The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-18

| twenty millions
Again Mr. DAVIS smiled
do you suppose there are twenty millions AZ tho
/ North determined 10 crush usR"
Il do, to crush your Government small num-
Der OF our people, a very small number are your
| trends, Socessonlsls. Tho rest di6er about
measures and candidates but are united in the DO
| termination 10 sustain tho Union. Whoever IL
| elected IN November, he must be committed 10 a
| vigorous prosecution Of the war;
Mr.. DAVIS still looked incredulous. fremarked :-
.lt is 40, sir Whoever tells you otherwise do
ccives you think know Northern sentiment and
assure y0u II IA so You know we have svsiem of
ycoum.locturng In large towns Al the close Of
these Lectures s the custom Of the people to come
upon the platform and talk with the lecturer. Tins
gives him IN excellent opportunity of learning pub.
JIG sentiment Last winter ! lcctured before neafiv a
hundreo Of such associations all over the North
from Dubuque TO Bangor-and took pains To nsccr.
tain tho ioellng of tho people. I found a unaninous
determination 70 crush the Rebellion and save thc
Union ~ every sacrifice Tho majority are IN favor
Oi br LINCOLN, and nearly all OF those opposod TO
MIN ar opposed TO him because they think no docs
not hght YOU with enough vigUr.
Tie mdica Republicans who 20 for slave su6r,oo
und thorough cOniiscstiOn, are those who will do.
ieai him, u he IS 10 be- defeated. hut If he i do.
ltated before the people, The Tou.e will elect n
worto mani mean worse for You. II y more fodi.
ca than ne is you can that from Mr. AsuLFyig
cal than the House Mr.. LiNuoIN, / know. ~ obGUt
20 call out five hundred thousand more men and /
can't see how YOU can resi- much longer: hui hi Won
do YOU viii only deepen the radical feeling or t6c
Northern people. They will now gave you fair
noLorgGle generous terms but let them surbr much
more, let there be dead man In every house as
there now IN every village, they will give YOU NO
pimsi thSy WIZ insist ON hanging every RobCl south
ol -, Pardon my terms. mean no uiense"
You give no O1rnsc," he replied smiling very
pleasantly. wouldn't have YOU pick your words
This s frank, Tree talk, aud like you the better
for saying what you think. TO on"
81 was merely going to say that, let the Northern
people once really Joel the war-they do not feel it
yet-Snd they viii insist on hanging every ono of
your leadsrs.'
well, admitting all you say, can't see how It
affects our position. There are some thngs worse
than hanging or oNtermi nation. We reckon giving
mp the right OF soi-govem OF those things
independencef'
81, And slavery, you say, is no longer an element in
'Noit Is not; il mover was an essential element.
u was only means OF bringing other conflicting
elements 20 an earlier elimination. Il fired the
muskot which was already ca pped and loaded There
are essential differences between the North and the
south that viii, however this war may end, make
you ask me to say what think VIII YOU allow
me TO say that ! know the South pretty well, and
never Observed those differences"
Then YOU have not used your eyes. My sight Is
poorer than yours but have seen them 1Of years.
joyed II.
we sir, be that as II may, II understand you the
dispute between your Government and ours Is mar
rowed down to this: Union disunion."
or suljugatiOn."
Then the two Governments are irreconcilablv
apart. They have no alternative hut fight It out
But It s not 80 with the people They are tired OF
h'hting and want peace; and they bear all the
burden and suffering of the war, Is IL not night tney
should have peace and have It on such terms as they
~ don't understand you. BE a little more ex.
