United
States. 1t continued for several hours.
and was both full and explicit.
1--WE learned from them that the mes
sage of President Lincoln to the Congress
of the United States, in December last,
explains clearly and distinctly his senti-
ments as to the terms, conditions, and
method of proceeding, by which peace
can be secured to the people, and we were
not informed that they would be modified
or altered to obtain that end.
awe understood from him that no terms
or proposals of any treaty or agreement
looking to an ultimate settlement would
be entertained or made by him with the
Confederate States, because that would
be recognition of their existence as
separate Power, which under no circum-
stances would be done and, for like rea-
sons that no such forms would be enter
tained by him from the States separately;
that no extended truce or armistice Gas at
present advised) would be granted or al
lowed, without a satisfactory assurance,
in advance, of a complete restoration of
the authority of the Constitution and
laws of the United Safes over all places
within the States of the Confedracy.
"That whatever consequences may fol-
low from the re establishment of that au-
thority must be accepted. But that indi-
viduals, subject to pains and penalties un-
der the laws of the United States, might
rely upon very liberal use of the power
conided to him to remit those pains and
penalties if peace be restored.
During the conference the proposed
amendments to the Constitution Of the
United States, adopted by Congress on
the 3lst ult, were brought to our notice.
"These amendments provide that nei-
ther~Slavery nor involuntary servitude,
except for crime, should exist within the
United States or any place within their
jurisdiction, and that Congress should
have power to enforce this amendment By
appropriate legislation.
"Of all the correspondence that prece-
ded the conference herein mentioned, and
leading to the same, you have heretofore
been informed
every respectfully your obedient SER
wants, ALEXANDER III. STEPHENS,
r. NJ. I. HUNTER,
/ j. A. CAMPBELL"
The following is President Lincoln 5
account Of his interview with the Rebel
Peace Commissioners
On the morning of the Sd the three
gentlemen, Messrs. Stephens, Hunter
and Campbell, came aboard of our steam
er, and had an interview with the Secre-
tary of State and myself of several hours
duration. Noquestion of preliminaries to
the meeting was then and there made or
mentioned. No other person was present,
or papers were exchanged or produced,
and it was in advance agreed that the con-
versation was to be informal and verble
merely. On our part the whole sub
stance of the instructions to the Secretary
of State, hereinbefore recited, was stated
and insisted upon, and nothing was said
inconsistent Herewith while, by the O.
ther party, it was not said that in any
event or on any condition would they
ever consent to reunion; and yet they e.
qually omitted to declare that they would
so consent. They seemed to desire post
ponement of that question and the adop-
tion of some other course first, which, as
some of them seemed to argue, might
or might not lead to reunion, but which
course we thought would amount to an
indefinite postponemsnt The confer
ence ended without result
The foregoing sought, is respectfully
submitteds ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Executive Mansion, Feb. 10; 1865.
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