The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-09-16

so unacquainted with the form of their own
Government as to make such propositions,
Mr.. Lincoln ought to have known when
giving them his views that it was out Of
the power of the Confederate Government
to'act on the subject of the domestic insti.
tutiOns of the several States, each State
having exclusive jurisdiction on that point,
still less to commit the decision of such a
question to the vote of foreign people
that the separation of the States was an
accomplished fact; that he had no author
ity to receive proposals for negotiations
except by virtue of his office as President
OF an independent Oonfederacy; and on
this basis alone must proposals be made to
him.
At one period of the conversation Mr..
Gilmore made use of some language refer
ring to these States as "rebels" while
rendering an account of Mr.. Lincoln's
views, and apologized for the word. The
PRESIDENT desired him to proceed, that no
offence was taken, and that he wished Mr..
Lincoln's language to be repeated to him
as exactly as possible. Some further con-
versation took place substantially to the
same effect as the foregoing, when the
President rose to indicate that the inter-
view was at an end. The two gentlemen
were then recommitted to the charge of
Colonel Ould, and left Richmond the next
day.
This account of the visit of Messrs. Gill;
more and Jaques to Richmond has been
rendered necessary by publications made
by one or both of them since their return
to the United States, Notwithstanding their
agreement that their visit was to be kept
secret. They have, perhaps, concluded
that, as the promise of secresy was made
at their request, it was permissible to dis
regard it. We had no reason for desiring
to conceal what had occurred, and have,
therefore, no complaint to make of the
publicity given to the fact of the visit. The
extreme inaccuracy of Mr.. Gillmore's mar
rative will be apparent to you from the
foregoing statement.
You have, no doubt, seen in the North
ern papers an account of another confer
ence on the subject of peace, which took
| place in Canada at about the same date,
between Messrs. CO. Clay and j. P. Hol-
combe, Confederate citizens of the highest
character and position, and Mr.. Horace
Greeley, of New York, acting with au-
thority of President Lincoln. It is deemed
not improper to inform you that Messrs.
Clay and Holcombe, although enjoying in
an eminent degree the confidence and es-
TEEN of the President, were strictly accu-
rate in their statement that they were
without any authority from this Govern
ment to treat with that of the United
States on any subject whatever We had
| no knowledge of their conference with
Mr.. Greeley, or their proposed visit to
Washington, till we saw the newspaper
publications. A significant confirmation
OF the truth of the statement of Messrs.
Gilmore and Jacques that they came as
messengers from Mr.. Lincoln is to be
found in the fact that the views of Mr..
Lincoln, as stated by them to the Presi-
dent, are in exact conformity with the Of
fensive paper addressed "to whom it may
concern" which was sent by Mr.. Lincoln
to Messrs. Clay and Holcombe by the
hands of his private secretary, Mr.. Hay,
and which was properly regarded by those
gentlemen as an intimation that Mr.. Lin
coin was unwilling that this war should
cease while in his power to continue hos
tilities.
am, very respectfully, your obedent SER
want, J. P. BENJAMIN,
Secretary of State
Hon. JAMES NJ. MASON, Commissioner to the
Continent &C., &C., Paris.
COMMENTS OF THE EXAMINER.
As usual, Mr.. IBenjamin, Secretary of
State, has placed the country in mean,
base and humiliating position. Having
nothing on earth to do in the way of the
legitimate business of his Office, he spends
his activity in pushing himself into eter-
nal scrapes, which, indeed, would be of
little consequence if they affected him
alone. Unfortunately, however, owing to
the public Office which he (nominally)
holds, his stupid blunders touch US all
rather closely. We find now the Secretary
of State Of the Confederate States engage
ed in newspaper alteration with the
spies who lately sneaked into Richmond,
and who come, as one of them afirms,
armed with letter of introduction to our
Secretary of State from Mr.. -. The
spy does not tell the name of the Yankee
who introduced him but we should great
ly like to know achat Yankee can commits
sion spy into our lines, and assure to
him handsome treatment, and access to
the PRESIDENT and public offices, by means
of a letter to Mr.. Benjamin. The state
ment of this fact causes us an unpleasant
sensation.
Satan finds some mischief still for idle
hands to do; and our secretary of State,
having no State affairs to attend to, natu-
rally, by way of relaxation, falls easily into
communication with any sort of scoundrels
who have time to talk to him; especially
such as are introduced by letter from his
nameless Yankee friend, Mr.. No
wonder he finds, shortly afterward, that
the providing Yankees have made up bum
die of falsehoods to suit the taste of their
fellow-countrymen at home; and thus we
have the edifying spectacle of the Confed-
crate Secretary of State entering into a
controversy with those spies in the public
journals about the facts which they report
1t is too late; he received them graciously
on the introduction of his friend, Mr.. -;
procured them an interview with the Presi-
dent; and they are now making capital of
their adventure in the way of magazine ar
ticles and lectures at twenty-five cents per