NEWS FROM ALL NATIONS.
--A mass meeting was held on Monday
night at St. Lawrence Hall, Toronto, called by the
Mavor's proclamation, for the purpose of condemn
ing the Government for providing to refund the
money taken by the St. Albans raiders, and also
for the passage of the Alien bill. But resolutions
unqualifiedly sustaining the Government were
passed by a large majority.
—An amateur performance took place at
Pike's Opera House, in Cincinnati, on Monday
„ night, for the benefit of soldiers' families. An im
mense audience was present and the receipts am"
ounted to between $6,000 and $7,000. The part of
Hamlet was performed by the Lieut.-Governor of
Ohio.
The Chicago Times, which for a short
period favored the anti-Slavery amendment to the
Constitution, is very much delighted that the Illi
nois Democrats in Congress voted solid for over
lasting Human Bondage, and exclaims : "They are
right; all honor to them!"
—The steamer Arago was burned at Dog
Tooth Bend on the Mississippi, a few days ago.
The furniture and deck freight were saved, but fif
ty tons of Government freight was lost. The boat,
valued at $75,000, was insured for $35,000.
—A deserter from the army, named David
Frank Bivins, shot his father, mother and wife, at
Woodstock, Mich., last week. He is under arrest.
The motive that led to this terrible crime, as stated
by the murderer himself, was this : He had become
enamored of a young lady at Grafton, Mich., and
conceived the idea that the most certain way to
possess her would be to murder his parents aid
wife, in the manner described, and thus fall heir to
his father's property, and obtain the object of his
love.
—Advices from Col. Webb, United States
Minister at Rio Janeiro, received at th'e State De
partment, bring the gratifying intelligence that the
Government of Brazil has issued a decree exclud
ing the pirate Shenandoah from the ports of that
Empire. At the date of these advices Mr. Sew
ard's answer in the case of the Florida had not
been received at Rio.
—Admiral Goldsborough is at Washing
ton perfecting the organization of the fleet for Eu
ropean waters. It will be composed of some of the
largest and finest frigates which the recent naval
successes have released from blockade duty, and
possibly an iron-clad (one of the largest class)
may be added to it.
—Henry S. Foote, the fugitive Rebel
Senator, arrived in New York, on Wednesday even
ing. in charge of Major Newhall, of Gen. Sheri
dan's staff. It is reported that he has refused to
take the oath of allegiance and that he will be con
fined in Fort Warren.
—Of 600 Rebel prisoners set apart at
Gamp Chase, Ohio, a few days ago for exchange.26o
declined the honor, preferring to remain in the
Yankee Bastile.
—lt is reported that a new Rebel pirate,
named the Ranger—a small, light-draught, swift
English steamer —was in the harbor of Montevideo,
South America, in the middle of December last.—
The United States steamer Iroquois was also in
port, keeping close watch.
-A baker at Memphis recently got per
mission to pass through the Union lines a barrel of
flour for the use of his family in Secessia. Some
inquisitive detective found out that the barrel con
tained quinine instead of flour, and hence a baker
done very brown and correspondingly crusty.
-Litchfield, Ky., was visited a few days
since by William's gang of guerrillas, and the next
_ morning by seventy or eighty of Quantrell's moun
ted men. They appropriated a quantity of boots
and shoes and whisky, but left without doing fur
ther damage.
—The Vermont, an old style line-of-bat
tle-ship, for many years lying idle at the Brooklyn
Navy-Yard, has been made a receiving and school
ship, the old North Carolina having proved unequal
to the accommodations required.
—Maj. Gen. John Pope has issued an or
der, dated the 4th inst., assuming the command of
the Military Division of Missouri, embracing the
departments of Missouri, Kansas and the North-
West.
—Over a hundred bounty-jumpers passed
through Albany lasLweek going to the towns in
the interior to enlist and desert. Many of them
were notorious Albany thieves.
—A destructive fire occurred in Cato
Cayuga County, on Thursday, breaking out about
half-past two o'clock in the morning, in the hotel
kept by Anson McGraw, and owned by Mr. Quack
enbush. The hotel was entirely consumed, with
all its furniture and other contents. Four other
buildings and a barn were destroyed.
—There is a Jew, in Pittsburg, Pa., who
is so honest and patriotic, that he lately went to
the income tax assessor and paid him $2,800 tax,
though his name was not on the Assessor's books.
Not very many Yankees would have done better
than that.
—The Chenango Chronicle says that .Sha
ver, who shot Butts, stated that the lending Dem
ocrats in Andes had told him that he would be jus
titled in killing any officer that attempted to arrest
him as a deserter. Who are they that thus incited
this poor ignorant wretch to acts of violence and
attempted murder ?
—The New York Post office dispatches
over twenty tons of mail matter per day, exclusive
of that going to Europe and points on the const.
—Jean Baptiste Charland, of St. Sauvenr,
near Quebec, died last Tuesday at the age of one
hundred and one years.
—The Minnesota Legislature has passed
a bill punishing strikers who interfere with work
men. with SIOO fine and six month's imprisonment.
--The cardinal Archbishop of Toledo
(Spain) has just addressed a circular to his clergy
absolutely forbidding women to sing in churches.
