New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-28


shesa agents to the Confederate Secretary OF state
which It will publish as important material Tor the
snture historian The first of these letters IN tne
order of their dates is given below. 1t is OF much
less interest than those which will follow, pu' IL
shows conclusively that even as late rs Aueu'S'
1864 the Southern leaders had no des're ior posU0
ave on the basis of separation and that theI a.t
tude in face of the then plainly desperate
of the Confederate cause was owing 10 .n0 MP
thay had That the Democrats OF the North "vu'u
either triumph at the polls In the apploaonins
Presidential election, or falling there Mouiu ''n
nm arms in aid of the rebellion. MI Clay speaks
Az. r,amo.rats IN thus letter as the natural
sl,,as of the South, and says: "Many OF them
,~onld GLADLY fall into our lines ii our armies oc-
cnnied the States north Of the Ohio for q month";
a, even week" His superstition that MI. oreeiey
favored peace on the basis OF SEPARATION was -
needless to say, wholly erroneous one.
CLAY .JR.. TO JUDAH P. BENJAMIN.
ST. GATHERINGS. C. W., Aug. IL, 1864.
Hon J; p. BENJAMIN, SEQ Of State Richmond '8'
.sta. deem it due to Mr.. Holcombe ana nyseII
4o address YOU in explanation of the circumstances
sng to and has subject Of
a. mnch MISREPRESENTATION in the United STATES
And If they are correctly copied OF a. ieSst Two I
revspapers in the Confederate States we az.
drsssed q Joint and informal note TO the President
oLos - snhact INIT as il was sent by messenger
under peculiar embarrassments IL WIZ couonoH ; ~
es We originally intended or desired to make u. !
hope he has already delivered 1T, and has explained
It's suppose and supplied what was wanting 10 uo
Soon after the ARRIVAL of Mr.. Holcombe, MI
Thompson, and myself IN Canada West. !! was
Known i'm the United States aud was the subject OF
much ejaculation there as to the object Oh our visit
Some politicians, of more or less fame ana repre-
snns all N rag benS at Tofcnto and less
accessible than we were at tine rais- --et;1ua
through curiosity some better OF worse motiye'
1'hev found that our conversation was mainly III
rscted to the mutual injury we were inflicting on
each other by war, the necessity LOT peace III oder
10 preserve whatever was ;n,spysntion when
we were thoroughly exhausted and unable 70 inlare
others and tine dietanon OF peace less aavanta-
Seons To both belligerepts than they might now
,neIa IL there was an armstice of sufficient dura-
ton to allow passion to subside and reason 10 IT,
sumo In the ti meantime, Mr. George n saunders-who
had preceded us to the Falls-was addI essipg,
either directly OF indirectly his ancient and ntl-
snnnossd 10 be favorably inclined assuring them
chat o peace mutually advantageous to the N3itn h
and the South might % made hna and dscsss the
snh;ect He Informed US that MIR. Greeley wonId
visit us If we ould be pleased to see nun renewing
from his antecedents that he was sincere 1riend OF
,sace even with separation IL necessary, we autDor-
FED Mr. s. to say that we would be glad 70 receive
him Mr.. G. replied as we were tod' tnrouen al w.
DIV ny with citizens of the United States
that he would prefer to accompany US 70 ao
We did not then believe that Mir. .. had authorized
this proposal in his name. for neither we nor nr o.
had seen 1t In any telegram OF st'eL e,rot, bo (.
renorted to be man of fervid and fruitful lmaRh-
alton and very credulous OF what ne WISHES 10 De
true. Notwithstanding, after calm delibeIation and
consultation we thought that We could not IN duty
TO the Confederate States decline the lnvitation,
and directed Mr.. S; to say that we woula go W
Washinoton IL complete and aRQadtQted protectlon
was given us. We did not feel authorized 10 speak
Tor Mr. Thompson. who was absent ana we, more
here to promote the objects that the Secretary OF
War had gwen US and another IN charge.
Mr S. responded in his own peculiar style as you
have seem or will see, by the lncloSed copy Oh tno
correspondence, which was published under my
Super2 ision. We did not expect TO hear from Mr.:
snrprjsed by his note from the United States sue
of the Falls, addressed to us as duly accre9lted
from Richmond as the bearers OF IoIA n,
W6om that character was imputed to us we 40 NOT
know We suspect however, that we are indeps eel
sor Che attrbution Vt the high and Responsible once
~ M iswett OF TO that yet more credulous and in
yentiye parsonage Dame Rumor. certainly we are
not justly with ta n1 SaRna sven any
one sutcient grounds to infer that we came clothed
with any such powers We never sought OF DESIRED
D safe conduct 70 Washington or an interview WIN
Mr. Iincolu. We never proposed. suggested, or IN,
timsted any terms Of peace to any person snat ua
rot embrace the independence OF tine Conlederate
1890 and honor of our Government as any OF its
citizens can be. and have never wittngly compro9 pro.
n onr duty to declare to all who have approached us
upon the subject. that reunion was mpossDie unaef
any change Of the Cons9tasoa Oh NE nave
not dispeIled the fond delusion OF most OF those
with whom we have c0nversed that some KIND OF
BE- reestabiishsd. But we have not induced or en-;
coura9ed this idea On the contrary. when oSngeo
TO answer the question WIZ rns Not naW
Won have shed so much Of their best blood, have
Associated so many HON. inflicted 30 much injury,
caflsed SO much physical and menal agony, anu nave
fhreatened and attempted such irreparable wrongs
without justification or excuse as tney oehefe-
that they would now prefer exteimnaton 70 your
eanhraces as friends and fellowcitizens OF the same
(3oyernment. You must wait TIL the blood Q, our
saughtered people has "a hailed from the soil, TIL
STf mi our badges Of mourning have been laid
aside and the memorials OF our wrongs are no
longer visible ON every hand before You propose 10
rebuild q Joint and common Government BUT
think the South will agree to an armstice OF SIX or
more months, and to treaty OF amity and com
erce securing peculiar and exclusive
Siye, even for some purposes both defensive ana
We can credit the asseverations OF both Pesce
and War Democrats, uttered TO us In person or
through the presses Of the United States our CORE
spondsnee with Mr. Greeley has been pIomotite 81
Abctionists with the opinion that there can be no
peace while Mr.. Lincoln presides over the Govern
1,ent Of the United States. ALI concede that we
viii not accept his terms. and scarcely any Demo-
crets and not all the Republicans will insist rpon
them. They are not willing to pay the pIice MS
reach peace only through subjusation OF the South
which but few think practicable through o uni Il;
sheir own blood as well as OF ours, Though the
inter characterization Of their people, and desrue-
ton OF their republican governments. through
mCre repulsiyc and intolefable than even the
s6p6xation and Independence of the. South
An The Democratic presses denouncc Mr LIN
g Republican presses land among them TIE N.w-
sfUax YRIBGNK) admis Is was Q blunder. Mr.
80 arfielaa clearly show. am told by those who