Office of
the Tribune,
New York,
Aug. 9, 1864
(Tuesday)
Dear Sir:
Your dispatch of Saturday only reached me on Sunday, when
I immediately answered by letter; yesterday I was out of town; and I have just
received your dispatch of that date. I do not venture to telegraph you since I
learned by sad experience at Niagara that my dispatches go to the War
Department before reaching you. But I will gladly come on to Washington
whenever you apprise me that my doing so may perhaps be of use.
But I fear that my chance for usefulness has passed. I know
that nine-tenths of the whole American People, North and South, are anxious for
Peace — Peace on almost any terms — and utterly sick of human slaughter and
devastation.
I know that to the general eye, it now seems that the
Rebels are anxious to negotiate, and that we repulse their advances.
I know that, if this impression be not removed, we shall
be beaten out of sight next November. I firmly believe that, were the election
to take place to-morrow, the democratic majority in this State and Pennsylvania
would amount to 100,000, and that we should lose Connecticut also.
Now if the Rebellion can be crushed before November, it
will do to go on; if not, we are rushing on certain ruin.
What, then, can I do in Washington? Your trusted advisers
nearly all think I ought to go to Fort Lafayette for what I have done already.
Seward wanted me sent there for my brief conference with Mr Mercier. The cry
has steadily been — No truce! No Armistice! No negotiation! No mediation!
Nothing but surrender at discretion! I never heard of such fatuity before.
There is nothing like it in history. It must result in disaster, or all
experience is delusion.
Now, I do not know that a tolerable Peace could be had;
but I believe it might have been last month; and, at all events, I know that an
honest, sincere effort for it would have done us immense good. And I think no
Government fighting a Rebellion should ever close its ears to any proposition
the Rebels may make.
I beg you, implore you, to inaugurate or invite proposals
for Peace forthwith. And in case Peace cannot now be made, consent to an
Armistice for one year — each party to retain unmolested all it now holds, but
the Rebel ports to be opened. Meantime, let a National Convention be held, and
there will surely be no more war at all events.
Yours,
Horace
Greeley
SOURCE:
Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, Washington, D. C., Lincoln,
Abraham. Abraham Lincoln papers: Series 1. General Correspondence. 1833 to
1916: Horace Greeley to Abraham Lincoln, Tuesday,Peace negotiations and
publication of correspondence. August 9, 1864. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mal3517100/.
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