—Tt ie snow is from four to five feet deep
in the northern part of Maine, Vermont and New-
York. Along the seacoast of Maine it is about
two feet deep. In the White Mountain region
snow has fallen to a great depth. Some of the
drifts in the roads are from twelve to fifteen feet
deep and the snow is so dry that the wind blows it
into most fantastic shapes.
—The Elmira Gazette says there are in
the Confederate prisoners' camp at Elmira 1,511
prisoners, who make a profession of religion ; these
are chiefly Virginians and North Carolinians—s42
are Methodists, 647 Baptists, 110 Presbyterians,
and 512 Roman Catholics.
--The whole number of Fort Fisher pris
oners received at Elmira up to this time is 1,154.
They are all from North und South Carolina.
—The Quincy Whig says Prof. W. S.
Quinn, of New York City, who is out West on a
lecturing tour, reached that place on Tuesday last,
direct from St. Paul, on skates. The distance is
nearly 850 miles, which he skated in just two
weeks, stopping, meantime, to lecture at many
points on the way.
—One of the bells which merrily rang in
honor of the passage of the anti-slavery amend
ment. in Fitvhburg, Mass., formerly occupied a
place in the tower of an Episcopal church in Lou
isiana, where it ding-donged for the slaveholders.
—Southern Kentucky has a number of
oil hunters invading her "sacred soil," and with
fair prospects of making a discovery of oily symp
toms. There have been many leases of lands
made the last few weeks. m
—A firm in Boston, which scut the last
load of ice to Savannah before the rebellion broke
out, sent the first cargo to the restored city.
Bradford Bcportcr.
Towanda, Thursday, February 16,1865.'
THE ABOLISHMENT OF SLAVERY.
Since our last publication, Congress lias !
adopted a resolution so amending the Con-1
stitution as forever to abolish Slavery in all
the territories of the United States. A
number of the democratic members of Con
gress voted for the measure ; and the won-'
der is, that all of the same faith were not I
wise enough to do likewise. Tliis act re-1
quires the approval of the Legislatures of j
two-thirds of all the States. Some of them j
have already sanctioned the act, and it is j
believed it will be ratified by enough to i
make it one of the provisions of our organic I
law. Without exception, this is the most \
important legislative act adopted in this j
country since the ratification of the Consti-1
tution ; and the influence it will exert over j
the social and political relations of those ;
sections of the land where Slaves are held, !
cannot well be estimated,while the general j
attitude it will give the whole country, as |
a free people in practice, as well as in the
ory, will immeasurably advance our char-;
acteras a people. Besides, as Slavery has
always been a source of annoyance to the
whole country, in consequence of the an- j
tagonistic schools of civil duty, and public i
action, which has ever been engendered be
tween the Slave and the non-Slave-holding
communities, and the constant apprehen- j
sions of serious trouble growing out of
these opposite elements, which have so much
and so long perplexed our wisest and best
statesmen, one would suppose, that as all;
had suffered, all would rejoice, that all cause j
of difference was removed. For ourselves, I
layiug aside, as far as in us lies, all parti- |
zan feelings, and disregarding the advan- !
tages of political success, we rejoice over
this event, as affording to the whole conn- j
try the best prospect it has ever enjoyed, j
of future harmony between all sections,and
consequent prosperity. We notice that J
some of our cotemporaries are speculating j
on the probable effect this measure will have i
upon the old political organizations ; but
with us this is of little amount, so that we
once get the whole country united, equal-,
ized, and fraternized. That a measure, j
which so completely revolutionises social j
relations, as this law abolishing Slavery i
will the Slave-holding sections, will mater
ially change the views of politicians, their
proclivities,and affinities, cannot be doubt
ed; but that all the old members of the dera-!
ocratic party,the union-loving and patriotic,
will again coalesce, and harmonize as of
yore, with open rebels, and open sympath
isers, as is intimated by the N. Y. Evening
Pout, we do not believe, at least, not until
long years, and the fresh memory of the
present, shall have past.
THE RIGHT DOCTRINE.
_____
The Missouri Constitutional Convention
recently adopted the following provision
defining the qualifications of voters :
"No person shall be deemed qualified to vote
who has been in armed hostility to the United
States after the 31st of July, 1861. to the Govern
ment of this State, or has given aid or comfort,
countenance or support, to persons engaged in
such hostility or disloyalty, communicated with
them, advised other persons to give their adher
ence to them, or expressed a hope for the triumph
of their cause over the arms of the United States,
or has been connected with any society inimical to j
the Government of the United States or this State ,
after the said 31st of July, or been a guerrilla or i
bushwhacker, or harbored such, or left the State ;
so as to avoid the draft, or enrolled himself as a ;
Southern sympathizer, or having exercised the
franchise of this or any other State thereafter, un- \
der a claim of alienage obtained exemption from ,
military service from any foreign Government.—
These provisions not to apply to any act done j
against the United States while the white person i
doing such act was in the service of a foreign conn
try."
