Impelled to take action, Mr. Davis had not the courage to be frank.  After consultation with his cabinet, a peace commission of three was appointed, consisting of Alexander H. Stephens, Vice-President; R.M.T.  Hunter, senator and ex-Secretary of State; and John A. Campbell, Assistant Secretary of War—­all of them convinced that the rebellion was hopeless, but unwilling to admit the logical consequences and necessities.  The drafting of instructions for their guidance was a difficult problem, since the explicit condition prescribed by Mr. Lincoln’s note was that he would receive only an agent sent him “with the view of securing peace to the people of our one common country.”  The rebel Secretary of State proposed, in order to make the instructions “as vague and general as possible,” the simple direction to confer “upon the subject to which it relates”; but his chief refused the suggestion, and wrote the following instruction, which carried a palpable contradiction on its face: 

“In conformity with the letter of Mr. Lincoln, of which the foregoing is a copy, you are requested to proceed to Washington City for informal conference with him upon the issues involved in the existing war, and for the purpose of securing peace to the two countries.”

With this the commissioners presented themselves at the Union lines on the evening of January 29, but instead of showing their double-meaning credential, asked admission, “in accordance with an understanding claimed to exist with Lieutenant-General Grant.”  Mr. Lincoln, being apprised of the application, promptly despatched Major Thomas T. Eckert, of the War Department, with written directions to admit them under safe-conduct, if they would say in writing that they came for the purpose of an informal conference on the basis of his note of January 18 to Mr. Blair.  The commissioners having meantime reconsidered the form of their application and addressed a new one to General Grant which met the requirements, were provisionally conveyed to Grant’s headquarters; and on January 31 the President commissioned Secretary Seward to meet them, saying in his written instructions: 

“You will make known to them that three things are indispensable, to wit:  First.  The restoration of the national authority throughout all the States.  Second.  No receding by the Executive of the United States on the slavery question from the position assumed thereon in the late annual message to Congress, and in preceding documents.  Third.  No cessation of hostilities short of an end of the war, and the disbanding of all forces hostile to the government.  You will inform them that all propositions of theirs, not inconsistent with the above, will be considered and passed upon in a spirit of sincere liberality.  You will hear all they may choose to say, and report it to me.  You will not assume to definitely consummate anything.”