President Lincoln replied on July 9 to Horace Greeley’s letter concerning possible peace negotiations. Greeley responded the following day that “I have neither purpose nor desire to be made a confidant, far less an agent in such negotiations.” He continued: “Meantime, I wish you would consider the propriety of somehow apprising the People of the South, especially those of North Carolina, that no overture or advance looking to Peace and Reunion has ever been repelled by you, but that such a one would at any time have been cordially received and favorably regarded—and would still be.”
Washington, D.C.
July 9. 1864
Hon. Horace Greely
Dear Sir
Your letter of the 7th., with inclosures, received. If you can find, any person anywhere professing to have any proposition of Jefferson Davis in writing, for peace, embracing the restoration of the Union and abandonment of slavery, what ever else it embraces, say to him he may come to me with you, and that if he really brings such proposition, he shall, at the least, have safe conduct, with the paper (and without publicity, if he choose) to the point where you shall have met him. The same, if there be two or more persons. Yours truly
A LINCOLN