Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-02-17

positions Of theirs not inconsistent with the
above, will be considered and passed upon in a
spirit of sincere liberaiity. You will hear all
they may choose to say and report it to me-
You will not assume to definitely consammate
anything Yours, &c, A. LINCOLN.
On the day of lis date, the following tele-
gram was sent to General Grant: ,.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, Feb. l.
Lieut. Gen. Grant, City Point, Va.;
Let nothing which is transpiring change
delay your military movements or plans.
(Signed) A. LINCOLN.
Afterward the following dispatch was re.
ceived from General Grant:
OFFICE U. s. MILITARY TELEGRAPH,
WAR DEPARTMENT.
CRY Po1Nr, VIRGINIA,
Feb. 1-12-1O P. NJ.
HIS ,E!cceIIency, Il. Liacol's, President of
u S.
Your dispatch il received. There will be no
armistice in consequence of the presence OF
Mr.. Stephens and others within our lines.-
The troops are kept in readiness, to move at
the shortest notice if the occasion should jusLi-
fy it.
(Signed) U. s. GRANT Lieut.-Gen.
After Mr.. Seward had left, Mai. Eckert who
had been sent in advance to arrange prsliminaO
ries reported that the rebel Commissioners had
declined to accept the terms upon which the
conference was to be held, that is. to treat
upon the basis of the Presidents letter to Mr..
Blair dated Jan. 10, 1895, which decision
having been reported to the President he
says:
On reading this dispatch OF Major Eckert,
1 was about to recall him and the Secretary of
State, when the following telegram of Gen.
Grant to the Secretary of War was shown to
me:
Office United States Military Telegraph,
Var Department:
The following telegram was received at
Washington, 4:35 A. M. Feb. I'd from City
Point Feb. Ist, 1890 p. m:
Hon. e. N. Stanton, Secretary of War:
Now that the interview between Major
Eekert, under his written instructions, and
Mr.. Stephens and party, has ended, will
state cOnfdentialy, but not officially to be-
come matter of record, that l am convin-
ced, upon conversation with Messrs. Stephens
and Hunter, that their intentions are good,
Union. have not felt myself at liberty 10
express any views of my own, or account for
my reticence. This has placed me in an awk.
ward position, which could have avoided by
not seeing them in the first Instance. fear
now their going back without any expression
to any one in authority will have bad inRu
euce. At the same time | recognize the diff
fculties 10 the way of receiving their iufor-
mai Commissioners at this time, aud do not
know what TO recommend. / am sorry, how
ever, that Mr.. Lincoln can not have an inter-
view with that two named in this dispatch, if
not all three now within our lines. Their let
ter TO me was all that the Presidents iustruc-
tioDs contemplated to secure their safe con.
duct, if they had used the same language 10
Major Eckert.
[Signedl U. s. GRANT,
Lieutenant General.
This dispatch OF Gen. Grant changed my
purpose, and accordingly teegraphed him
and the Secretary of State as follows:
WAR DEPT, WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.
Lieut. Gen. Grant, City Point:
Say to the gentlemen that will meet them
personally at Fortress Monroe as soon as
can get there
[Signed A. LINCOLN
sent in cipher at S A. MI
WAR DEPT, WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.
To Hon. Wns. II. S,0ard, Fortress Mon
roe:
Induced by dispatch from Gen. Grant, l
will join you at Fortress Monroe as soonNas
can come. [Siguedl A LINCOLN
[Sent in cipher at 9 A. NJ.
Before starting the following dispatch was
shown me proceeded nevertheless:
OFFICE U. 3. MILITARY TELEGRAPH,
WAR DEPT, (Cipher) :
The following telegram was received ut
Washington Feb. 2, from City Point, Va, 9
A. NJ, Feb. 2:
To Hon. II. St1ard Secretary of State,
Fortress Monroe: Copy to E. NJ. Stan
ton, Secretary of Var, Washington:
The gentlemen here have accepted the pro-
posed terms, and will leave for Fortress Mon
roe at $50 A. NJ. q. S. GRANT, Lieut.. Geo
THE PRESIDENT ARRIVES AT HAMPTON ROADS.
On the night of the 2ud reached Hamp-
ton Roads, and found the Secretary Of State
and Major Eckert on h steamer anchored OF
the shore, and learned Of them that the Rich
mond gentlemen were on another steamer also
anchored off shore in the Reads aud that the
Secretary of State had not yet seen or com
nuuicated with them.
THE CONFERENCE.
On the morning of the Sd the three gen.
tlemen, Stephens, Hunter and Campbsll,
game aboard OF our steamer and had an in
terview with the Secretary of State and my
self of several hours duration. No question
Of preliminaries to the meeting was then and
tbero made or mentioned. No other person
was present. No papers were exchanged or
produced and it was in RdvaHce agreed that
The conversation was to be informed and
verbal merely. On our part the whole sub
stance Of the instructions to the Secretary OF
State herein before recited, was stated and
insisted upon, and nothing was said inconsisI-
INT Herewith, while by the other party il
was not said that in any event or on any
condition they ever would consent to reunion,
and yet they equally omitted to declare that
.hey would not so consent They seemed to
desire postponement of that question, and
The abortion 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
The conference ended with
out result.
The foregoing containing as is believed, all
the information sought, is respectfully submit
TAiOnad1 A