The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-02-15

'utely ihulspehaaoIe ~ ahS hcSotlatloUs
ur discussions whatever concerning
peace.
President Lincoln, on the other hand,
Informed them at every point that such
recognition Was entirely and totally out
Of the question; that the United States
could stop the war and arrest even tem-
purarily the movement OF its urmcs on y
on the condition precedent that the
authority Of the Natiouul Government,
should ue recognized aud obeyed over
the whole territory Of the United States
This point conceded, he assured them
that upon every other ma'tsr Of differ
euce they would bc treated with the VI.
most liberality, but without that recoS
uition the war must and will 20 on.
All the conversation which took plnce
between the respective parties came back
10 aud turned upun this radical aud
lrrervucilable difference neither side
could DC Swervcd hairs breadth irom
Ito position, aud therefore the attempt at
negotiation was au utter failure. Upon
separating it was distinctly understood
aud exphti'ly stated that the attitude Of
each Government WAS to be precisely Y
II hat it would have been if the inter
view had never taken place.. The Cab
.'ar; received thcSe explanations 81 com.
;'irta And satisfactory. as the feeling Wis
IN4u!@:rUa a"I earnest that the country
mrs. ,,.,,, ,,,r a. ,>.;,' a, rnunwrl rN,ris
aud prepare ~ make fresh sacrlh IS III
the drteuse of the Integrity Of the Union,
aud the preservation OF the Government
The UcruM has an editorial to which
it gives prominence. saying the facts
stated in The a,,Irlc are derived from
surn sources - t. tntitir them To imp;l
cit hclct they arc correct h"ynud the
possibility OF mi,t"ke. After rcirrrIuG
~ the motive, which induced Mr.. BLAIR
to visit Rchmnn II, continues, Before
Mr. Blair left for home, Jefferson Davis
addressed to him i letter, expressing a
stronS desire for peace, aud oG'rinS t"
waive all turmali,lrs in settling our diff.
iirullics on the ha>i. Of two govern.
mcnts.
The letter was adroitly corrhcI in
such tcrEs as tu has,y, careless reader
might conceal the cluvrn foot, or cl"rcn
government, which, on close inspection,
was plainly visible Il, the bottom Of It.
|, seemed to be u cunning etfort to plac"
the odium Of continuing an. unnecessary
war on Mr.. Lincoln. The President
speedily seat Blair b1cs. with assurances
,ha. he also WAS dc>irous Of peace. and
in substance, thar, without Sticking tor
tcchnicaltics. he would listen 10 what
any messenger would have TO say. il sent
by jeff Davis or Any other prominent
rebel, provided the necessity Of prc'crV
in., our own US the one government OF
the whole United States was hrst con-
cedcd.
Thus far in this desperate game Mr.
Lincoln has decidedly got tho better oi
Davis. 1t would not do for the shaken
Cuutcdcracy to leave the matter thus
The instant Mr.. Stephens was called T."
the aid Of Mr.. Davis, long conference
was held, aud it was determined that
Mr.. Stephens, judge Campbell and Mr.
Hunter should proceed North. and try
their ioint hands at mcn'llng matters
They entered Grants lines on the as
snrance that they came on the basis OF
Mr.. Lincoln's instructions to Nr. Blair
but when the President and Mr.. Seward
met them, it turned out that all they
wanted was an armi>tice the c"ns'derr
,ivn OF the maintenance of the Union t"
hc put off to more convenient season
when their stuuachs could be full OF the
fat to be derived from our hand, aud
their military stores replcni>hed. Mr..
Lincoln ayain Informed them that the
preservation of the Union must be a
condition precedent toany other arrange
mcut aud that he would never consent
10 bnt one cessation of hvstilitlcs, and
til. would be the tinal one. Four hour
Of -nud naturr,l talk en,ucd, but 1t all
rr,ni,rl in nothing more than we have
airraiy stated.
The ,rath is that the rebels arc very
hardly pressed by our armies. They sec
tia, hy the <w"rl they must perish, and
80 they have sought 1" save themselves
hy negotiation aud dipl"mary; but in
,his Mr.. Lincoln has sh%wu himself more
than a match for them. They have
found him courteous. but firm and un
hankablo. lie hrsrn"w satisfied the
clanorous peace men OF the North, VIII"
have per'i"acious!y Insisted ,h'' soft
words would melt the hearts Of the. ob'
durate rebels.
Talk is Of no use; all that remains is
to fight it out. and the quicker the better.
The Tribune says the rchcls required
of the President immediate and unqnal'
fled cessation Of hostilities. leaving in
abeyauce all questions concerning the
;,tcoritv Of the Union to the riyhtful