This is the right doctrine. If the com- i
mon soldiers of the rebel army ever return j
to the Union, they should not again come ;
into full possession of citizenship. While j
we would inflict no punishment on this class,
it would, nevertheless, be unjust to allow
them to vote and hold office ; and this, as
in the punishment of the ring-leaders of the
rebellion, nor for the sake of punishment,
nor to gratify any revengeful feelings, but
for the sake of future peace, and to hinder,
forever after, attempts to break up the
Union. To place these men who have shot
down our soldiers, and committed every
other outrage upon the people, and upon
the government of the United States, they
were capable of, upon the same footing
with those who, in every place, and on
every occasion, defended the honor, the
rights, and the ghuy of the nation, at every •
imaginable peril to themselves, would be
simply an outrage, and would be reward
ing crime, and punishing patriotism and
valor. Nor would the loyal citizens of the
free states submit to it. They ask only
that right prevails. They ask only that I
law is maintained, and peace is preserved.
For these they have sacrificed much, and
for them, they will sacrifice more.
teg-The War Department has made pub
lic the official report concerning Gen. Grier
son's expedition, which resulted in the com
plete interruption of the enemy's communi
cations to the Mobile and Ohio, and the
Mississippi Central Railroads. About 40
miles on each road is destroyed, including
a large number of bridges, depots, tele
graph stations, switches, turn-tables and
water-tanks ; also four serviceable locomo
tives and ten which were undergoing re
pairs, about 100 cars, a pile driver, and en.
gine, "00 fat hogs, a very large amount of
corn and wheat, and 1,000 stand of new
arms at Egypt, in addition to the 4-,000 de
stroyed at Verona, and the burning of 300
army wagons ; most of which had been
captured from Stnrgiss. Maj. Gen. Dana
believes this expedition, in its damaging j
results to the enemy, is second in impor
tance to none duriug the war.
A Charlston dispatch of the 24th inst.'says ,
the Union pickets extend a short distance j
east of Pocotaligo, on the Charleston and |
Savannah Railroad, and that the road has '
been partially destroyed, tin piers burned
and the iron taken away.
GOVERNMENT MONEY.
We think we demonstrated clearly in our
last, that the evidence relied on to suslain
the position assumed by those opposing the
financial policy of our government, was
fallacious ; and that every failure given of
governments making the experiment of is-1
suing money, was were they were already j
bankrupt, or, too poor t< borrow. That j
they made money to meet engagements j
which they were too poor to meet in any ■
other way, ayd that their money's worthless- j
ness arose from this poverty, and not from ;
the fact that it came from the government, :
which is the point the writers against Treas- !
ury notes attempt to make.
But there is one other prominent consid
eration which tiie writers on political ecou- ;
omy urge in favor of a government's bor
rowing, and against that same government
issuing paper as money, and that is, that
there is the absence of close, careful man- j
agement of governmental affairs, which ;
characterise the concerns of companies of
individuals, and of individuals ; that inde-'
pendent of this want of economy in the de
tails, great extravagance, and waste, fol-;
lows the emission of bills of credit, as a 1
necessary consequence of a departure, on
the part of a government, from her legiti-'
mate sphere, that of using, but not of mak
ing money. This argument, so far as it
lies against our government —and indeed,
against most modern European govern
ments—is as weak as the facts before no
ticed'and refuted. Money can only be used
as it is appropriated, whether made or bur
rowed : and it is not demonstrable that the
appropriating power of our government, is
more lavish in its expenditures, with Treas
ury Notes, than with the money that is bor
rowed. So tin's position amounts to noth
in ro . .
Nor is it correct, as is often assumed,
that the inflation of the currency is mainly
chargeable to the Treasury Notes. The
over issues of the State Banks had more to
do with this than the Treasury Notes ; and
had there been more of this last paper put
out, during the present war, there-would
have been more inflation than there now is.
This, for the obvious reason, that specie
payments could not have been maintained
—under our present monetary arrangements
—in the heavy expenditures of the govern
ment which have been consequent upon the
war. There was not coin enough in the
country to do this. So if the United States
Treasury had not issued notes to fill the de
mand for currency, banks, other corpora
tions, and individuals, would have flooded
the land with worthless paper. This was
1 already commenced when the government
i arrested it by law. There was no escape
from it, and commodities would have been
I regulated in price by the value of this cur
rency ; and, as it must have been worth
! less, than that put out by the government,
all products must have been proportionally
| higher. It was so in the monetary crises
of 1837, '3B, '39. The government then did
not issue Treasury Notdb, and made all its
payments in coin. The result of this was,
that the federal officers had the gold, and
the people the most worthless of rags. 'I he
latter had to pay from ten to slf per
barrel for flour—other things in proportion
—and the former could get it at half the
price. So that had it been possible, in the
present emergency, for the government to
meet the vast outlays of the war, in gold
and s'lver, there must have been a depreci
ated paper currency for the people. If, at
the beginning of the war, we could have
adopted the course England pursued in 1797,
at the commencement of her great struggle
with France, the difficulties of the present
inflation, might, in a great measure, have
been avoided. There, the Bank of England,
which, at that time, was really the govern
inent, suspended specie payments, at the
i same time making the Bank's notes receiv
able for all government dues, und requiring
all the. other hanks of the country to meet their
: obligations in coin. These latter banks fur
nished about half the currency, and the
government, through the Bank of England,
the other half The result of this was, that
during the twenty-six years of the Banks,
and the government's suspension of specie
payments, her paper never fell below fif
teen per cent, at home, although the dis
count was greater at Paris,and on the Con
tinent generally. When this suspension
took place, there was less than thirteen
hundred thousand (1,300,000) pounds ster
ling, in coin, in the vaults of the bank, yet
some time after, she had twenty-five mil
lions (25,000,000) pounds sterling of her
notes in circulation, and this was treated,
in all respects,as government money. The
government ordered the suppression of
specie payments, and used the Bank's pa
per to meet all her engagements at home,
Likewise, could our government have forc
ed the banking institutions of the country
to specie payments, and then issued Treas
ury Notes—-making them receivable for all
dues—to fill up the vacuum caused by the
contractions which would necessarily fol
low the resumption of specie payments on
the part of the banks, there need have been
little inflation, and the government need to
have borrowed, comparatively little, as was
the ease with England, in the severe emer
gency already referred to. Happily, for
the country's future good, the State Rank
system is rapidly closing,and another,under
the control of the general government, is
taking its place. Then, when such pecuni
ary trials come, as have for the last four
years environed our nation, the finances
will be entirely in its own hands, and im
mense saving to the people, will follow as
a sequence.
