The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-02-10
The Peace Commissioners.
WHAT IT IS SAID THEY SAID.

There are a variety of accounts Of the
late conference at Hampton Roads, all
'.reliable,' but very unlike each other
That of the Tribune's correspondent is
most piquant
The salver of the plenipotcntiary from
Africa brid ged the passage over topics of
kindly and pleasant talk TO a significant
inquiry of Stephens how nearly the ex-
tension of the capitol was completed, and
the expression of 4 desire to 90 to Wash
ington to see. Mr.. Seward told him of
the work, and invited him to come and
look at the capitol of q reunited republic
The terms of peace were thus gradually
approached When fully reached on the
rebel side Stephens took the parole and
surpassed all his old exhibitions of persua-
>iveness, shrewdness, force, tact and cour-
age in putting the demand and the rights
of the contederacy. In the midst of
them, and ut the conclusion of one of his
points, Mr.. Lincoln swung forward on the
lower hinge of his back and interrupted:
That reminds me of a story of a man
out i'll Illinois Stephens, Hunter and
Campbell instantly jumped up in roar of
merrlment. The interruption caused by
this characteristic outbreak. and the apt
story which followed being through with.
the rebel vice president resumed, and pur-
sued to the end of his statement of the
rights of the confederate states and the
terms on which he thought they would be
willing to stop the war Recognition was
the first of them. The proposition for
an armi,tice was, of course, logical Sc
quence. 1t is very certain that Mr.. Lin
coin and MIR. Seward We're surprised at
striking this snag in the very out
set of the conference The prelim-
mary cropping and feeling ;ronnd by
our pioneer Of peace, and his assurances
and convictions, had led to the belief that
the three ENJOYS had entered our lines to
.a!k of a restored Union and common
country They had stayed for about two
days at the army headquarters in CONVEX
sation there with Gems. Grant, Meade
and one or two other generals. Stephens
prottssed to love the old Union, to he as
much as ever in his feeling an American
OF the United States and deplored the
necessity which politics placed him and
all other leaders of the rebellion in to have
something to give to the decimatcd and
Impoverished people of the South for their
sacrifices. 1t is understood that they de-
clared at headquarters, that if we would
recognize them for only week, or any
suitable length of time, to satisfy the
pride of their people, they would pledge
their honor to bring about reunion.-
Whatever was the precise character of
their admissions or lntimations, our peace
proSpectors went to Fortress Monroe on
what they felt was a sure thing.
OF the whole character of the whole
interview the country can Judge from
what Mr.. Lincoln said to general officer
on Saturday, We could not do anything
with them whatever They stood on
recognition. Mr.. Seward considered their
case argumentatlvely. He kindly and
courteously spoke of our larger resources,
and OF our certainty of victory in the end
They insisted on recognition. The utter
inadmiSability of this demand and of their
other and consequential demands was dem
onstrated. They were immovable- they
stood for recognition. Mr.. Stephens, more
flexible and polite than his associates,
proposed and argued his crafty scheme of
temporary recognition, repeating at
length the considerations he had aired al
Grants headquarters, but on recognition,
absolute or temporary, the three commits
sioners stood like rocks