What were some of the peace initiatives that took place before and after the US Civil War began?

Answer 1

In late December of 1863, there were a number of Southern leaders that urged Confederate President Jefferson Davis to press for negotiations with the North in order to end the US Civil War. Davis reminded these leaders which included Confederate state governors that, in his opinion, little could be gained at that time to entice US President Lincoln to agree to peace negotiations that would be fair to the South. He outlined the three initiatives that had already failed These were:* The refusal of the Lincoln administration to speak to Confederate representatives that were sent to Washington DC before the outbreak of armed conflict;

* General Winfield Scott's reception on Lincoln's behalf of a letter to Lincoln from Davis which resulted in no reply; and

* The rejection of the June 1863 attempt by Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens to negotiate an end to the conflict.

In the view of Jefferson Davis, Lincoln was a despot and it was impossible to negotiate with him due to his insistence that Southern slaves should be freed in order to even begin peace talks. Davis found this to be hypocritical inasmuch as the Union's border states allowed slavery.

Davis was fully aware that such negotiations were very possible early on in the war before the first Emancipation Proclamation. The war had now reached a point where it was too late to bargain with Lincoln. A quick end to the rebellion and a dismemberment of the Confederacy would have placed Lincoln in his stand that he would not interfere with slavery where it already existed.

Aside from that, Davis would himself reject any peace talks that did not include Southern independence.

There were also a number of other peace settlement talks. The Republican newspaper publisher Horace Greeley from New York City, arranged for a meeting in Niagara Falls New York, with Confederate representatives operating out of Ontario, Canada. These representatives, C. C. Clay Jr. and J. P. Holmes. The fact was that these men had no intentions of any peace agreement that did not include Southern independence.

It became clear that from the Confederate side this meeting took place for purely political reasons. The idea was that the South was willing to have peace talks but the North was stubborn with its no slavery issue.

While this was going on, President Lincoln sent two emissaries to Richmond to see what were terms Davis might agree to. Lincoln did this as a "bone" thrown to Northern leaders seeking an end to the war. The men were James F. Jaquess and James R. Gilmore. The representatives, however, had no official status or even protection. They met with Davis and his cabinet member, Judah Benjamin on July 17, 1864. The discussion lasted only a few hours as Davis would not negotiate with these men because they had no official Union status.

There was another noteworthy peace attempt. This was called the Hampton Roads Conference. Frank Blair was a surprise element in any peace talks in that he was one of the people in the 1850's that helped found the Republican Party. He happened to also be a friend of Jefferson Davis from earlier times. In December of 1864 he approached Lincoln about visiting Davis and attempt to make peace. Lincoln asked Blair to wait until the Union had captured Savannah. After that event, Blair returned to Lincoln and was allowed to go south.

After a second visit with Davis, and in response to a letter from Lincoln detailing Lincoln's willingness to to meet with Southern emissaries. Lincoln agreed to meet with Alexander Stephens, Robert M. Hunter and John A. Campbell. Lincoln informed General Grant, however, to continue to battle during these talks. Lincoln involved Secretary of State Seward to the peace conference but held him to three non-negotiable points:

1. Peace could be attained only if the Federal government was restored to its position of being the central government to all states, Southern states and border states;

2. No negotiating Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation; and

3. The Union would continue to fight until the South disbanded its armed forces.

Seward met with Confederate emissaries on February 1, at Fort Monroe. The talks bogged down when it became clear that there could not be "two countries". US Grant also went to Fort Monroe.

The result of these talks amounted to no change in the war, no armistice, no cession of the war.