Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-08-10

] W.
! PENNSYLVANIA, CoNFEHs WITH THOMPSON
! CLAY, SANDERS AND HoLcoMBE-fiow TRI-
BUNE EDITORIALS GIVE AID AND COMFORT TO
THE REBEL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. JEwETT
GEORGE SANDERS AND HORACE GREELEY AS
! PEACE MAKERS.
GREELEY WOULD HAVE ADMITTED THE REpEG
| AGENTS AND SPIES INTO WASHINGTON WITH
| OUT REsTRICTIoNs-lIE WoULD HAVE OPENED
! THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THE FREE ADvo-
cACY OF PEACE At THE MpsT CRITICAL Mo-
MENT OF THE WAR-HoNN GRRSLEY IN HIS
| LETTER WHOLLY ABANDONED THE PosITIoNs
| MAINTAINED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
| Hon. J. p. Benjamin, Secretary Of State,
| g. $. A.--SIR: | desire to submit to you,
as the head of the department to which
am directly responsible, and under whose
control they should, if possible, have been
conducted, the history of certain transac-
tions in which | was engaged whilst in
Canada, but which did not fall within the
scope of the duties assigned me by the
President. | will not here repeat the rel-
sons which have been communicated in
previous reports for protracting my stay in
British provinces. During the interval Of
leisure which this delay afforded me, l
was practically associated by my friends,
Messrs. Clay and Thompson, with them
selves, in the execution of their more com
prehensivc and delicate mission. In anti
cipatioD of the arrival of these gentlemen
at Niagara, but, as | believe, without their
previous knowledge or sanction Mr.. Geo.
n. Sanders, then residing in that part of
Canada, invited number of citizens of the
United States, supposed to be hostile to the
existing administration, to visit the Falls
and interchange opinions ulon the condi-
Of bn ipy nd no n inD
of peace. with the prominent Confederate
gcntlcmen who were expected to spend Il
portion of the summer at this place. Such
conference being entirely legitimate under
the construction which Messrs. Clay and
Thompson (no doubt very property placed
upon their powers and duties. | had no
hesitation in meeting the public men who
came to the falls, and expressed desire
for my society. That point being the most
convenient and eligible for the transaction
of my own business, | remained there du-
ring the whole period of my stay in Cana
da, and thus had opportunities of more
frequent and extensive intercourse with
these gentlemen than either OF my friends.
one OF whom. Mr.. Clay, made his head
quarters at st. COthcriucs. the other, Mr..
Thompson, at Toronto. Besides a crowd
of less distinguished persons, | saw during
the course of the summer lin some instan-
ccs repeatedly Governor Hunt, Of New
York. Messrs. Leigh Richmond and Benia-
min Wood. of the same State Mr.. Bucka-
lew, Judge Black, and Mr.. Van Dyke, Of
PENNSYLVANIA M'Iean. of the Cincinnati
Enquirer: Weller, of California 4; Judge
BuiiIt. of Kentucky. aud Colonel Walker,
OF Indiana. We received messages from
other gentlemen. such as Voorhees,, of In
diana. and Peudlcton, Of Ohio. Before
Mr.. Clay and myself had reached Niagara,
Mr.. Thompson lad seen Mr. Nallandig-
ham. The impressions which had been
made upon my mind by what | learned
from these gentlemen. and from many
other sources of information, including in
tcrviGws with leading members Of the order
of the Sons of Liberty, as to the temper Of
the Democratic party, and especially OF
the people Of the Northwest. and the pros.
pect of any action in that section favorable
t. our cause, ] shall state in another part
of this report.
Certain editorials which appeared in the
New York Tribune early in June, connect
ed with intimations from our friends in
New York, induced n hope (which with
me has lipened into an abiding cOnvictiou)
that the able editor of that influential Jour
nal entertained opinions upon the subject
of peace much more reasonable and moder-
ate than those of the Republican party in
general. For this reason neither Mr.. Clay
nor myself (Mr. Thompson being in To-
rOnto, and taking no part in these confer
cnccS, except with one or two gentlemen
men who visited bin in that city, discour-
ed Mr.. Sanders from sending such an invi-
tatian through Il third person to Mr.. Gree
ley, rs he had sent TO others to come to the
IL. 4 - 4
that this suggestion was most kindly re-
cciyed by Mr. Greeley, but that he express
cd preference for Washington as a place
of meeting, and desired to know if we were
willing to 90 there. 1t did not occur to
us, as we had no doubt from what had
subsequently transpired was the fact, that
Mr. Greeley supposed we held any quasi
diplomatic position. We had never writ
ten line or uttered a word to Justify such
an inference. The anonymous publications
attributing TO us conversations, in which
various terms of peace and reconstruction
were suggested, had no shadow Of iuunda-
ton in truth. This impression Of Mr.
Greeley most probably arouse from the
ignorance, folly of knavery of Colorado
Jewett, who was the medium of commune
cation between Mr.. SaLders and himself
Nothing could be further from the truth
than the statement Of our ingenious friend,
DIR. Mackay, in his letter to the London
Times. that we laid trap to catch Mr.
Lincoln, Had we suspected any delusion
as TO our true character, or the informal
nature of the proposed conference, it would
have been promptly dispeled. In con-
sidering the propriety of accepting the sug-
gestion of Mr.. Greeley to visit Washington,
we most deeply regretted that is was I'M
possible to submit the question to our own
government for its decision.
There seemed to us, however, upon re-
Election, no doubt as to the line of conduct
which would advance the interests of our
country. The good to be accomplished by
such visit would, in our judgment, have
greatly over balanced any mischief that
could result from it. The publicity of our
presence in the United States, with the
sanction Of its Government, must have i'm
parted a mighty influence to the caGse of
peace by the free discussion it would have
authorized and invited. The oppOrtuni-
ties Of general aud unrestraincd intercourse
, might have been improved SO as to secure
an insight into the temper and policy of
the administration, the views Of leading