The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-02-18

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| further eftusiOn of blood, and to contribute
our utmost efforts to accomplish such a re-
suit. We think it better to add that in &C
ceptlng your passport, We are not to be un-
derstood az committing ourselves to any.
thing, but to carry to this informal confer
ence the views of feeling above ex pressed.
Very respectfully, yours. etc.
IA. II. STEPH EMS,
"R. NJ. T. HUNTER,
~. A. Campbell.
NoTE.-The above communication was
delivered to me at Fort Monroe, al $3.50. af-
ternoon, February 2, by Lieutenant Colo
mel Babcock. of General Grants staff.
[Signed 1T. T. ECKERT,
"Major and A. q. CO.
On the morning OF the Sd, the three gen.
tlemen-Stephens, Hunter and Cam pbell-
came aboard of our steamer, and had an
interview with the Secretary Of State and
myself, Of several hours duration. No
question of prellminaries to the meeting
was then and there made or mentioned. =
No other person was present. No papers
were exchanged or produced, and it was in
advance agreed that the conversation was
to be informal and verbal merely. On our
part, the whole substance Of the instruc.
tons to the Secretary Of State, herein before
recited, was stated and insisted upon, and
nothing was said Inconsistent Herewith;
"A11es Oy kOoi1 pA1tys ~ was Aot sSlO r1ual,
IN any event or on any con nditiOn, they ever
would consent to reunion: and yet they
equally omitted to declare that they would
not so consent. They seemed to desire
postpOnement of that question, and the
adoption Of some other course first, which,
as some o! them seemed to argue, might or
might not lead to reunion; but which
course we thought would amount TO an in
definite PostponeInent. The conference
ended without result
The foregoing, containing, as is believed,
all the Information sought, is respectfully
submitted.
signed) A. LINCOLN.
Executive Mansion, Feb 10, 1865.
The following was inclosed in the mes
sage sen. to the Senate by the Presidant:
The Secretary OF State, TO whom was re-
ferred resolution Of the Senate of the 8th
inst. requesting the President of the Uni
ted States, if, in his opinion, il is not in
compatible with the pubEcinterests, to fur
nish to the Senate all information in his
possession concerning recent conversations
or communications with certain rebels,
| said to have occurred under the Executive
sanction, including communications with
| the rebel Jefferson Davis, and any CORES
pondence relating thereto, has the honor to
report that the Senate may properly be re-
ferred to special message Of the Presi-
dent bearing upon the subject Of the reso-
luton, and transmitted to the House this
day. Appended to the report is q copy Of
the Instructions which have been addressed
to Charles Francis Adams, Esq, Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten-
tiary Of the United States at London, and
which is the only correspondence found in
this Department touching the subject re-
ferred to in the resolution. d
ls,sSsa, smRssRsctfui'y snbMi,ted nWM 8 srw.pn
| sSI)Qn0rfmonf 0f Stafo Wooh;rufon Eol,
10, 1861"
Mr.. Seward to Mr.. Adams.]
I DEPARTMENT CT STATE,
| "WAsElNGToN, Feb. 9.
| "SIR: It is truism that. in times Of
peace, there are always instigators Of war.
So soon as war begins, there are citizens
who emphatically demand negotiations of
peace. The advocates Of war, after an agi-
tation, longer or shorter, generally gain
their fearful end, though the war declared
is not unfreGuently unnecessary and un-
wise. So peace agitaters IN time of war ul-
timateiy bring about an abandonment Of
the conflict, sometimes without securing
the advantages which were originally ex-
pected from the conflict. The agitators for
Of war, are not necessarily, or perhaps Or
dinarily, unpatriottc in their purposes or
motives. Results alone determine whether
they are wise or unwise. The treaty OF
peace concluded a: Guadaloupe Hidalgo
was secured by an irregular negotiation
Some of the efforts which have been made
to bring about negotiations with view to
end ourcivil war, are known to the whole
world, because they have employed for
eign AZ we'll as domestic agents. Others
with whom you have had to deal conf
dently are known to yourself, although
they have not publicly transpired. Other
efforts have occurred here which are known
only to the persons actually moving in
them and to this Government.
u amnow about to give for your inform
alton an account Of an affair Of the same
general character, which recently received
4 much attention here, and which doubtless
will excite inquiry abroad. A few days
ago Francis p. Blair obtained from the
President simple leave to pass through
the Government. Mr.. Blair visited Rich.
mond, aud on his return he showed to the
President letter which JEFF Davis had
written to Mr.. Blair, in which Davis wrote
that Mr.. Ei.sr was at liberty to say to Mr..
Lincoln that Davis was now, as he always
had BEEN willing to send commissioners,
If assured they would be received, or to re.
ceive my that should be sent that he was
not disposed to find obstacles in forms; that
he would send commissioners to confer
with the President, with q view to the res.
tOration Of peace between the countries, il
he could b assured they would be receiv-
ed. The President, therefore, on the 18th
Of January, addressed ~ note to Mr.. Blair
in which the President, after acknowledg.
ing that he had read the note of Mr.. Davis,
said that he was, is, and always should be-
willing to receive any agents that Mr.. Da.
Wis or any other influential man now actu-
ally resisting the authority Of the Govern.
ment might send, 70 confer Informally with
ton Of peADe TO the people Of 3 common
country. Mr. Blair visited Richmond with
this letter. and then again came back to
Washineton. On the 18th ultimo We were
advised 1fom hscamp Of Lieutenat Gene,-
q Grant that A. 81. Stephens, r. N. T..
Hunter, and J. A. Campbsll were applying
for leave to passs through the lines to
Washingtoas, as Peace Commissioners to
lconfer with the President. They were per-
mitted BY the Lieutenant General to come
to his headquarters, tolawait there the de-
cision Of the President. Major Eckert was
\ sent down to meet tho party from Rich
1 m0nd at General Grants headquarters
Tie major was directed to deliver to them
. copy Of the Pfssident'e letter to Mr..
Blair, with note to be addressed to
Il 49, ~