These considerations, therefore, make it
manifest to us, at least, that the injury,
which it is said the Treasury Notes inflict
ed on the people, and on the government,
by inflating the price of commodities, is a
grave error, unsustained by anv fact, past,
or present ; and, as a result, much has been
lost to both by confining too much the emis
sion of Treasury Notes.
We hold, for example, that is the gov
ernment had issued more Treasury Notes,
/<>*. State Bank Notes would now be in cir
culatiou ; ;ml this for tlie reason, that the j
people, the length and breadth of the land, |
prefer the former to the latter. This is de
monstrated in the fact, that in the north
western States, the paper of the State
Ranks has been almost entirely driven out
by the government currency. Therefore,
to have put out more Treasury Notes,would
have still more retired State Bank paper, j
thereby preparing these institutions for an '
earlier resumption of specie payments.— j
Capitalists, we know, gain-say this ; but I
nine out of ten of these are interested in i
the circulation of State bank papers, and
their opinions are governed by their inter
ests. And here it is, where the errors of!
our government finances have generally j
been committed. Indeed, this appears to j
have been unavoidable. We have had no j
theory, or practical finances, save those j
created by our State Banks, and the policy I
which fostered their interests was general- (
ly adopted. Once only was there an ex-!
ccption to this, and that was when the Sub- j
Treasury system was introduced : and all
admit now that to have been one of the !
wisest fiscal measures ever enacted under j
our government. Yet none was ever orig
inated that provoked severer opposition, j
and of which more harm was predicted than j
of this, all coming, of course, from the i
State Banks. So it is now. The writers i
on finances, who figure in the Journal of j
Commerce, the World, the Herald, and even i
in the Tribune, and all the minor sheets of
the land, have imbibed their notions from
State Bank theories, or State Bank interests, .
and are therefore, untrustworthy.
THE PEACE FAILURE.
Peace prospects which diverted public at-.
tention for a few weeks past, have all blown
over, as we fully believed they would. We
cannot but wonder that any one in any way
conversant with the public sentiment of the j
people of the free States, as to the terms ,
upon which the rebels ought to be taken
back, and the demands, or more properly,
the position of rebels, could place anv
reliance on, or have any expectations of
peace, from Peace Missions. It is well
enough, perhaps, to allow one of them to
come off occasionally, in order to satisfy
croakers, but that the administration has
an}- confidence in them, we cannot believe.
llow can it ? The union-loving people ex
pect the rebels to lay down their arms, and
submit to the laws. The administration
knows this, and will it step behind this ex
pectation of the loyal people, in making ar
rangements for the return of the rebels?—
Never! President Lixcoi.v dare not dis
regard this general sentiment, if he would,
and we do not believe he has any such
wish The leading rebels understand this
public sentiment with us, and they can, any
day, give notice to our generals that they
are ready to come back, and respect the
laws, without (he aid oj peace missions.—
.IEKKKRSOX DAVIS does not believe that peace
can be attained through peace missions,
but in order to appease the clamor against
the war, which is swelling up higher, and
higher, in the Southern States, allows the
farce to be played out, knowing that it
must come to nought, and hoping, when its
fallaciousness is fairly seen, to be able to
secure the undivided support of his subjects
in the prosecution of the war.
