Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-09-02
OUR VISIT TO aslCHnnoND.

/ OUR VISIT TO NlCIlNOND.
j. r. Gilmore edmund Kirk furnishes
the Atlantic Monthly for September an ac
count Of "Our Visit to Richmond" in which
he was accompanied by Colonel Jaquess Of
Illinois. That portion giving the interview
with jeff. Davis we furnish our readers be.
low:
Mr.. Benjamin occupied his previous seat
at the table, and at his right sat spare, thin
featured man, with iron gray hair and beard
and clear, gray eye fun Of life and yiror.
lie had broad, massive forehead, and a
mouth and chin denoting great energy and
strength of will. HIS face was cmaciated,
and much wrinklcd, bu; his features were
good, especially his eyes, though one of
them bore a scar, apparently made by some
sharp instrument. lie wore a suit of gray
ish brown, evidently of foreign manufacture,
and, as he rose, ! saw that he was about five
feet ten inches high, with a slight Stoop in
the shoulders. His manners were simple,
easy, and quite fascinating; and he threw an
indescribab'e charm into his voice, as he ex.
tended his hand, and said to us
am glad to see you, Gentlemen. Yol
are very welcome to Richmond"
And this was the man who was President
OF the United States under Franklin Pierce
and who Is nov the heart, soul, and brains
OF the Southern Conftaency
LIS manner put me entirely at my ease
the Colonel would be at his, if hc stood be-
fore Caesar, and replied
ethank you, Mr.. Davis. 1t ia not eltcn
you meet men of our clothes, and our prin
ciplcS. in Richmond"
Not often, not so often rs could wish;
and trust your coming may lead to more
frequent and more friendly intercourse be
tween the North and the South
=" We sincerely hope it may.n "a
Mr.. Benjamin tells me you have asked to
see me, to-
And he paused, as il desiring, We. should
finish the sentence. The Colonel replied
Yes, Sir. We have asked this interview
IN the hope that you may suggest some way
by which this war may be stopped. Our
people want peace,-your people do, and
your Congress has recently said that goa do
We have come to ask how it can be brought
about"
" In very simple way. Withdraw your
armies from our territory, and peace will
come OF itself We do not seek to suhugnte
you. We are not waging an offensive war,
except so Tar as it is offensive Defensive
that is, so far as we are forced to invade YOU
to prevent your invading us. Let us alone,
and peace will come at once"
y" Bnt we cannot let you alone so long as
you repudiatc the Union. That is the one
thing the Northern people will not surren.
der" s."..s :. ..
II know. You would deny to us what
you exact for yourselves, s,-,he right Of self
government" a,
No, Sir" remarked. ave would dc.
ny you no natural right. But we think
Union essential to peace; and, Mr.. Davis,
c0uta tw" people, with the same language,
separate! only by an imaginary line, live at
peace with each other? Would not disputes
constantly arise, and cause almost constant
war between them ~
Undoubtedly with this generation -
You have sown such bitterness ut the South
you have put such an ocean of blood between
the two sections that despair of seeing any
harmony in my time. Our children may
forget this war, but rc cannot"
think the bitterness YOU speak of, Sir"
said the Colonel, docs not really exist. We
meet and talk here as friends; our soldiers
meet and fratcrr2c with each other :; and |
feel sure, that, if the Union were restored, q
more friendly feeling would arise between us
than has ever existed Tho war has made
us know and respect each other better than
before. This is the view of very many South.
ern men ; I have had it from many Of thcm
your leading citizens"
They are mistaken" replied Mr. Davis.
They do not understand Southern senti
rncnt. How can we feel anything bat bit
terne towards mtnr who deny to us our
rights? If you enter my house and drive
me out Of it, am not your natural enemy ?"
You put the case too strongly But we
cannot fight forever; the war must end at
some time; we must finally agree upon some.
thing can we not agree now, and stop this
iright'ul carnage? We are both Christian
men, NJ. Davis. Can you, as a Christian
man, leave untricd any uicans that may lead
to peace ~
NO, cannot. Idcsire peace as much
as you do I p!ore bloodshed as much as
you do; but feel that not one drop of the
blood shed in this war is on mn hands, Il
can look up to my God and say this. | tried
all IN my power to avert this war. saw il
coming, and for twelve years worked night
and day to prevent it, but could not. Yhc
North was mad and blind it would not let
|
and now 1t must go on I'LL the last man of
this generation falls in his tracks, and his
children seize his musket and lieh. his ,bat
tie, 1ntess you achqomle,ige our rigbt to self
gope'nneat. We arc not fighting for slave.
rs. We arc fighting fpr Independence,
and that, or cxterminntion, we rW have"
And there are, at least, four and half
millions, o.ns left SO you see you have work
before you" said Mr. Benjamin, with dc.
c.dcd sneer.
We have no wish to cxterminatc you"
answered the Colonel. az believe what
have d,--that there is no bitterness be.
tween the Northern and Southern people,
The North, know, loves the South when
peace comes, il viii pour money and means
into your bands to repair the waste caus.d
by the war; and it would now welcome you
back, and forgive you all the loss and blood.
shed you have caused. But we must crush
your armies, and cxtcrminatc your Govern.
ment. And 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 Allan.
ia. Had yon not, then, better accept honor.
able terms while you can retain your pres.
tige, and save the pride of the Southern pco.
yle e .nr... . ... ~ ..... ..#
Nr Davis smiled
-" respect your carncstness, Colonel, but
you do not seem to understand the situation.
We are not exactly shut up in Richmond
II your papers tell the truth, it is your capi.
tai that is in danger, not ours. Some weeks
ago, Grant crossed the Raplan TO whip Lee,
and take Richmond lee drove him in the
first battle, and then Grant executed what
your people call a brilliant flank movement
and fought Lee again. Lee drove him sec.
ond time, and then Grant made another
flank movement; and so they Kept on,-
Lee whipping, and Grant faakng. until
Grant got where he is now. And what is
the net result ?"s Grant has lost seventy five
or eighty thonsand lnen,---p.ore than Lee
hal at the ontset,--and is no nearer taking
Richmond than at first and Lee. whose
front has never been broken, holds him com
pIetely in check, and has men enough to
spare to invade Maryland, and threaten
Washington Sherman, TO be sure, is before
Anap,a but suppose he is, and suppose he
takpc II Xnu Il N Z. tk0t- fha ~. Il