, 1865-01-23
JEFF. DAVIS ON PEACE,
Important Letter from the Rebel Pre-
8tdent.

! 1.-THE following Important special dispatch wa:
received on Friday morning inst az We were clos
ing our forms. and Ibeing rendered illegiblc b.
Teegraphic errors, We were unable 10 insert It IL
the whole Of our yesterdays edition.1
The Richmond ISh1g OF the 18th inst, publishes
letter written by JEFF. Davis on the 17th Of Nov,
last, To- certain Senators Of Georgia, who had
asked his views On the 4ueetion Of peace, rs
brought mp In resolutions then before the Georgia
Legislature. After some preliminary paragraphs,
| he esys:
" have not contemplated the use OF any other
b the Constitution Of The Confederate Sites.
That agency sccms to me, to be we'll adapted to
Its purposes. free from injnrous consequences that
gesled. The objection to separate State action,
which you present IN your letter, appears to be no
! conclusive ns to admit Of no reply. The immedi-
begins to create dissenalon instead Of union,
IL of lie dissolution Of ths coniederaey, y,u and
| determined action against us. They wond
readily adopt the false Idea that some Of tie States
Of the conftderacy are DISPOSED to abandon thelr
themselves. When the proposal Of separate State
action was mootcd, 1t seemed to me so tmpracti-
cable 50 void Of any prompt good, that gave no
izcns whose poslnon and ahility gave weight 10
rions Consideration. Of the subject, Nj arqt I'M
all the ssates Of the two hostile declarations arc 10
meet in convention, it is plain that such ectias
can only takc Place after an agreement as to time
and place On which they are to meet. Now with.
ont discussing the matters, though not trialny
ttMcultes, Of agreeing as 10 time and place. II ID
certain that the States would never consent to
conference without previous agreemeAt as to the
terms On which they we're 70 meet. The proposed
conference must meet on the basis either that no
State should against its own will be bound BY tho
decision OF the conference, that 1t should be 70
bound; but It IL p1afn thst an agreement on Tho
taois that no State should be bound without its
bs Fesu Of ds'btsraoas you'd BE-
tended right Of coercion. would be an absolute
recognition Of the Independence Of the several
b Il wfd 50
cause, 1hnt the most visionary cannothope for such
sn agreement in advance OF the meeting Of =
'.The only other possible basis otmeesins Is that
each State agree beforehand to be bound by the de-
eisions q the consention, and such agreement is
minlon, as we well know that In spch Conven-
ton we would be outnumbered nearly two to one
On the very threshold OF the scheme proposed,
be removed. Is not he impracticable character ~
~ he Convention y only 70 be held with the
not be obtained without negotiations. The plan
then would 1tsolve itself into a scheme that the
two governments should negotiate IN agreement
posals fos treaty. It seems much more prompt
lnd simple to negotiate for peace at once Than 10
9S 9E ,tnppP as Of who
make proposals. II the Government Of the United
states t. willing to make pence It will treat for
be II ~ will Tss t.
these resolutions, and those who concur In his
fae"e, appear to nc to commit the radical error OF
sGnpo iny that The obstacle to obiainlne thu peace
WHICH We all desire, consists In the difficulty Of
finding proper agencies for negotiating, so that
the Whole scope Of the resolutions ends In nothing
1N6f n n md 2fnfa n1a
convention; whereas. the whole and only obstacle
H. that ne enemy VII not treat at all or entertain
yoke and acknowledge that we arc criminals, and |
apPss, tSa to the,I mercy for pardon ai.ef
to add others Of less gravity. iWrite
that history is repletc viii instances Of intermin
able dlftculties and delays which attend the At
mcrons. nthis has been the case where the par-
ties M possessed full power to conclude q treaty,
to1s from thirty or forty Suites who In the midst
power 70 conclude anything: IN Tie history of
peace, when The most cordtal brotherhood Of sen.
tinent existed, aud when long and bloody war
bad been brought to triumphant close -
aaEed1 ~ two years . assemble saiion, bring
EsScu.e ratification Of their 1abors. with such
war ss the present. IL progress, The views OF the
large nesemhfaEe OF DeEottators proposed, would |
underGoa constant change, according to the yicis-
situdcs OF the struggle and the attempts to secure
eoncor1ant views would Eoon be abandoned, and
eaye the parties more cmblttercd than ever and
es9 hopeful Of the possibility OF aucccssful uego
iatiOn*
'.Again, how is fhc difficulty resulting from the
sont1ct1ng pretensions Of the two bellE.erents in
;egard to several Of the States, to te orsrcomef
Is It supposed that Virginia would enter into
convention with what our enemies te1m tho State
II West Virginia, and thus recognize an inaolent
md Violent l1smembcrment Of her terrltory. or
sou1d the United States consent that West |'1r-
,inta should be deprived Of her pretcnsj1ns TO
'qual rights, atter having formally admitted her
9 state and allowed her to yotc at presidential
.lectionf Who would send 4 delegation from
s9uiBinna, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri!
The enemy claim to hold the government In those
,tales, While we assert them to be members Of the
>onfeaeracy. Would delegates be received nom
10Th eldest If So there would be soon a dlsrup-
ion Of the Convention. II delegates arc received
rom neither side, then number Of States most
italy Interested in the result would remain un-
eprescnted, and what vslue could be attached to
he mere Recommendation OF body Of negotia- |
ors under such circumstances. Various other
ompliCattons suggest themselves, hut enough has
zen said to justify my conclusions that the pro-
oeal Of separate Suite action Is unwise, impraeti
able, and offers no prospect Of good to counter
alance IFS mnniftstly unjust consequences to tho
ause Of our country.
..'veIy respectfully, yours, &c.,