Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-11-16

DtNtch government bHull NHOoHo w
send one. That, Notwithstanding
the rejection of our former offers,
would, If you could promise that 4
commissioner, minister, or othcr
agent would be received, appoint
I one Immediately, with Wow to So
cure peace to the two countries.
Yours, &c,
(Signed) "JEFFERsoN DAVIS"
Mr.. Blair returned to Washington
and after showing Mr.. Lincoln the
lettcr he had received from Mr., Da'
Wis, President Lincoln wrote TO Mr.,
Blair as follows;
"WAsHINoToN, Jan. 18th, '65.
"SIR:-You having shown me Mr.,
Davis letter to you Of the 18th in
stant you may say to him that /
have been, am now, and shall oon-
tinue ready to receive any agent
whom he, or any other influential
person now resisting the national
authority, may informally send me,
with the view Of securing peace to
the people of our one common coSI-
try. "Yours, &c,
(Signed) "a. LINCOLN"
The foregoing letter having been
shown to Mr.. Davis, he appointed
Messrs Stephens, Hunter and Camp
bell commissioners, and gave them
| instructions as follows:
RICHMOND, Jan. 28, IS.
In conformity with the letter O!
Mr., Lincoln, Of which the foregoing
is copy, you are to proceed to
Washington city for informal con-
ference with him upon the issues in
volved in the existing war, and for
the purpose of securing peace to the
two countries.
"With great respect, your ob't s'v't,
(Signed) JEFFERSON DAVIS"
After some negotiation about the
terms upon which the Confederate
commissioners should pass the Fed
eral lines, and after they were al
lowed to do so. Mr.. Lincoln dis
patched Mr.. Seward, Secretary of
Stata, tp meet them, under instruc
tions as follows:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
"Washington, Jan. 81, '65.
"You will proceed to Fortress
Monroe, Virginia, there to meet and
informally confer with Messrs. Ste
phens, Hunter and Campbell, on
the business of my letter to F. P.
Blair, Esq, of January 18th, 1865,
copy of which you have. You viii
make known to them that three
things are indispensable, to-wit:
81. The restoration of the nation
al authority throughout all the
States.
"2. No receding, by tho Execu-
tive of the United States, on the
slavery question, from the position
assumed thereon In the late annual
messag, to Congress, and preceding
documents.
"No cessation of hostiitics short
of an end of the war and the dis
banding of all forces hostile to the
government.
"You will inform them that all
propositions Of theirs, not inconsis-
tent with the above, will be consid-
cred and passed upon in q spirit of
sincere liberality. You will hear all
they may choose to say, and report
it to me. You will not assume to
definitely consummato anything.
Yours, So,
(signed) "ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
"The late annual message to Con-
gress," referred to in tho I'd of the
Indispensable conditions to negoti-
ations, set forth in the ahaye letter
of instructions to Mr.. Seward, was
Mr.. Lincoln's annual message of De-
cember 5th, 1864. And the "pre-
ceding documents" on the slavery
question referred to, embraced his
emancipation proclamations of Sep
tember 22d, 1862, and of January
1st, 1868. And by these Mr.. Lin
coin declared slavery abolished in
all the States and parts of States
not then recognizing the authority
of the government Of the United
States. In that message he recon-
mended the adoption Of joint res
olution by Congress, proposing for
the action of the States the abolition
of slavery everywhere in the Unit
ed States. And such joint rcsolu-
ton, proposing thirteenth amend
ment to the constitution, was passed
by the two houses of Congress on
the 3lst of January 1865; and the
Confederate commissioners to this
conference were notified of it by
President Lincoln and Mr.. Seward
while engaged in their conference,
on the 3rd day of February. Inthat
message he also said lin presenting
the abandonment of armed resist
ance to the national authority on
the part of the insurgents, as the
only indispensable condition to end
ing the war OF the part of the gov
ernment, / retract nothing hereto
fore said as to slavery. Irepeat the
declaration made year ago, that,
while l remain in my present posi-
tion / shall not attempt to retract or
modify the emancipation proclama-
ton, nor shall / return to slavery
any person who is free by the terms
of that proclamation, or by any act
of Congress. And in his annual
message of December Sth, 1863, Mr..
Lincoln said that "of those who
were slaves at the beginning of
tho rebellion, full one hundr d
thousa n d arc now in tn c
military service" And in this mes
sage he also said, in referring to the
negroes, that, "In my judgment
they have aided, and will further
aid, the cause for which they were
intended. To now abandon them
would not only relenquish lever
of power, but would also be cruel