It was clearly demonstrated by General
SHERMAN'S passage through Georgia, and
other late exposures of the internal condit
ion of the rebels, thai they have still an
abundance of the most essential supplies
necessary to carry on war, and they have
still material enough scattered through
their several States, with which to organ
ize two formidable armies. This will keep
up their courage,and insure the consequent
1 efforts necessary to sustain themselves for
another campaign. Micawber like, looking
all the while for something to turn up to
their advantage. The United Colonies,
when engaged with England in the Revo
lutionary war, were much worse off. and
their ease looked more gloomy, than dues
that of the rebels now ; and they seem as
determined, and are able to endure as much,
as our fathers. The question arises very
naturally then,whether the rebels are ready
to come back into the Union upon the only
; terms they can be received on ? We think
not. One of the conditions will be, the
punishment, according to law, of the lead
ers of the rebellion. The loyal people of the
States will agree to nothing less. Nor is
there any use of talking about an arrange
ment with the rebels, where this is not stip
ulated for. Will anyone say that the reb
lel leaders, with whom terms will have to
be made, are ready to enter into an agree
ment fur hanging themselves? Who be
lieves it ? And suppose they were allow
ed to come hack without punishment, what
would be the result ? Why, as DAVIS,
STEPHENS, HI NTER, TOOMBS, &C., AC., control
the political machinery of their respective
States, they would again take their places
in the Halls of Congress, and again become
; the law-makers of the land. And are the
people prepared for this ? Shall the great
est criminals that now walk on God's foot
stool, be American Congressmen ! Will
the fathers and mothers, whose sons have
been butchered, and brothers and sisters
and orphans, whose dearest friends, and
only support,have been slain by the villain
ous work of the accursed rebel scoundrels,
,be satisfied with this ? Who, in his senses
i believes it ? The Washington Chronich, a
leading journal, asks " whether we are
afraid to have them come back ?" and what
a question this is to ask. It is an insult
to American understanding, and is as wit
less as it is provoking. What has the idea
of fear to do with the issues between the
law-abiding citizens of the free States, and
the rebels in arms? We should think proof
I enough has been given to satisfy all that
the former are not afraid of the latter. But,
it is not a question of fear, but a question
of right, whether the rebels shall be taken
back without punishment. If a man, with mal
ice afore thought, kills another, lie is hung,
and all the people acquiesce because it is
right : and the rebel conspirators, with de
liberate malice meditated the destruction of
our government, and in carrying out this
hellish purpose, have caused the murder of
thousands upon thousands of our people—
many of the very best of the land—yet, the
only question with some is, "are we afraid
to take them back ?" Our murdered people
had no rights. It was no harm to butcher
them, oh no ! and the blood-stained crimi
nals who inaugurated this carnival of fra
ternal slaughter, can come back without
punishment ! Nay more : Can hold the
places of the honored of the land. And if i
they should take umbrage again, at some j
imaginary, or pretended wrong, they can
go out a second time, steal our property, j
devastate our country, run us in debt, slay !
and starve our heroic men—then, if they j
fail in this second mud enterprise, all they j
have to do is to conic back, take their i
places in authority, and no questions will 1
be asked, because if is ad for the safe of the !
Union Out upon such logic, and such j
pusillanimity. The government could •
not stand five years under such a peace ; i
and the people of the loyal States, will, with !
one accord, repudiate ail arrangement of j
this kind, and doom to disgrace all who
have a hand in it. If the rebel leaders es- j
cape to Mexico, Canada, or anywhere else, ;
all the better, we do not want the raelan- j
eholy job of banging them ; but we must !
get rid of them. They have betrayed us '
into too much sorrow, Kiss and sutl'ering, to
justify any further confidence in them. We j
want a permanent peace, and this we can
not have if the rebel leaders are again dom
iciled amongst us as of yore.
TilK AMEVDMKVT.
Within the ton days which have elapsed
since the passage of the amendment in Con
gress, eleven states have fully ratified it ;
Indiana has ratified it through <>no house of
n i
her legislature, and but one state (Dela
ware) has rejected it. the following is a
statement in chronological order :
RATIFICATIONS.
J. Feb. 1. Illinois—Senate and House.
2. Feb. 1. Maryland House : 3d. Senate.
3. Feb. 2. Rhode Island Senate and House.
4. Feb. 2. New York Senate ; 3d. Assembly.
. r >. Feb. 3. Massachusetts—Senate and House,
6. Feb. 3. Pennsylvania—-Senate and House.
7. Feb. 3. \Y< st Virginia - Sen.fte and House.
8. Feb. I. Michigan Senate and House.
3. Feb. 7. Missouri—Senate and House.
10. Feb. 7. Maine—Senate and House.
11. Feb. 8. Virginia Senate ; 9. House.
12. Feb. 10. Indiana Senate.
REJECTION*.
1. Feb. 8. Delaware Senate and House
In the .Maine House of Representatives,
on the 7th, the .Speaker said in declaring the
vote :
'• By this sublime act Maine gives her ratification
to the amendment of the constitution which drives
forever from the land the curse of slavery. God
save the state of Maine."
The New Jersey legislature lias had the
amendment under consideration for several
davs.
!
THE PEACE FAILURE.
PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S REPORT.
The Rebel Commissioners' Version.
The House of Representatives on the Bth
in.st, passed a resolution requesting infor
mation in relation to the so-called Peace
Conference lately held in Hampton Roads.
In response, the President communicates
all the notes and dispatches relating to the
matter, without comment. The history of
the whole affair is contained in a letter from
Secretary SKWARH to Mr. ADAMS, sent to the
, Senate, which is annexed :
MB. SEWARD TO Mr,. ADAMS.
