Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3.

1 In the darkest hour of the war for the life of the Republic, when the loyal people of the country were despondent because of reverses suffered by their armies In the field during the summer and autumn of 1862, Lord Lyons, on his arrival in New York from a visit to England, found, he says, the “Conservative leaders” exulting in the success of; the Opposition in the State, by whom Horatio Seymour had been elected Governor by a large majority. They felt assurance that they would henceforth have strength sufficient to check the government in its vigorous prosecution of the war, and believed that the President would heed the voice of warning given in the late elections. (See page 18.) “On the following morning, however,” his lordship said, “intelligence arrived from Washington which dashed the rising hopes of the Conservatives,” as the Democrats called themselves. It was announced that General McClellan, who “had been regarded as the representative of conservative principles in the army,” had been superseded in command of the army, and suspended from active service. This was regarded as an evidence of the determination of the President to push straight forward in the course he had adopted for the suppression of the rebellion; and his lordship said that the “irritation of the Conservatives,” seemed “to be not unmixed with consternation and despondency.” “Several leaders of the Democratic party,” he said, “sought interviews with me, both before and after the arrival of the intelligence of General McClellan's dismissal. The subject uppermost in their minds, while they were speaking to me, was naturally that of foreign mediation between the North and the South. Many of them seemed to think that this mediation must come at last, but they appeared to be very much afraid of its coming too soon. It was evident that they apprehended that a premature proposal of a foreign intervention would afford the Radical party a means of reviving the violent war spirit, and thus defeat their peaceful plans.” Then they laid before his lordship “the plans and hopes of the Conservative party. At the bottom, I thought,” continues his lordship, “I perceived a desire to put an end to the war, even at the risk of losing the Southern States altogether; but it was plain that it was not thought prudent to avow this desire. Indeed, some hints of it, dropped before the elections, were so ill received, that a strong declaration in the contrary sense was deemed necessary by the Democratic leaders. At the present moment, therefore, the chiefs of the Conservative party call loudly for a more vigorous prosecution of the war, and reproach the government with slackness as well as a want of success in its.military measures.” They expressed themselves determined to stand by “the South” in perpetuating slavery, and if their party should, as they hoped, speedily acquire the control of public affairs, “they would be disposed to accept an offer of mediation, if it appeared to be the only means of putting a stop to hostilities.” They would prefer to have such proposition come from the great European powers conjointly, and Great Britain to appear as little prominent as possible.--Dispatch of Lord Lyons to Lord John, Russell, November 17, 1862.

2 In the autumn of 1862, Pope Pius the Ninth addressed a letter to the Archbishops of New York and New Orleans, enjoining them to employ their prayers and influence for the restoration of peace. These were published, and on the 23d of September, 1863, Jefferson Davis, in his official capacity, addressed a letter to “The Most Venerable Chief of the Holy See, and Sovereign Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church,” thanking him, in his own name and that of the Confederate States, for his “Christian charity and love,” declaring that they then were and ever had been earnestly desirous that the “wicked war should cease.” To this the Pope replied on the 3d of December, in a letter “To the Illustrious and Honorable Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America,” expressing his gratification that Davis appreciated his letter to the archbishops, and to recognize that he and his people were animated by the same desire as himself “for peace and, tranquillity.” This was the only official recognition the Chief Conspirator ever received by the head of any Government.