The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-09-01

IaSclnuLIuR, anu nc tnrcW uh IHueScrl-
bablc charm into his voice as he ex-
tended his hand and said to US
i am glad to see you, gentlemen.
You arc very welcome to Richmond"
And this was the man who was Pres.
dent of the United States under
Franklin Pierce, and who is now the
heart, soul and brains of the Southern
Confederacy.
His manner put me entirely at ease
(the Colonel would be at case if he
stood before Caesar, ar d l replied
"We thank you, Mr.. Davis. 1t is
not often you meet men of our clothes
and our principles in Richmond
Not often, not so often as | could
wish and | trust your coming may
lead to more frequent and more
friendly intercourse between the North
and the South" iii
awe sincerely hope it may"
"Mr. Benjamin tells me you have
asked to see me, to- = .- ......
And he paused, as if desiring we
should finish the sentence. Tho Colonel
replied
"Ycs, sir We have asked this in
terview in the hope that you may sug-
gest some way by which this war can
be stopped. Our people want peace !;
your people do, and your Congress has
recently said that you do. We have
come TO ask you how it can be brought
about" IN.
SIN very simple way. Withdraw
your armies from our territory, and
peace will come of itself. We do not
seek to subjugato you. We are not
waging an offensive war, except so far
as it is offensive -defensive-that is; so
far as we arc forced to invade you to
prevent your invading us. Let us
alone and peace will come at once"
"But we cannot let you alone so long
as you repudiatc the Union. That is
the one thing the Northern people
will not surrender"
Il know. You would deny 10 us
what you exact for yourselves-the
IISuV vi ocll-SONcTHucHV'
"No, sir" l remarked, 1--WE would
deny you no natural right. But we
think Union essential to peace; and,
Mr.. Davis, could two people with the
same language, separated by only an
imaginary line, live at peace with each
other? Would not disputes constant
| ly arise and cause almost constant war
between them," ....
Undoubtcdly-with this genera
! ton. You have sown such bitterness
at the South, you have put an ocean of
blood between the two sections, that |
despair of seeing any harmony in my
time. Our children may forget this
war, but we cannct."
al think the bitterness you speak
of, sir" said the Colonel, "does not
really exist. We must talk here as
friends; our soldiers meet and frater-
nize with each other; and feel sure
that ifthc Union were restored more
friendly feeling would arise between
us than has ever existed. The war
has made us know and respect each
other better than before. This is the
view of very many Southern men. |
have had it from many of them-your
leading citizens"
They are mistaken, replied Mr.. Davis
"They do not understand Southern
sentiment. How can we feel anything
but bitterness toward men who deny
us our rights? If you enter my home
and drive mo out Of it, am not your
natural encmyY"
"You put the case too strongly. But
we cannot fight forever; the war must
end at some time; We must finally
agree upon something; can we not
agree now, and stop this frightful car
mage? We are both christian men,
Mr.. Davis. Can you, as christian
man, leave untricd any means that
may lead to peacc?"
No, l cannot. | desire peace as
much as you do. deplore bloodshcd
as much as you do F.; but feel that not
one drop ofthe blood shed in this war
is on my hands; l can look up to my
God and say this. l tried all in my
power to avert this war. saw it
coming, and for twelve years | worked
night and day to prevent it, but | could
not. The North was mad and blind /;
it would not let us govern ourselves /;
and so the war came, and now it must
go on till the last man of this genera
tion falls in his tracks, and his chill.
drcn seize his muskct and fight his
battles, unless you acknowledge our
right to sclf-govcrnment. We are not
fighting for slavery. We arc fighting
for independencc-and that or cxteri
imnation we will have"
"And thore arc at least four and a
half millions of us left; so you see you
have work before yod," said Mr.. Ben
jamin with q decided sneer.
"Wo have no wish to exterminate
you," answered the Colonel. 81 be-
love what I have said-that there is
no bitterness between the Northern
and Southern people. The North, /
know, loves tho South. When peace
comes it will pour money and means in
to your hands to repair the waste caus-
cd by the war and il would now wei
come you back and forgive you all the
loss and bloodshed you have caused.
But we must crush your armies and
extorminate your government. And
is not that already tfearly done? You
arc wholly without money and at the
end Of your resources. Grant has
shut you up in Richmond. Sherman
| is hoforo Atlanta Had voIf not. then.