UNITED STATES 



783 



jpnvey commissioners to Washington for n- 

 Jons unconditionally, and that M;. '.ill be 



pleased to receive any answer we mav have to make 

 through you. We avail ourselves of this ofl'er to en- 

 close a letter to Mr. Greeley, which you will oK 

 by delivering. We cannot" take leave of you without 

 expressing our thanks for your courtesy and kind 

 oflices as the intermediary through whom our cor- 

 respondence with Mr. Greeley has been conducted, 

 and assuring you that we are. very respectfully, your 

 obedient servaut, ( . ('. < l.\\ .] H . 



JAMES P. HOLCOMBE. 



21r. Grc.l'i/ to : 

 INTERNATIONAL HOTEL. NIAGARA FALLS. July I 



In leaving the Falls I feel bound to state that I 

 have had no intercourse with the Confederate gentle- 

 men at the Clifton House but such as I was fully 

 authorized to hold by the President of the United 

 States, and that I have done nothing in the premises 

 but in fulfilment of his injunctions. 1'he notes, there- 

 fore, which you have interchanged between those 

 gentlemen and myself, can in no case subject you to 

 the imputation oi' unauthorized dealing with public 

 enemies. HORACE GREELEY. 



To W. C. JEWETT. Esq. 



Xo further attempts to open negotiations 

 were made until December 28th. when the 

 President and Secretary Seward met CommiS' 

 sioners from Richmond at Fortress Monroe. 

 For the details of this negotiation, see PUBLIC 

 DOCUMENTS. 



Early in the rear there \vas much division of 

 opinion among the people relative to the per- 

 son for the next President, and the principles 

 lie should represent. The friends of the Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury. Mr. Chase, early brought 

 forward his name as a candidate. But the 

 Legislature of Ohio indicating a preference for 

 Mr. Lincoln, a letter was written by Mr. Chase, 

 on March 15th. withdrawing his name. He 

 said : 



WASHINGTON-, March S. 1?'4. 



Mr DEAR SIR: In reply to a friendly letter from 

 you, I wrote you briefly not long ago about the wishes 

 expressed by many, that my name might be favorably 

 regarded by the people in their next choice of a Presi- 

 dent, and closed by saying, that should our friends 

 in Ohio manifest a* preference for another, I should 

 accept their decision with the ready acquiescence due 

 from one who has been already trusted and honored 

 by them beyond merits or expectation. The recent 

 action of the Union members of our Legislature indi- 

 cates such a preference. It becomes my duty, there- 

 fore, and I count it more a privilege than a" duty to 

 ask that no further consideration be given to my 

 name. 



It was never more important than now that all our 

 efforts and energies should be devoted to the suppres- 

 sion of the rebellion, and to the restoration of order 

 and prosperity on the solid and sure foundations of 

 Union, freedom, and impartial justice, and I earnestly 

 urge all with whom my counsels may have weight, to 

 allow nothing to divide them while this great work 

 in comparison with which, persons and even parties 

 are nothing remains unaccomplished. Cordially 

 your friend, S. P. CHASE. ' 



To JAS. C. HALL, Senate Charnbei, Columbus, 0. 



Mr. Lincoln was renominated by his friends 

 in several States. On January Oth. the Repub- 

 lican Convention of Xew Hampshire declared 

 " Abraham Lincoln to be the people's choice for 

 reelection to the Presidency in 186-4.'' On 

 February 17th, the Republican Convention of 

 Connecticut resolved that thev regarded Mr. 



Lincoln's " u> '.he place he 



and the completion of his wise wn: 



vitally import ant to the best intcr^ts of the 



country." Twenty-one lie-publican members 



of the Legislature of New .Ter.-.-y, in I-V1 



addressed a letter to Mr. Line.,: 



me as the man lor the- American 

 people in LSI54.'' At the same time K. 

 Republican members of the Legislature of Penn- 

 nia also addressed a .' :.-. Lincoln, 



saying: "Expressing what we feel to be the 

 language, not only of onr own constituents, but 

 also of all the people of the loyal - r lairu 



to indulge the expectation that you will y! 

 the preference which has already made you the 

 people's candidate in 18G4." The National 

 Union League of Philadelphia t .milar 



views. A large majority of the Assembly of Ma- 

 ryland Legislature, at the same time declared, 

 " that the reC-lection of Abraham Lincoln to the 

 Presidency is the earnest desire of a vast ma- 

 jority of the loyal people of Maryland." The 

 State Convention passed a resolution of a simi- 

 lar purport. At the same time the Legislature 

 of Minnesota, by a large majority, recommended 

 " our honored President to the people of Min- 

 nesota and the country for reelection to the 

 office which he at present fills with such dis- 

 tinguished ability." The Legislature of Kansas, 

 by a large majority, urged the Baltimore Con- 

 vention to present the "name of our * 

 Magistrate as a candidate for reelection, in 

 which event the people of Kansas will rally to 

 his support with an unanimity unparalleled in 

 the history of the elective franchise.'' Tl. 

 gislature of California resolved, " That we do 

 heartily favor his reelection." The Republican 

 Convention of Indiana, on February 23d, in- 

 structed their delegates to Baltimore to cast their 

 votes for Mr. Lincoln. The Republican Central 

 Committees of Xew York, at the same tin:. 

 sented his name. In the A >f Missouri 



Legislature a resolution in favor of nominating 

 Mr. Lincoln was laid on the table, 45 to 37 

 votes. The Union Leagues of Illinois expr 

 then- preference for Mr. Lincoln. In Ohio, at 

 a caucus of the Republican members oft!, 

 gislature, the following resolution was adopted : 



Revolted, That in the opinion of this convention, 

 the people of Ohio, and her soldiers in the army, de- 

 mand the renomination of Abraham Lincoln to the 

 Presidency of the United States. 



The members spontaneously arose to their 

 feet, and pave cheer upon cheer at the an- 

 nouncement of the passage of the resolution. 



At the time when these movements were 

 taking place, the following letter was quietly 

 circulated: 



WASHINGTON-. D. C, Febrnarr, I 



SIR: The movements recently made throughout 

 the country to secure the renomination of President 

 Lincoln, render necessary some counteraction on the 

 part of those unconditional friends of the Union who 

 differ from the policy of his Administration. 



So long as no efforts were made to forestall the 

 political action of the people it was both wise and 

 patriotic for all true friends of the Government to de- 

 vote their influence to the suppression of the rebellion. 