DEPARTMENT or STATE, WASH INC.TON, Feb. 9.
Sin : It is a truism that in times of peace
there are always instigators of war; so
soon as a war begins, there are citizens
who emphatically demand negotiations of
peace. The advocates of war, after an ag
itation longer or shorter, generally gain
their fearful end, though the war declared
j is not unfrequently unnecessary and un
wise. So peace agitators in time of war
ultimately bring about an abandonment of
' of the conflict, sometimes without securing
the advantages which were originally ex
pected from the conflict. The agitators for
war in time of peace, and for peace in time
of war, are not necessarily or perhaps or
dinarily unpatriotic in their purposes or mo
tives. Results alone determine whether
they are wise or unwise. The treaty of
peace concluded at Guadalonpe Hidalo.was
secured by an irregular negotiation under
tbe Don of the Government.
Some of the efforts which have been
made to bring about negotiations with a
view to end our civil war are known to the
whole world, because they have employed
foreign as well as domestic agents. Others
with whom you have had to deal confiden
tially are known to yourself although they
have not publicly transpired. Other eflbits
| have occurred here, which arc known only
to the persons actually moving in them and
jto the Government. lam now to give for
your information an account of an affair of
the same general character which recent
ly received much attention here, and which
; doubtless will excite inquiry abroad.
A few days ago Francis P. Blair, esq , of
Maryland, obtained from the President a
simple leave to pass through our lines with
out definite views known to the Govern
-1 nient. Mr. Blair visited Richmond, and on
i his return showed to the President a letter
; which Jefferson Davis had written to Mr.
Blair, in which Davis wrote that Mr. Blair
was at liberty to say to President Lincoln
that Davis was now, as he always had been,
willing to send commissioners, if assured
they would be received, or to receive any
that should be sent ; that ho was not dis
posed to find obstacles in forms, that lie
would send commissioners to confer with
the President with a view to a restoration
of peace between the two countries if he
could be assured they would be received.
The President, therefore, on the 18th day
of January addressed a note to Mr. Blair,
in which the President, after acknowledg
ing that he had read the note of Mr. Davis,
said that he was, is, and should be willing
to receive any agents that Mr. Davis, or any
other influential man now actually resisting
the authority of the Government, might
send to confer informally with the I'res -
I dent, with a view to the restoration of
peace to the people of our common country.
Mr. Blair visited Richmond with this let
ter, and then came back again to Washing
ton.
On the 29th nit. we were advised from tlie
camp of Lieut.-Gen. Grant that Alexander
H. btevens, H. M. T. Hunter, and John A.
Campbell, were applying 1 for leave to pass '
through the lines to Washington as Peace
Commissioners, to confer with the Presi-j
dent. They were permitted by the Lieut -
General to come to his headquarters to
await there the decision of the President.
Maj Eckert was sent down to meet the par
ty from Richmond at Gen. Grant's Head
quarters. The Major was directed to de
liver to them a copy of the President's let
ter to Mr. Blair, with a note to lie addressed
to them, and signed by the Major, in which
they were directly informed that should
they be alio wed to pass our lines, they
would be understood as coming for an in
formal conference upon the basis of the
aforesaid letter of the 18th of January to
Mr. Blair.
If they should express their assent to
this condition in writing, then Major Eckert
was directed to give them safe conduct to I
Fortress Monroe, where a person coming j
from the President would meet them. It
being thought probable from a report of
their conversation with Lieut.-Gen. Grant
that the Richmond party would in the man- j
ner prescribed accept the condition men
tioned, the Secretary of State was charged
by the President with the duty of represen
ting the Government in the expected infor
mal conference. The Secretary arrived at
Fortress Monroe on the night of the lstday
of February. Major Eckert met hint on the
morning of the 2d of February, with the in
formation that the persons who had come
from Richmond had not accepted in writing
the conditions upon which he was allowed
to give them conduct to Fortress Monroe.
The Major had given the same informs
tion by telegraph to the President at \\ ash
ington. On receiving this information the
President prepared a telegram directing the
Secretary to return to Washington. The
Secretary was preparing at the same mo
ment to so return, without waiting for in
formation from the President, but at this
juncture Lieut.-Gen. Grant telegraphed to
the Secretary of War, as well as to the
Secretary of State that the party from
Richmond had reconsidered and accepted
the condition tendered them through Major
Eckert, and Gen. Grant urgently advised
the President to confer in person with the
Richmond party. Under these circumstan
ces, the Secretary by the President's direc
tion remained at Fortress Monroe and the
President joined him there on the night of
the 2d of February.
The Richmond party was brought down
the James River in a United States steam
transport during the day, and the transport
was anchored in Hampton Roads. On the
morning of the 3d, the President, attended
by tin.' Secretary, received Messrs. Stephens,
Hunter and Campbell on board the United
States steam transport River Queen, in
Hampton Roads. The conference was al
| together informal. There was no attend
; ance of secretaries, clerks, or other wit
ncsses. Nothing was written or read. The
conversation, though earnest and free, was
j calm and courteous, and kind on both sides.
The Richmond party approached the discus
sion rather indirectly, and at no time did
they make categorical demands or tender
formal stipulations or absolute refusals.
