Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-02-18
The Peace Negotiations.
The n. Y. Times Wasbington ;,

vance OF Messrs. stephens, Hunter and Car
bell Upon the arrival of these pen,I"np'
they were at once invited to an inte,.t'en
and Informed Mr.. Seward Of their de.;,.
proceed 70 Washington for the purno.e %
discussing the ques lion of peace with =, "
President. Mr.. Seward informed them IT,. we
was the Presidents wish that the disen.sss.H
should take place at Fortress Monroe aH
that he had been sent to meet them a. sao
point upon the subject. The Commlss;o.sa4 1
pressed with considerable earnestDe..
leave to visit Washington, and finally sII.aoi
that their Governments had consents .eseo
them only in consequence of Mr.. BIair;,' e 10
suranee that they should have narso.s, as
terview with President Lincoln. Mr.. SeT.ra
assured them that this pledge should be a. I
hlled and at once telegraphed to the Prs.;.
! dent that his presence was necessarv 'eSi'
After Mr.. Lincoln's arrival, the confa,o
lasted four hours, AID was perfectIv
and good tempered throughout. On our IA.
the conversation was mainly condnctad I' Ie
the President, and on their side by Mr., Hun.
ter, Mr.. stephens occasionally taking part.
The rebel commissioners said notbin,
whatever of their personal views or ur;abots
but spoke solely and exclusively for their
Government, and at the outset and tbro,,rL
out the conference, declared their entire IscL
of authority to make, receive, or consider az
proposition whatever, looking toward close
of the war, except on the basis of recorni.
ton of the independence of the ConfedeTato
States as preliminary condition.
The President presented the subject to
them in every conceivable form, and suggest.
ed the most liberal and considerable modifea.
tions of whatever in the existing Legislation
| nd of 0ff Tho TYpffoA n
might be regarded as specially hostile to tbs
rights and interests, or wounding to the pride
of the Southern people, but in no single par.
ticular could he induce them to swerye far
a moment from their demand for recognition
They did not present this, cOnspicuously. a.
resting on, their own convictions, but as the
condition which their Government had made
absolutely indispensable to any negotiation or
/ discussions whatever concerning peace.
President Lincoln, on the other hand. in.
formed them, at every point, that such recog
milton was utterly and totally out of the oues.
ton; that the United States could stop the
war and arrest, even temporarily, the move
ment OF its armies, only on the condition
| precedent that the authority Of the National
Government should be recognized and obeyed
over the whole territory of the United States.
This point conceded, he assured them that
upon every other matter of difference they
would be treated with the utmost liberality.
but without that recognition the war must
and would go on. f3
All the conversation which took place be.
tween the respective parties came back to
i and turned upon this radical and irreconeIa
bic difference. Neither side could be swery.
| ed hairs breadth from its position, and
| therefore the attempt at negotiation was an
utter failure. Upon separating, it was dis.
tinctly and explicitly stated that the attitude
of each Government was to be precisely what
| il would have been if this interview had new.
er taken place.
The cabinet received these explanations
as complete and satisfactory, and the feeling
was unanimous and earnest that the country
| must now arouse itself to renewed efforts and
| prepare to make fresh sacrifices in defence Of
the integrity of the Union and the preserva.
| ton of the government.
As you know the source of this dispatch,
/ need not assure you that it is perfectly re-
| liable.
The Herald has an editorial, to which it
| gives prominence, saying the facts stated in
| this article are derived from such sources as
to entitle them to implicit belief They are
| correct beyond the possibility of mistake.
| After referring to the motives which induced
| Mr. Blair to visit Richmond it continues:
Before Mr.. Blair left for home JEFF. Davis
| addressed to him letter expressing strong
desire for peace, and Offering to waive all
| formalities in settling our differences Oh tie
basis of the two Governments. The letter
/ was adroitly couched in such terms as to the
| hasty or careless reader might conceal the
/ clOven foot, or cloven government, which on
close inspection was plainly visible at the
bottom of it. 1t seems to be cunning ef
| fort to place the odium of continuing an IN
necessary war, on Mr.. Lincoln.
The President speedily sent Blair back with
the assurance that he also was desaous Of
peace, and in substance that without stick
| ling for mere technicalities, he would listen
to what any messenger might have to say If
sent by JEFF. Davis or any other prominent
rebel, provided the necessity OF preserving
our own as the one Government of the whole
| United States were first conceded.
Thus far in the diplomatic game Mr.. Lin
coin had decidedly got the better of DAVIS
1t would not do for the shaking Confederac!
to leave the matter thus, and so the astute
Mr.. Stephens was called to the aid of Mr..
Davis, long conference was held, and it was
determined that Mr.. Stephens, Judge Camp
bell and Mr.. Hunter should proceed North,
and try their joint hands at Islending matters.
They entered Grants lines on the assurance
that they came on the basis of Mr.. LincOln's
instructions to Mr.. Blair, but, when the Presi.
dent and Mr.. Seward met them, it turned out
that all they wanted was an armistice, and
the consideration of the maintenance of the
Union was to be put off to a more convenient
season, when their stomachs should be full Of
the fat to be derived from our land, and their
military stores replenished. Mr.. Lincoln
again informed them that the preservation Of
the Union must be a condition precedent TO
any others; that he would never consent to
but one cessation of hostilities, and that would
be final one. -Four hours of good-naturet
talk ensued, but it resulted in nothing mOEe
than what we have already stated.
The truth is, the rebels are very hard
pressed by our armies, so that by the sword
they must perish, and so they have sought TO
save themselves by negotiation and diploma.
cy, but In this Mr.. Lincoln has shown himself
more than a match for them. They have
found him courteous but firm and infexble
He has now satisfied the elamorous peace men
of the North, who have pertinaciously assert
ed that soft words would melt the hearts OF
obdurate rebels. Talk is of no use. All tbs!
remains is to fight it Cut, and the quicker the
better. vese s.E
The 1r;5mSs Washington special says: "A
telegram has been received here from the
army of the Potomac reporting a message
| from JEFF Davis to the Confederate Congress
communicating the result of the recent peace
conference in Hampton Roads. 1t appearsi in
substance that President Lincoln refused sn
armistice of any length, refused recognition
either of the Confederacy or of any of the
States which compose it, refused independ-