Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-08-20

Win q silknS stOOp III tu6 SuOulOSIS Ills Iuau.
ners were simple, easy, and quite fascinating
and he threw an indescribable charm into his
voice as he extended his hand and said to us
vsr1 ~ am Isn glad TO - see y0n. gentlemen. You are
And this was the man " ho was President Of
the United States under Franklin Pierce, and
VINO Is now the heart, soul, and brains OF the
southern Confederacy!
His manner put me entirely at my ease-the
Colonel would be at his II he stood before
Casar-and replied:
"We thank you, Mr.. Davis. 1t is not often
you meet men OF our clothes, and our princi-
pies, In Richmond :"
"Not often, not so often as I could wish and
uustyour coming may lead to more fire.
the North and the South"
1--WE sincerely hope 1t may
"Mr. benjamin tells me you have asked to
And he paused, as if desiring we should
finish the sentence. The Colonel replied:
ayes, sir. We have asked this interview in
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
"In very simple way. Withdraw your
armies from our territory, and peace will come
OF itself. We do not seek to subjugate you.
far as it is offensive. is, SO far
as we are forced to invade you to prevent
your invading us. Let us alone and peace
"But we cannot let you alone so long as you
repudiate the Union. That is the one thing
the Northern people will not surrender"
81 know you would deny to us what you
exact for yourselves-the right of self.govern-
ment"
"No, sir" 1 remarked. 1--WE would deny
you no natural right. But we think Union
people, with the same language, separated by
only an imaginary line. live at peace with each
otherl Would not disputes constantly arise,
and cause almost constant war between
them l''
"Undoubtedly.-with this generation. You
have sown such bitterness at the South, you
have put such an ocean of blood between the
two sections, that despair of seeing any har.
mony in my time. Our children may forget
this war, but aUe cannot.
81 think the bitterness you speak OF, sir"
saId the Colonel, "does not really exist We
must talk here as friends; our soldiers meet
and traternize with each other, and feel sure
feeling would arise between US than has ever
existed. The war has made us know and re-
spect each other better than before. This is
the view Of very many southern men; have
had it from many Of them-your leading cit.
Zens."
ssThey are mistaken" replied MIR. Davis.
UThey do not understand southern sentiment.
How can we feel anything but bitterness to-
wards men who deny us our rights If you
enter my house and drive me ont OF it, am
not your natural enemy!''
"You put the case too strongly. But we cam
not fight forever; the war must end at some
time; we must finally agree upon something;
can we not agree now duu StOp LulS 1ElSuIAul
carnage2 We are both Christian men, MIR. Da-
Wis. Can you, as a Christian man, leave un.
tried any means that may lead to peaceF -
"No, i cannot. l desire peace as much as
you do deplore bloodshed as much as you
do; but feel that not one drop OF the blood
SHE in this war is on my hands; can look up
power to avert this war. I saw it coming, and
for twelve years ! worked night and day to
prevent 1t. But could not. The North was
mad and blind; it would not let us govern our
and now IL m nst
20 on till the last nan OF this generation falls
in his tracks, and his children seize his mus
edge our right to government. We are
not fighting tor slavery. We are fighting for
independence-and that or determination we
will haye.'
ssAnd there are at least four and half mil
lions of us left; go You see you have q work be-
fore you," said Mr.. Benjamin; with q decided
sneer.
1--WE have no wish to exterminate you," an.
swered the Col. 81 believe what have said
that there is no bitterness between the northern
the South. When peace comes it will pour
money and means into your hands to repair
the waste caused by the war, and it would now
and bloodshed you have caused. But we must
crush your armies and exterminate your gov
ernment. Apd is not that already nearly done
You are wholly without money and at the end
of your resources. Grant has shut you up in
Richmond. Sherman is before Atlanta. Had
you not, then, better accept honorable terms
W01le you can retain your preStlge ana save
the pride OF the southern people !'
MIR. DAVIS ON THE CONFEDERATE PROSPECTS
Mr.. DAVIS smiled.
81 respect your earnestnes, Colonel, but you
do not seem to understand the situation. We
are not exactly shut up in Richmond. II your
papers tell the truth 1t is your capital that is in
danger, not ours. Some weeks ago Grant
crossed the Rapidan to whip Lee AN and take take
and then Grantexecutedw what your people call
a brilliant flank movement, and fought Lee
again. Lee drove him second time, and then
Grant made another s1ank movement and so
they kept on--Lee whipping and Grant flank.
ing-until Grant got where he is now. And
what is the net resultf Grant has lostseventy.
had at the ontset-and is no nearer taking Rich.
mond than at first; and Lee, whose front has
never been broken holds him completely in
check, and has men enough to spare to invade
Mary land, and threaten Washington! Sherman,
to be sure, is before Atlanta; but suppose he is,
and suppose he takes it You know, that, the
farther he goes from his base Of supplies, the
weaker he grows, and the more disastrous de-
feat will be to him. And defeat may come. So
in a M ilitary view, should certainly say our
position as better than yours.
GAS to money; we are richer than You are.
You smile; but admit that our paper is worth
nothing-it answers as q circulating medium:
of it were lost, we should, as we have no foreign
debt, be none the poorer. But it is worth some
thing; it has the solid basis Of large cotton
crop, while yours rests on nothing, and you
lack for arms or ammunition, and we have
still wide territory from which to gather
supplies. So, you see, we are not In extremities.
But II we were-if we were without money,
without food, without weapons-n our whole
country were devastated, and our armies
crushed and disbanded-could we, without
govern ourselves! Would you not rather die,
and feel yourself a man, than live, and be SUBJ
ject to foreign powerg"
you say" replied the Colonel. "Bnt we did
not come here to argue with you, Mr. Davis.
We came, hoping to find some honorable way
to peace; and l am grieved to hear you say
what You do. When I have seen your young
men dying on the battle field, and your old
men, women, and children starving In their
homes, l have felt could risk my lie to save
them For that reason am here; and am
-grieved, grieved, that there Is no hope
81 know your motives, Colonel Jaqnes, and
l honor yeu for them but what can DO more
rladIu if il wnTid bring reace and good will TO