EXITED STATES. 





Bitions looking to the establishment of peace ; that 

 you desire to visit Washington in the fulfilment of 

 your mission, and that you further desire that Mr. 

 George N. Sanders shall accompany you. If my in- 

 formation be thus far substantially correct, I am 

 authorized by the President of the Cnited States to 

 tender you his safe conduct on the journey proposed, 

 and to accompany you at the earliest time that will 

 be agreeable to you. 



I hare the honor to be, gentlemen, yours, 



HORACE GREELEY. 



To Messrs. CLEMENT C. CLAT, JACOB THOMPSON, 

 JAMES P. HOLCOSIBE, Clifton House, C. W. 



: rs. Holcombe and Clay to J/r. Gr^ 



CLIFTON HOUSE, NIAGARA FALLS, July IS, ! 



SIR : "We have the honor to acknowledge your 

 favor of the 17th inst., which would have been an- 

 swered on yesterday but for the absence of Mr. Clay. 

 The safe conduct of the President of the United 

 States has been tendered us, we regret to state, under 

 some misapprehension of facts. We have not been 

 accredited to him from Richmond as the bearers of 

 propositions looking to the establishment of peace. 

 We are, however, in the confidential employment of 

 our Government, and are entirely familiar with its 

 wishes and opinions on that subject; and we feel 

 authorized to declare that, if the circumstances dis- 

 closed in this correspondence were communicated to 

 Richmond, we would be at once invested with the 

 authority to which your letter refers ; or other gen- 

 tlemen, clothed with full powers, would be immedi- 

 ately sent to Washington with the view of hastening 

 a consummation so much to be desired, and termi- 

 nating at the earliest possible moment the calamities 

 of the war. We respectfully solicit, through your in- 

 tervention, a safe conduct to Washington, and thence 

 by any route which may be designated, through vour 

 lines to Richmond. We would be gratified if" Mr. 

 George N. Sanders was embraced in this privilege. 



Permit us, in conclusion, to acknowledge our obli- 

 gations to you for the interest you have~manifested 

 in the furtherance of our wishes', and to express the 

 hope that in any event you will afford us the oppor- 

 tunity of tendering them in person before you leave 

 the Falls. We remain, very respectfullv, <c., 



C. C. CLAY, JR. 

 J. P. HOLCOMBE. 



P. S. It is proper to add that Mr. Thompson is 

 not here, and has not been staying with us since our 

 sojourn in Canada. 



J/,-. Gray's 



INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, I 

 NIAGARA, N. Y., July 1?, lid )' 



GENTLEMEN : I have the honor to acknowledge the 

 receipt of yours of this date by the hand of Mr. AY. C. 

 Jewett. The state of facts therein presented being 

 materially different from that which was understood 

 to exist by the President when he entrusted me with 

 the safe conduct required, it seems to me on every 

 account advisable that I should communicate with 

 him bv telegraph, and solicit fresh instructions, 

 which 1 shall at once proceed to do. I hope to be 

 able to transmit the result this afternoon ; and at all 

 events I shall do so at the earliest moment. Yours, 

 truly, HORACE GREELEY. 



To Messrs. CLEMEXT C. CLAT and James P. HOL- 

 COJIBE, Clifton House, C. W. 



Messrs. Clay and Holcomle to Mr. Gr<: 



CLIFTON HOUSE, NIAGABA FALLS, July IS, 1SC4. 

 To Hon. H. GREELET, Niagara Falls, N. Y. : 



SIK : We have the honor to acknowledge the receipt 

 of your note of this date by the hands of Col. Jewett, 

 and will await the further answer which you purpose 

 to Bend to us. We are, very respectfullv, Ac., 



CLAY, Jn. 

 JAMES P. 110LCOMBE. 



Mr. Gredey to Messrs. Clay ar.d Hulcombt. 



INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, I 

 NIAGARA FALLS N. V., Jai] 



GENTLEMEN: At a late hour la.-t cvi-ning (too late 

 for communication with you; I receive': 

 informing me that further instructions 1< 

 ton last evening, which must reach me, if there be no 

 interruption, at noon to-morr ! you decide 



to await their arrival, I feel confident that they will 

 enable me to answer definitely your note of yester- 

 day morning. Regretting a delay which I am sure 

 vou will regard as unavoidable on mv part, I remain, 

 yojrs truly, Hoi; 1 ' 



To Hon". Mes?rs. C. C. CLAT, Jr., and J. P. HOL- 

 COMBE, Clifton House, Niagara, C. W. 



-rs. Holcombe and Clay to Mr. Greeley. 

 CLIFTON HOUSE, NIAGARA FALLS. Julr V.>. '. 

 SIR: Col. Jewett has just handed us your note of 

 this date, in which you state that further instructions 

 from Washington will reach you by noon to-morrow 

 if there be no interruption. One or possibly both of 

 us may be obliged to leave the Falls to-day, but will 

 return in time to receive the communication which 

 you promise to-morrow. We remain trulv yours, 4c., 

 JAMES P. HOLCOMBE, 

 C. C. CLAY, JH. 



To Hon. HORACE GEECLET, now at International 

 Hotel. 



The despatch -which Mr. Greeley received 

 from Washington, he thus explains : li Not feel- 

 ing at liberty to concede this, I telegraphed to 

 ington for further instructions, and was 

 duly informed that Major Hay, the President's 

 private secretary, would soon be on his way to 

 me. He reached the Falls on the 20th, and we 

 crossed over to the Clifton, where Major Hay, 

 after mutual' introductions, handed Pro 

 Holcombe the following paper, in the hand- 

 writing of the President : 



EXTCUTTVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, July IS, \* f A. 

 To ichom it may^ concern : 



Any proposition which embraces the restoration 

 of peace, the integrity of the whole Union, and the 

 abandonment of slavery, and which comes by and 

 with an authority that can control the armies now at 

 war against the "United States, will be received anl 

 considered by the Executive Government of the 

 United States, and will be met by liberal terms on 

 other substantial and collateral points ; and the 

 bearer thereof shall have safe conduct both wav?. 

 ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



' I left the Falls by the next train, leaving 

 Major Hay to receive any response to the : 

 dent's proffer, should any be made, but there 

 was none." 



Note from Major Hay to Mr. Holtombe, 



INTERNATIONAL HOTTTL, Wednesday. Ju 

 Major Hay would respectfully inquire whether Pro- 

 : Holcombe and the gentlemen associated with 

 him desire to send to Washington by Major Hay any 

 messages in reference to the communication delivered 

 to him on yesterday, and in that case when he may 

 expect to be favored with such messages. 



from Mr. Holcom^i to Major Hay. 



CLD-TON HorsE, NIAGARA FALLS, \ 

 Tbnnday, f 



Mr. Holcombe presents his compliments to Major 

 Hay, and greatly regrets if his return to Washington 

 has been delaye'd by any expectation of an answer to 

 the communication wtiich Mr. Holcombe received 

 from him on yesterday, to be delivered to the I 

 dent of the Unite * aat communication wa 



accepted as the response to a letter of Mc.^rs. Clay 



