The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-01-13
PEACE AGITATION.
Commission from the South.
The Authority of the Blairs.
General Singleton, Of Illinois, on q
Peace 1ission-A. III. Stephens So
lieits q Pass Through Grants Lines
70 Visit Washington-BIair Clothed
with Omcial Anthority-.The Presi-
dents Instructions--Jef Davis Re-
ported Inclined TO Peace Missions.
IPress Dispatch. ]

new YORK. Jan. l2-The Worlds
Washington special says the Democratic
politician who has gone OH peace mis-
sion with the approval of the President
is General Singleton, of Illinois. He
preceded Blair a day or two. 1t is said
the rebel Congress adopted i'll secret ses-
sion the resolution to appoint peace com
missioners, and they have been selected
and sent to Grant $ headquarters. Messrs
Orr, of South Carolina; Gilmer, of North
Carolina, and Alexander II. Stephens are
Of the commission. 1t is also said that
Grant has telegraphed that Stephens has
solicited a pass through his lines to visit
Washington 1t is known that Blair
goes to Richmond with the full knOwl-
edge and consent Of the President and
was clothed with the authority requisite
to opeu negotiations with jeff Davis,
with view to restore peace, and the
rebel authorities will feel assured of this
when he shows his credentials His in
structions are embraced in three prOpo-
sitions, first, amnesty to all, no matter
what they have done since the war be-
gan; second, the Constitution rs it is and
the Union as il was, the South to return
TO the Union with all the rights and
privileges which it had before any of the
States seeded; third, the total abolition
of slavery From this point the President
will not retract one iota He does not
insist upon immediate abolition, but he
does that measures be taken to secure its
extinction within reasonable length of
time.
1t is stated on what seems to be good
authority, that jeff. Davis is strongly in-
clined to peace measures and willing to
adopt more liberal terms than it was at
first supposed he would Lincoln, OH the
other hand, is disposed to be as lenient
as possible, but insists that the first pub
lie action on the part of the South must
be to lay down their arms and acknowl-
edge the supremacy of the United States
He has no desire to humiliate the South
1t is to bow to the Union, not to the
North Under no circumstances will any
proposition he acceded to which does not
embrace, as the first step, the laying
down of arms on the part of the South
As an instance of the temper of the
administration to obtain peace, it is sta
ted that General Butler was removed
not solely for his incompetence and mis-
demeanors, but also as an evidence that
our Government is disposed to treat with
the South OH liberal terms, and is willing
to remove any obstacles that may stand
in the way of perfect understanding
with that section.
It's reported that Ex-Governor Rives
and Ex-Governor Orr are now Oh their
way to Washington on peace mission
The Times Washington special learns
that, the peace Commission consists OF
Vice President Stevens and Judge White,
of Georgia. Messrs Boyce and Orr, of
South Carolina; Leech and Gilmer, OF
North Carolina Rives, of Virginia, and
Smith and Singleton, of Mississippi
This special also says it is feared there is
no hope of passing the constitutional
amendment abolishing slavery