The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-03-31
THE "PEACE CONFERENCE

L
Secretary Stewards letter to Minister Ad
ans giving an official history of the b" con
ference held in Hampton Roads in FEBRUARY
1865" has been published. Mr.. Seward in.
PRODUCES the narration with the following
observations:
Sir: 1t is a truism that in times of peace
there are always instigators of war. So soon
as war begins there are citizens who i'm
patiently demand negotiations for peace.
The advocates for war; after an agitation long
err or shorter, generally gain their fearful end,
though the war declaredi is not unfrequently
unnecessary and unwise. So peace agitators,
in time of war, ultimately bring about an
Abandonment of the conf1ict-sometimes
without securing the advantages which were
originally expected from the conflict.
The agitators for war in time of peace, and
for peace in time of war, are not necessarily,
or perhaps ordinarily, unpatriotic in their
purposes and motives. Results alone deter
mine whether they are wise or unwise. The
treaty of peace concluded at Guadalupe
Hidalgo was secured by an irregular negotia-
| ton under the ban of the Government Some
of the efforts which have been made to bring
about negotiations with a view to end our
civil war are known to the whole world be-
cause they have employed foreign as well as
domestic agents; Others, with whom you
have had to deal confdentially, 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.
am now to give you for your information an
account of an affair of the same general
character, which recently received much at
tention here and which doubtless will excite
inquiry abroad.
After detailing the circumstances which
led to the meeting Mr.. Seward proceeds:
On the morning of the Sd of February,
the President, attended by the Secretary, re-
ceiyed Messrs Stephens Hunter and Camp
bell, on board the United States steam trans
port River Queen, in Hampton Roads. The
conference was altogether informal. There
was no attendance of secretaries, clerks, or
other witnesses. Nothing was written or
read. The conversation, though earnest and
Free was calm and courteous and kind on
both sides. The Richmond party approached
the discussion rather indirectly, and at no
time did they either make categorical de-
mands or tender formal stipulations, or alb
solute refusals. Nevertheless, during the
conference, which lasted four hours, the sew
eral points at issue between the Government
and the insurgents were distinctly raised and
discussed fully, intelligently and in an anna
BILE spirit. What the insurgent party seemed
chiefly to favor was postponement of the
question of separation upon which the war
is waged, and a mutual direction of the eff
forts of Government, as well as those of the
insurgents, to some extrinsic policy or
scheme for a season, during whichfpassion
might be expected to subside and the armies
to be reduced, and trade and intercourse be-
tween the people of both sections resumed.
It was suggested by them that through such
postponement we might now have immedi-
4, NOT oryY faIr
pect of an ultimate satisfactory adjustment
of political relations between this Govern
ment and the States, section or people now
engaged in conflict with it.
This suggestion, though deliberately con-
sidered, was, nevertheless, regarded by the
President as one of armistice or truce and
he announced that we can agree to no cessa-
ton suspension of hostilities except on
the basis of the disbandment of the insur-
gent forces and the restoration of the national
authority throughout all the States in the
Union. Collaterally and in subordination to
the proposition that was thus announced the
anti-slavery policy of the United States was
reviewed in all its bearings and the Presi-
dent announced that he must not be expec
ted to depart from the positions he had here
tofore assumed in his proclamation of eman-
cipation and other documents, as these po-
sitions were reiterated in his last annual
message. 1t was further declared by the
President that the complete restoration of
the national authority was an indispensable
condition of any assent on our part to
whatever form of peace might be proposed
The President assured the other party that,
while he must adhere to these positions, he
would be prepared, so far as power is lodged
with the Executive, to exercise liberality
His power is limited by the Constitution.
And when peace should be made, Congress
must necessarily act in regard to appropria-
lions of money and to the admission of Rep
resentatives from the insurrectionary States.
The Richmond party were then informed
that Congress had, on the 31st ultimo, adop-
ted, By constitutional majority, joint res
olution, submitting to the several States the
proposition to abolish slavery throughout
the Union, and that there is every reason to
expect that it will soon be accepted by three
fourths of the States, so as to become part
of the national organic law. The conference
came to an end by mutIlal acquiescence,
without procuring an agreement of views
upon the several matters discussed, or any of ;
them. Nevertheless, it is perhaps of some
that we have been able to sub
@<>1N