A "peace Conference."

A " bit " of a Peace Couforenee vas held at Niágara Falla last week. The parlies partioipating were Hon. O.C ClAT, of Alabaina, JJoRACE (xilBKLEV, the gi-eat Mogul " of the Now Jork Tribune, and a lea.ling Repnblican; Prof. Holcombe, of Virgiuia; Mr. Hav, A. A. G., and "OidAbe-s" private Secretary, of the Florida ospeditiou notoriely ; ona öeoegb N. Sanders, forraerly of New York, uow of "Disie; " and'-Colorado" Jüwkii. Jco? Tsomp60T, Bvmus jut'e SaereUvy oL the Interior, is mentioned in the pubüshed correspoodenoe, but does not eeem to have beeu there, whilo otUora may have been tkere wliose uatueg do not appear. We can not say how the parties catne to meet, but the corrospondence opens with a note frcm Sandeus to Geeelky, cxprc6ing tbe desiro of Meesrs. Clay, Hulcombe, and hiniself to go to Washington. Greeieï replies that "being informed that you are accredited frora Richiaoud, as the hoarers of proposiiions looking to tfco estatüsluuent of peace, and Chat you desire to visit Washington in the fullilmeut of your mission," and that u if tuy inforuiation is thus far sub stantially correct, am authorizcd by the Trcsidmt of tho United States to tender yon bis safe cotiduct on the journey proposed, and to accompanyyou at tho earlicst time tbat will be agreeable to you." This note of Mr. Gkeelky's is replied to by Messrs. Clay :.nd Holcombb, who disavow beiug " aceredited from Richmond," but assert ttrst " wc are, however, b the cocSdeiitial emplnment of our Government, aud entiruly familiar with its wishes and opinious," and express a decided opiuton that ivas the disposition tuanifeatid to receive them kuown at Richnionil, they " would at once be iuvested with authority," " or other gentleinon clotlied with full power's would be imtnediately sent to Washiugton." But, to save time, they ask to be condu:ted to Washington. Thisdisavowal of authority gives Gkrüley new light, he refers the matter to Washington, and the President rcquires the motimportaut features of a treaty of peace to be guarauteed in advance of the tecop tion of " any propositioo." The negotiations then eud with the following letters, that of Messrs. Clay aud Holcombb being so important that we do not venture a synopsis Taken in counection with the recent declaration of principies adopted by the Confedérate Congreas, - see anothcr column, - it defiuitely makes known the fact that the temper of the Southern people is not yet in favor of accepting the ultimatum of Mr. Lincoln. But, we give the letter without furthcr introduction : To Col. W. C. Jewett, Cataract House, Niágara Falls : Öir - We are iu reocipt of your noto, advising us of.lhe departure of Hon. Horaee Grceley from the Fails ; that he regrets the sad termination of the initiatory steps taken for peauo in consequence of a change made by the President in his intructiong to oonvey commissiiners to Washington for negotiiition, uncouditionally, and that Mr. Greeley will be pleased to receive any anLWer we may have to make through you, We avail ourselves of this i fftr to endose a letter to Mr. Greeley, whjcb you will oblige us by delivering. We caimot take leave of you without expressing our thanks for your courtesv and kind offices as the intermediary through wlioia our correspondence with Mr. Grt-eiey ha been conducted, and ussuring yuu that we are Very respectiully, your obedient servants, C. C. CLAY, Jr., J. B. HOLCOMBE. Clifton Hoube, Thursday, Jnly 21, 1864. The following is a copy of the original letter held by ine to deliver to Hou. Horaee Greeley, aud which duplícate I uow furuish to the Associated Press. (Signed) WM. CORNELL JEWETT. Cmfton Housjc, July 21, 18G4. To flon. Ilorace Oroeley: Sir- Tho paper handed to Mr. Holcombe ysterday, in your presence by Major Hay, A A. G., as an aiiswer to the application in our note of the J8th inst., is couched iu the following terms: LXECLTIVK MANSIÓN WASniNCTON, ) July löth, 1861. 5 To wliom it may concera : Any proposition wliioh embraces the restoration of peace, the iotearity of the whole Union, and the abandüiiineut of slavery, aud which comes by aud with au I authority ihat can control the armies uow at war agaiust tho United States, will be received and coosider-ed by the Executive Goverumeut of the Uuited States, and wil' be met by liberal terms on other substantial and collateral points, and the bearer or bearers thereof shall have safo conduct both wayg. (Signed) ABRAHAM LINCOLN. The applcatiou to which we mier vee Í elicited by your lettfir of the 17tb inst., ■ )d (vhich you informed Mr. Jacob Thomp ! tw er9 ntfttirm títml yot wrc (o(hiri 2id fcy the President of the United Siatea to leader us hii aafe coaduet, on the hypothesis that we were dulj accredited from Kiohmond as bearers of propositious looking to the establishment of peace, at'd dusired to visit Washington iu the i'ultillment of ibis mission. This awértionj to whieh wo then geve, aud still do, eutire credence, was aeceptod ly ua in ovidonoe of au unespected hut most gratii'yiug changa in the policy of the President; a ciiange whioh we feit aui horizc-d to hope might terminate in the conclusión of a peace .uutually just, houorable, aud advantaeous to the Nonh and to the South, exacting no coudition, but should bo duly accredited from llichuiond as bearers of propoaitiona lookiug to Ihü establishment of peaee, thus proffo; ing a basis for conference aa omprehensive as we could deeire. It seeraed to us that the President openetl a door which had been previously closod agaiust the Confedérate States, t'orfull iuterchango of sentimenls. freo diseuasion of eouiiieUug opiuions,' and untraiuuiJtfd effort to reuiovo all causes of coaíroversy, by liberal negotiaticn. We iudeed could not claim tho benefit of sale conduct which had been extendeii to ua in a character we had no right to as uuie, and had never affectedto pnssess, but tho uniform deelarations of our Esecutivo and Cougress, and their thrice repeated and as oi'ten repulaed attempfs to open negotiations, furnished a sufijcieut jpledge tüat this coucilintory mainfestation oa the part of the Pre.