Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-27
TELEGRAPHIC.
Yesterday Report
The Hampton Reads Conference.
The Dispatch Of Secretary Seward.
Official Account of the Proceedings.
Mr.. Stockton and His Seat.
Ill., NJ W~
From New York.
The Hampton Roads Conference

The HAMPTON Roads Conference.
NEW York, March 26-The letter o
Secretary Seward TO our Ambassador il
England, Charles F. Adams, giving al
official history of the Hampton Roads
Conference, during the winter of lS64-65
between President Lincoln and Secretary
! Seward and Messrs. A. II. Stephens, r
N. T. Hunter and j. 7. Campbell, is pub
Iished. The Secretary says:
the morning OF the Sd the President,
attended by the Secretary, received Messrs.
Stephens, Hunter and Campbell on board
the steam transport River Queen, in
Hampton Roads. The conference was
altogether informal. There was no attend
ance of secretaries or clerks or any wit
nesses; nothing was written or read. The
conversation, though earnest and free,
was calm and courteous. The Richmond
party approached the discussion rather
indirectly, and at no time did either make
| categorical demands or tender formal
stipulations or absolute refusals. Never
theless, during the conference, which
lasted four hours, the several points at
at issue between the Government and the
insurgents were distinctly raised and
fully discussed in an amiable spirit.
What the insurgent party seemed chiefly
to favor was q postpOnement of the ques-
ton Of separation, on which the war is
waged, anda mutual direction of the efforts
of the Government, as well as those of
the insurgents, towards extrinsic policy or
scheme for a season during which pas
sion might be expected to subside and the
armies to be reduce Z, and trade and inter
course between the people of both sections
resumed. 1t was suggested by them that
through such -postponement we have the
immediate force with a very certain
prospect of an ultimate satisfactory ad-
justment of the political relations between
this Government and the state, section or
people now engaged in conflict with it.
This suggestion, though considered, was
remanded by the President as one of
armistice or truce, and he announced that
we can agree to no cessation or suspension
of hostilities except on the basis of dis
bandment of the insurgent forces and the
restoration of the national authority
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 bear
ings, and the President announced that be
not be expected to depart from the
positions he had assumed in his procla-
nation of emancipation and other doeu-
lnents, and their positions were reitera-
ted in his last annual message. 1t was
declared by the President that the
complete restoration ofthe national author
ty 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 principles, he would be
prepared, so far as power is lodged with
he Executive to exercise liberality. His
power is limited by the Constitution, and
when peace should he made, Congress
must necessarily act in regard to appro-
of money and to the admission of
Representatives from the insurrectionary
The Richmond party were then
Informed that Congress had on the 3lst alt.
by a Constitutional majority, a
ONT resolution submitting to the several
the proposition to abolish slavery
throughout the Union, and that there is
reason to expect that it will be soon
Iccepted by those States so as to become
part of the national organic law. The
conference came TO an end by a mutual
Icquiescence, without procuring an agree
nent of views on the several matters dis
.ussed, or any of them, nevertheless it is
of some importance that we have
,een able to submit our opinions and
news directly to prominent insurgents,
md to hear them answer in a courteous
.nA Mt - frsanA nan /