Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-08-02

the Union and the abandonment of
slavery, whatever else it embraces,
BAY % him he may comeeto me with
yo,.,'' etc. Mr.. Greeley replied,
caY{lpg With tlss Presidents jcttci
say NJ thai they would MT shot 4
1h1 Erred 6htial Set6, an syusinl
these words: SCREEN nsI may beg
am not quite SO verdant as to
imagine anything oft the sort"
Receiving no answer from the
President, three days afterward,
July Is, he wrote: 81 have now in.
formation. on which I can rely,
that two persons, duly commission.
cd and empowered TO- negotiate for
peace, are at this moment not far
from Niagar aFalls," etc. In this
letter he appeals 10 Mr.. Lincoln
s'to act in the premises, and to act
SO promptly that a good influence
may even yet be cxerted in the
North Carolina election next
month";" ta, :. 'sssi ~ -, ase &
Mr.. Lincoln replied: 81 am dis
appointed that you have not already
reached here with those Commits
sioners.l If they would consent to
come on being shown my letter to
you of the 9th instant, show that
and this to them, and if they will
come on the terms stated in the
former bring them. I not, only
intend a severe effort for peace, but
| intend that you shall be q personal
witness that it is made"
Mr.. Greeley applied for ''safe
conduct" for four persons, and this
being granted, he set sail ON his
mission, never suspecting he was
the victim of fraud, and not see
ing how Mr.. Lincoln regarded it.
LINCOLN BETRAYED.
Reaching Niagara, he instantly
put himselfinto communication with
Sanders Thompson & Co., who at
once informed him that they had no
authority whatever to make peace,
or to talk about it, but they were
pleased that the United States had
at last come forward proposing
terms; and they graciously offered
Mr.. Greeley, if the President would
protect them, to 60 through the
United States down to Richmond,
and see what the rebels would do
about it. Mr.. Greeley, in place of
denouncing the cheat and repelling
the impertinence, and clearing the
Presidents skirts by showing the
two letters which he had been in
structed to show, went into cor
respondencc with these brazen i'm
posters. Learning what was going
on, Mr.. Lincoln dispatched a con-
fidential messenger post haste with
document dated July le, 1864,
signed by himself, and addressed
''To whom it may concern" This
document stated that authorized
propositions of peace would be
fairly met, provided "the integrity
Of the whole Union and the abandon
ment of slavery" was embraced.
The messenger, by order of. the
President, fastened to Niagara
Falls, and taking Mr.. Greeley with
him, crossed the river, delivered
the paper in his presence to the
rebel tricksters. ~
1t contained what the President
directed Mr.. Greeley to show them
in the first instance, yet it was the
first notice given them ofthe Presi-
dents requirements.
Taking advantage Of this conceal
ment by Mr.. Greeley, Thompson 4
Co., pretended to be taken by sur
prise, and wrote Mr.. Greeley a long
letter, full of insolent and cleo
pioneering dcnunciation Of Mr..
Lincoln and the Government. They
stated that Mr.. Greeley made the
first advance TO them, which they
say "was accepted by us rs the
evidence Of AN unexpected bat most
gratifying change in the policy OF
tie PRESIDENT They further say
that they had believed shat the
conciliatory manifestation on the
part Of the President of the United
States would be met by them Jeff.
Davis & CO.. in temper Of equal
magnanimity!"' They then denoun-
&c the President for changing his
mind, and not doing what Mr.. Gree
ley had been led to expect.
On receipt Of this letter, in place
of setting the President right, by
telling them that from the begin
ming he had held throughout but ono
and the same position, Mr.. Greeley
left the President to rest under the
imputation Of bad faith.
Before taking his departure, Mr..
Greeley sent word to the rebel "Com-
missioncrs" sthat he regrets the sad
termination of the initiatory steps
taken for peace, in consequence Of
the change made by the President"
etc. No change had in truth been
made by the President, and, first
ard last, there was no room to
charge bad faith or q change Of
mind, excepting the false position
in which Mr.. Greeley had placed
the President by disobeying his in.
structions and failing to exhibit his
shrewd and guarded letter. .2' ga, az.
When Mr.. Lincoln came to know
what had been done, feeling indign-
ant at the way his confidence had
been abused, lie wrote to Mr.. Gree
ley for permission to publish the
correspondence, emitting only such
parts as carried an exaggerated
idea ofonr military political con-
dition; this request Mr.. Greeley
refused unless al! parts Of the
letters were published. Upon this
conduct Of Mr.. Greeley Mr.. Lincoln
commented in these words: 81 have
concluded that it is better for me
to submit for the time to the conse-
quences Of the false position in
which I consider he Greeley has.
placed me- than to subject the
country to the consequences Of
publishing these discouraging and
injurious parts" ..,,.,..r.1.,...7.s 90 -,
Aflor Mr. Lincoln's death these
/. . y