commissioners of this Government sent to Washington for the purpose of effecting, if possible, a peaceful adjustment of the pending difficulties between the two Governments. I also made allusion to "an intercess; " but I was not then at liberty to make any communication on the subject as specific as was desirable for a full comprehension of the whole subject. It is now, however, in my power to place before you other pepars, which I herewith address to you from them. You will perceive that the intermediary referred to was Honorable John A. Campbell, a judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, who made earnest efforts to promote the successful issue of the mission instrusted to our commissioners, and by whom I was kept advised, in conidential communication, of the measures taken by him to secure soi desirable a result. It is due to you, to him, and to history that a narration of the occurrences with which he was connected should be made known, the more especially as it will be seen by the letters hereto appended that the correcntess and accuracy of the recital have not been questioned by the Secretary of State of the United States, to whom it was addrssed. I avail myself of this opportunity to correct an error in one of the statements made in my message of the 29th of April. It is there recited that I was prompted to call you together in extraoridnary session by reason of the declarations contained in the proclamaiton of President Lincoln of the 15th of April. My proclamation, convoking you, was issued on the 12th of April, and was sprompted by the declaration of hostile purposes contianed in the message sent by the President to the Governor of South Carolina on the 8th of April. As the prolamation of President Lincoln of the 15th of April repeated the same hostile intention in more specific terms and on a much more extensive scale, it created as tronger impression on my mind, and led to the eror above allud, however unimportant, I desire to correct.

JEFF'N DAVIS.

Following is the correspondence alluded to in the message:

WASHINGTON CITY, Saturday, April 13, 1861.

Honorable WILLIAM H. SEWARD,

Secretary of State:

SIR: On the 15th of March ultimo I left with Judge Crawford, one of the commissioners of the Confederate States, a note, in writing, to the effect following:

"I feel entire entire confidence that Fort Sumter will be evacuated in the next ten days; and this measure is felt as imposing great responsibility on the Administration. I feel entire confidence that tno measure changing the exisitng status, prejudicially to the Southern Confederate State, s is at presetn contemplated. I feel an entire confidence that an immediate demand for an answer to the commaunication of the commissioners will be productive of evil and not of good. I do not believ that it ought at this time to be pressed."

The substance of this statement I communicated to you the ssame evening by letter. Five days elapsed and I called with a telegram from General Beauregard to the effect that Sumter was not evacuated, but that Major Andersonw as at work making repairs. The next day, after coversing with you, I communicated to Judge Crawford, in writing, that the failure to evacuate Sumter was not the result of bad faith, but was attributable to causes consistent with the intention to fulfill the engagement, and that as regarded Pickens I should have notice of any design to alter the existing status there. Mr. Justice Nelson was present at these converstaions, three is number, and I sumitted to him each of my written communications to Judge Crawford, and informed Judge Crawford that they had his (Judge Nelson's) sanction. I gave you, on the 22nd of March, a substantial copy of the statement I had made on the 15th. The 30th of March arrived, and at that time a telegram came from Governor Pickens inquiring concenring Colonel Lamon, whose visit to Charleston he supposed had a connection with the proposed evacuatir. I left that with you, and was to have an answer the following Monday (1st of April). On the 1st of April I received from you the statement in writing, "I am satisfied the Governor will not