The Stephens Mission

Site UJiclúpit jkjtfi J ho luciiinoiid papers publish the corttspondei;ce bet neen Jcff. Juvis and AliSaiider H. Steplions, concerning th pvissiun of the latter to Washiugtou : JKFF. DAVts' 1NST1UCTI0NS TO STKPHF.N8 Ilichmond, 2d July, 1863. Ilon. A. II. Stephens, Riclnnond, Va.: Sin ; lluving accepted your patrioti offer to procecd aa a Military Commis sioncr, uuder a flag of trucs, to Wash iugton, jou will receiro lierewith you letter of authority to the Commauder-in Chief of the army and navy of the United States. This letter in signed by me, as Cummandur iu-Chief of tho Confedérate land and noval forcea. Y-ou will porceive, lrom the terms of thö letter, thnt it is so worded as to avoid any political diffieulties in ita reitfption. Intendcd exclusively as ono of those commuuioatious between beJligCTents whicli public law reeognizea as necessary and proper between hostile forces, caro has been taken to giv no pretest for refusiug to receive it on the grouud that it would involve a tacit reeognitiou of tho independenco of the Confederacy. Your mission is simply one of huraanity ; and has no political aspect. If otijection is made to receiving your letter, on the grouad that it ia notaddressed to Abraham Lincoln, as President, instcad of Commander-in Chief, &e., then you will present the duplicate letter, whieh is addressed to him as President, and signed by me as President. To this letter objection may be made ou the ground that I am not recognized to be the Prcsideut of the Confedeiaey. In this event, you will declino any further attempt t cont'er on tho subj,ect of your roissionyas-i-uch confesenee oaly is adiaissiblo on the footing oï pe?fcet cquality. My recent interviews with you have put you so fully in possession of my views that it is scarcely neeessary togivo you any dotailed instructions, even were I, at this moment, well enough to attempt it. My whole process is, in one word, to place this war on the footiDg of such as are waged by civilized people in modern times, and to divest it oí the savage character which has been impressed on it by our encmies, in spite of all our efforts nttd protests. War is full enough of unavoidable horrors, under all its aspects, tojustify, and even to demand, of any Christian ruler who may be unhappily engaged in carrying it on, to seek to restrict its calamities, and to divest it of all unnccessary severities. You will endeavor to eetablish the cartel for the exchango of prisoners on such a basis as to avoid the constant diffieulties and complaints which arise, and to prevent for the future what we deern the unfair conduet of onr enemies in evading the dolivery of the prisoners who fall into their bands; in retarding it by sending them on circuitous routes, and detaiuing them, sometimes for montbs, in camp and prisons, and in pei'sisting in takiDg captive non-combatants. Your attention is also called to tbe unheard of conduct of Federal offioers in driving from their homes cntire communities of women and children, as wel] as of men, whom they find in districts occupied by their troops, for.no other spason than because these unfortunates sre faithful to the allegiance due to their States, and refuse to tako an oath of fidelity to their enemies. The putting to death of uuarmcd prisoners has been a ground of just complaint in more than one instance, and the rocent execution of officers of our array in Kcntucky, for the solé cause that they were engaged in recruiting servioo in a State whieh is claimed as still one of the United States, but is also clairaed by us ns one of the Confedérate States, must bo repressed by retaliation, if notunconcUtionaüy, abandoned ; beeause it would jiistify the like execution in every other State of fche Oonfederacy, and tha practico is barbarous, uselessly cruel, and can Duly load to the slaughter of prisonerg on both sides, a result too horrible to contémplate without making every effort to nvoid it. On these and all kindred subject you will consider your authority full and ampie to make such arrangement aa will temper the present cruel character of the contest, and full confidence is placed in your judgment, patriotism, and discre:ion, that, while carrying out tho objects of your mission, you will take care that the equal rights of the Confederacy be always preserved. Very rcspectfullv,