Nevertheless, during the Conference —
i which lasted lour hours —the several points
at issue between the Government and the
insurgents were distinctly raised and dis
! cussed fully, intelligently, and in an amiea-
I hie spirit What the insurgent party seemed
, chiefly to favor was a postponement of the
I question of separation upon which the war
is waged, and a mutual direction of the ef
j forts of the Government as well as those of
I the insurgents to some extrinsic policy or
scheme for a season , during which pass
i ions might be expected to subdu ' and the
armies be reduced, and trade and inter
course between the people of both sections
be resumed. It was suggested by them
that though such postponement we might
now have immediate peace, with some not
very certain prospect of an ultimate satis
; factory adjustment of political relations be
i tvveen the Government and the States, sec
i tion or people now engaged in conflict with
; iL
The suggestion though deliberately con
sidered was nevertheless regarded by the
i President as one of armistice or truce, and
! he announced that we can agree to no ces
( sation or suspension of hostilities except
on the basis of the disbandment of the in
surgent forces and the restoration of the
national authority throughout all the States
lin the Union. Collaterally and in subordi
j nation to the proposition which was thus
announced, the Anti-Slavery policy of the
United States was reviewed in all its bear
ings, and the President announced that he
must not le expected to depart from the po
sitions he had heretofore assumed in his
proclamation of emancipation and other
; documents, as these positions were related
j in his Annual Message.
It was further declared by the President
that the complete restoration of the nation
al authority everywhere was an indispensa
'< ble 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 positions, he
would be prepared so far as power is lodged
with the Executive, to exercise liberality.
Its power, however, is limited by the Con
i stitution, and, when peace should be made,
j Congress must necessarily act in regard to
appropriations of money and to the admis
sion of representatives from the insurrec
tionary States.
The Richmond party were then informed
that Congress had, on theSlst ult., adopted
by a Constitutional majority a joint resolu
tion submitting to the several States the
proposition to abolish Slavery throaghout
| the Union, and that there is every reason
i to expect that it will be accepted by tliree
| fourth of the States, so as to become a part
j of the national organic law.
The conference came to an end by inu-
I tual acquieeence, without producing an
: agreement of views upon the several mat
fers discussed, or any of them. Neverthe
j less, it is perhaps of some importance that
j we have been able to submit our opinions
and views directly to prominent insurgents,
and to bear them in answer in a courteous
, and not unfriendly manner.
I am, sir, your obedient servent,
WM. 11. SEWARD.
THE REBEL VERSION'.
J EEFERSOK DAVIS communicates to the
Rebel Congress, the report of Messrs STF.-
' PIIENS A Co., as follows :
" To the President of the Con federate States :
" SIR : Under your letter of appointment
(if the 28th ultimo, we proceeded to seek
an 'informal conference' with Abraham
: Lincoln, President of the United States,
; upon the subject mentioned in the letter.
The conference was granted, and took place
J on the 30th instant, on board a steamer an
chored in Hampton Roads, where we met
President Lincoln and the Hon. Mr. Seward,
1 Secretary of State of the United States. It
continued for several hours, and was both
I full and explicit.
" V e learned from them that the message
j of President Lincoln to the Congress ot the
United States, in December last, explains
clearly and distinctly his proceeding, by
which peace can be secured to the people,
and we were not informed that they would
be modified or altered to obtain that end.
" We understand from him that no terms
or proposals of any treaty or agreement
looking at an ultimate settlement would be
j entertained or made by him with the au
thorities of the Confederate States, because
that would be a recognition of their <. x .
istence as a separate Power, which tinder
no circumstances would be done ; and, f<, r
like reasons, that no such terms would be
entertained by him from the States sepa
rately; that no extended truce or armistice
(as at present advised) would be granted
or allowed, without a satisfactory assur
ance, in advance, of a complete restoration
of the authority of the Constitution and
laws of the United States over all places
within the States of the Confederacy .
"That whatever consequences may f i
low from the recstablishment of that au
thority must be accepted. But that indi
viduals, sulject to puins and penalties un
der the laws of the United States, might
rely upon a very liberal use of the power
confided to him to remit these pains ami
penalties if peace be restored.
" During the conference th< proposed
amendments to the Constitution of the Fui
ted States, adopted by Congress on the BUt
ultimo, were brought to our notice.
" 'I hese amendments provide that nei
ther Slavery nor involuntary servitude, ex
cept for crime, should exist within the Uni
ted States or any place within their juris
diction, and that Congress should have
the power to enforce this amendment h\
appropriate legislation.
"Of all the correspondence that precede,)
the conference herein mentioned, and lead
ing to the same, you have heretofore !>ci •
informed.
"Very respectfully, your ob'dt servt's
" ALEXANDER II STEVEN--
" R. M. T. HUNTER,
" J. A. CAMPBELL."
FRIGHTFUL FIRE IN PHILADELPHIA.
TWO THOUSAND BARRELS OF COAL OIL BL'RN'KD
FIFTY DWELLINGS DESTROYED—PEOPLE R(>A
TED ALIVE IN THK STREETS SHOCKING
OF LIFE.