plclt"
Mr.. Davis Refuses nn Armistice
"Well, suppose the two Governments should agree
TO do something like this; TO 90 10 the people with
two propositions say, peace with dsunion ana
southern independence as your prOpOsitiOn-and
peace with union emancipation no confscation and
universal amnesty as ours. let tho citizons of ali
the United states las they existed before the war;
vote Yes or NO on these two propositions, at spe-
Nlal election within giXfV daVg II "a
isunlOn, our Government 20 be bound by H. and to
lee YOU 80 IN peace. II majority votes Union yours
Governments can contract IN this way and the
people, though constltutiOnaly unable 10 decide on
peace or war can elect which OF the two propositions
shall govern their rulers Let LEE and GRANT mean
while agree TO an atmsiice, This would sheathe the
sword and If once sheathed 10 would never again be
drawn by this generation"
"lho plan is altogether mpracticable il the |
south were only one state, u might work; but il
H. II one southern State objected TO enamel alton,
would nulliy the whole thing; for you are aware |
he people of Virginia cannot vote slavery out OF |
south carolina, nor the people of South Carolina |
But three-iour!hs OF the States can amend the |
yonstlluuon' Let Il be done in that way in any |
Say, 70 that IL be done by the people. am not |
ta;esman or politician, and | do not know just |
low such plan could be carried out; but you get |
he idea, that the people shall decide the question"
That tho majority shall decide II, you mean. We |
eeedsd 10 rid ourselves of the rule Of the majority,
md this wOuld subject us 10 IL again"
DOllets or ballots"
Il hul not so sure OF mat. Neither current events
lor history show that the majority rules, did
ale. The contrary, think, il true. Why sir, the |
nan who should go before the Southern people with |
Hch proposition, with any proposition which inn |
'hed that the North was TO have a voice in deter. |
mining the domestic relations of the South, could
lot hye mere day. lie would be hanged to the first
rec, without Judge or jury
" Allow me to doubt that. ] think II more
kelly ne wonld be hanged, if he let the Southe IN
eope know the majority couldn't rule" rep lied,
ii Fave no fear OF that, reioined Mr.. DAVIS.
lao smiling m d.lufunpadI,- a. r{y t.,,,
cave TO- proclaim II from every house-tOp in the
But, seriously, sir you let the majority rule
Ountryp
eign. The country is not II is only confederation
States; or rather II was; II is now two confedera-
Then We are not people. we are only political
al ltnershipW
"That is ALL"
our very name, sir, United states, implies
hat" said MIR. benjamin g" But tell me are the
erms you have named Emancipation, no cOnfisca.
ion and universal gmnesty-the terms which Mr.
LINCOLN authorized you to offer uss"
:, No, siri DIR. LINCOLN did not authorize me TO
Northern people ior the sake OF peace, would assent
% SOM such conditions
They are very generous" replied MIR. DAVIS, for
he first time during the interview showing some
lngry feeling "But, amnesty, sir applies TO cri.
ninas. We have committed no crime. Confsca-
ION Is OF no account, unless you can enforce IL And
You have already emanCipated d nearly
wo millions Of our slaves, and If YOU wi take care !
u you may enlnnClp0te the rest. had few
when the war began. was OF some use TO them; !
they never we're of any 20 me- Against their will !
you 'emancipated' them, and yOu may 'emancipate'
every neglO IN the COnedcracY but we will be free
We VIII govern ourselves We will do IL II we have
10 see every Southern plantation sacked and every I
Southern clty in flames"
Il see, Mr.. DAVIS, 10 Il useless 10 continue this |
replied; and you will pardon Us !
II We have seemed TO press views with TOO much
periGacity We love the old flag and that must b. |
our apology for intruding upon You at all"
gu have not intruded upon me-" no repliel. |
rc5uning his usual manner. am glad 10 have
you dQi would have died Tor II; but now IT u TO me
lnly the emblem of oppression
mol" the day may never come, NJ. DAVE.
$ h"n say that - said the Colonel.
Close of the Interview
! hali-hour's conversation ON other topics not of
public interest, ensued, and then we rose 10 20. A.
Yc I'D 50 the Rebel President Pave me his hnud ana
bidding me u kindly goodbye, eXpIessed the hone
II seeing me again in Richmond in happier times
Yhen Deace should nave rCturnnd; hut with ths
ul0nel his parting was particularly cordial taking
lls hGLd IN both Of his he said TO hint
Colonel, respect your character and your mo-
ives, and wish You we'll wish you every good
AN wish you consistently with the interests OF the
'OnlCdoracy"
The quiet straightforward bearing and maunig. :
z nt moral courage Of our lighting parsOn" had
" Nidontly impressed Mr.. DAVIS very iavOTably
As we were leaving the room ho added,
Say 10 Mr.. LINCOLN, from me, that shall az any
inc be pleased 10 receive proposals. Tor peace ON The
asis OF our independence II VII. be uscCl. To gp.
rCach mo with any other"
Whom we went out Mr. BENJAMIN called judge p
'uLD, who had been waiting during the whole Ia.
HNaH NasH.N hon a.