-ideat of the United States would be met by them in ■ temper of equal uiagnanimity. We had, tberefore, no hesi'.atiou iu declaring that if tbis correspondence was communieated to the President of the Confedérate States, he would promptly embrace the opnortunity presented tor seukiDg a peaceful solutioa of this unhappy etrifo. We feel oonLdent you must share our profouud rejiret that the spirit which dietated the first 6top towards peace had not con'inued to auimato the counsels of your President. Had the representaties of the two govonituects taet to consider this ques ion, the most raotnentous ever aubmitted to human statesnianship, in a temper of becoming moderation and equity, foüowed, as thc-ir deüberations would hava been, by the prayei-8 aud benedictions of every patriot and Christiau on the habitable globe, who is there so bold as to prouounce that the frightful waste of uudivided happiness and public prosperity, wbich is daily faddening the universa! beurt might not have been termiuated. Or if the desolation and carnage of war iau.it still be endured through woary years of blood aud suffüring, that thore uight uot at least bave boea Dfused into its conduct something of the spirit which softeus, and partiully redecms its brutalities. Instoad of the safe couduct which we so'iüited, and which your ürst letter gave us every reason to suppose would be extended for the purpose of initiating negotiatioQS vrith which neither goveinmect would uomprotnise its rights or its dignity - a document bas been presented which proveke8 as mach indigua tion as surprise. It bears no feature of resemblance to that which was originally offered, and is unlike any paper which ever before eainnated frm the Constituiional Eseeutive of a froe people. Ad dressed, '■ To whom it may concern." It precludes negotiatioa, and prescribes in advanee the terins aud couditions of peuce It returns to tho original po'icv of no bargaining, no negotiation, uo truce with rebels exeept to bury their dead, until every man sliould have laid down bis arnis, submiticd to Ihe government, and sued lor mercy. What may be the explanation of tbis sudden and satire change in the views of the President, of this rude withdrawal of a courteous overture for negotiation, at a moment it wis likely to be acoepted, of this empliatio recall of words of peaee just uttered, and fresh blasts of war to the bitter eud, we leave for the speculation of those who have means or iuclination to penétrate the mysteries of bis cabinet or fathoin tho caprices of bis imperial will. It is enougb for us to iay that we have no use whatever for the paper which bas been placed in our hands - we could not trjusmit it to the President of the Confedérate States without offering him an indiguity, dishonoriug ourselves, and incurring the wellnierited scorn of our countrymen. Whilst ardent desires for ponce prevail with the people of the Coufederate States, we rejoice to beüeve that there are few, if nny, aniong tbem, svbo would purehnsa it at the expense of liberty, hon ■!■ and self respect. If it can be socured ouly by their submission to terms of conquest, the geueration is y et unborn which will witness :ts restoration. If there be any military autocrat in the North who is entitled to tho conditions of this manifestó, there is none in tho South, authonze 1 to entertain them. Those who control our armies are the servants of the people, net their masters, and they have no more inclination than they ha"e right to suvert the loeul institutious of sovereign States, to overthrow thoir estabhshed constitutions, and to barter away their peculiar heritage of self goverijmcnt. This correspondence will not, however, we trust, prove wholly barren of good results. If there is any citizeu of the Coufederate Stutes who bas clung to the bope that peaco was possible with this admiriistration of the Fedtiral goverument, it will strip from bis eyes the last film of dust; or if thore be any whose hearts h:ive grown f'aint under the snffering and agouy of this bloody struggle; it will inspire them with fresh energy to endure and brave whatever may be requisite to preserve to themselves and tbeir childreu all that gives dignity and value to life, or hope and consolatiou to death, and if there be any patriots or christians in your land who i-hrink appalled from the illimitable virtue of pri vate nursery and public calamity which stretches beforá them, we pray that in their bosoms a resol ution may be quick cned to reclaim the abused autbority and vindicate the outraged civilization of their country. For tbesolicitude you bave manifested to inaugúrate a movement which oontetnplates results the most noble and human, we return our sincere tbanks, and are Your most obodint servants,