[From the Philadelphia bulletin, February s.-
The most terrible coriflagaration that has
occured in Philadelphia since the great in
of July, 1850, took place this morning.—
Before proceeding to narrate the horrors i
the calamity, we will describe the locality
Ninth-street, below Washington, is lined
principally with three-story brick dwellings
that are occupied mainly by respeetalj.
families of limited means, the houses ren
ting, we should judge, for from two hum
| dred to two hundred and fifty dollars a ye
The first street b low Washington str •
' is Ellsworth, and the next is Federal, la ,
: of which streets had, in that vicinity, tho ;
the same class of dwellings upon them -
! those upon Ninth street. On the south
west corner of Ninth and W'asliingt u
I streets there is a coal yard belonging t<
Messrs. Daily and Porter : and iinmcdian -
ly west of this upon Washington sir.
was an open lot upon which Blackburn A
' Co. had between 2,000 and 3,000 barrel
coal oil stored, on account of various own
ers. This morning at about half-past tv.
! o'clock, a tire broke out among this oil, ami
the flames spread throug-li the greater pari
; of it with almost as much rapidity as though
it had been gunpowder. About 2,000 bar
rels of the inflammable material were soon 1
ablaze, and spending up into the sky ,
j huge column of flame. The families in tin
: neighborhood sprang from their beds, ami
without stopping to secure even a sin- :
; article of clothing rushed into the street*
that were covered with snow and slush
Those that were most prompt to escam
from their threatened homes got off win
their lives : but those nearer the spot whi:
; the conflagration first commenced, and wi.
j were not prompt to escape from their !im>-
I es, were met by a terrible scene. The I' -
ing oil that escaped from the burnning ha -
rds poured over into Ninth street and r, v
i to Federal, filling the entire street with
lake of fire and igniting the houses in
both sides of Ninth street, for two squar--
! and carrying devastation into Washing:
! Ellsworth, and Federal streets, both :ti \
! and below Ninth street. An eye-witm -
who was upon the spot when the oil }> r
I ed out in the street, describes the tier. •
body of flame as resembling a screw in it
progress : it first whirled np Ninth street
and then the fiery torrent rushed down;':.
) street for a distance of two squares, m
then back agaih at the caprice of the wi'
destroyed all living things that came in • ;
way, burning dwellings and their content
1 as though tliey were so much straw, a
even splitting into fragments the pav -.
stones in the street with the intense IK;;'
Fully five squares of houses, had they t •
placed in a row-, were on tire at once, am.
the scene was one to make the stout' > T
heart quail. People escaping from tin
blazing homes, with no covering but tie;
night clothes ; parrents seeking for tie
■ children and terrified little ones looking f
: safety in the horrid turmoil, were all diva
ful enough ; but there were still more :
rible scenes witnessed. Men, women o
1 children were liternrly roasted a/jce in
streets. Captain Jos. II Ware occupied tL
dwelling No. 1128 Ninth street, the see ;
house below the coal-yard already
j scribed. His famijy consisted of hiinst
! wife, five daughters and two sons. Tie
' all got into the street just as they left tie
j beds, and they found themselves in a riv
jof fire. The family became scattered
j Mrs. Ware had her youngest child, a girl
1 but five years of ago, in her arms.
: fell, and Lewis C. Williams, a member
the Moyamensing Hose Company, mad>
! desperate effort to save them He had 1>
! (if the unfortunate woman, but he was ei
j polled by the fierceness of the fiery blast:
! leave her to her fate and seek safety f
| himself in flight. Mrs. Ware, her child.;u;
; a daughter about fifteen or sixteen years
j age, were burned to death in the street am
; so horribly mutilated that their retna : -
! can only be identified by the peculiar -1
I cumstanccs surrounding them. Capt.c
! Ware and his two sons escaped ; but thre
l of the daughters are missing. Captu
Ware and his sons were all badly burn ■ |
1 There were six bodies in all recovered
they were taken to the second district si i
I tion house. Three of the bodies have bee
recognized as belonging to the Ware fam
ily. One, the body of a man supposed to
be Mr. James Gibbons, the proprietor of
dry-goods store, 1,133 South Ninth street
There is also a boy not yet recognized, a
\ a man whose body was found in Nintn j
i street, a short distance below Washingte
j street. A fragment of red cloth, resem
j tiling the lining of a fireman's coat, lead- |
to the belief that the victim was a tireina;
! It is thought there are persons who hav.
j perished, and whose bodies are buried if.
! der the ruins. A general alarm was stria* ■
j upon the State House bell, and the Arena
j from all parts of the city hurried to t
1 scene of the conflagration. The street
! were in a frightful condition from the sm itt
j and rain that had fallen the evening }"
| vious, and the firemen, after reaching '•
j spot, could accomplish nothing except
i prevention of the spread of the flames. I
Nearly every house from Washing' l !
I street to Federal, a distance of two square*
j is burned, with all their contents, nothin
but the bare walls remaining this morning
The same scene of ruin is presented e
Washington,Ellsworth,and Federal street*
both above and below Ninth street. U
entire number of buildings burned is aboi"
fortv-soven.