The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1864-08-25
Edmund Kirke's" Mission to
Richmond.

At PSw,uckct, Rhode Island, on
Wednesday, Nc Gilmore {" Edmund
Burke") delivered n lecture, in which he
desc ibsd his interview with IriT. Davis,
during late visit to Richmond, and the I
substance Of their conversation on the .
terms Of peace. Tho following is
report OF Mr.. G,lmorp's remarks:
I went to Richmond with The Rev. Col. I
oncl Joquts, aud went with the hope of
making negotiations which might result |
IN prsrc. u We should succeed, we |
thought that the consciousness OF having |
served cur country would pay our cS-
pcuses. five tailed VIC might still serve
the country by letting the people of the
North know what was the reason Of our
ttilnrc; for | went with propositions on
the basis Of which I might havi made an
arrangement for poaoc with Mr.. DAVIS,
aud It we were unsucctssidl IL would be
useful for the country 10 know what pro-
positions were rejected. We went to
Richmond IN m ambulance, and were
three hours TN the way after we oiucred
| the rchui Nuo~. Ne antcred Richmond
at 10 v'c!uek, aud planted our white nag
| in The very heart uf the rebel capital
! W Y NtlN ANNtI w u ttNkfl uilN ellNN " Al
tu "Nu. g." shabby room with same
! fine nrniiure in very bad orders We
were provided with supper and direct, d
how to apply for an interview with the
| President. The next morning we direct.
I ed note To Secretary Brniamin, asking
un interview with thc President, aud were
invited to call upon him, when we made
au engagement to meet the President
that evening, which was Sunday. On
meeting cur engagement, We were shown
tnto the state ID apartment, where we
saw Mr. benjamin, u small, plump, black
haired, black eyed mHu, seated IN his
usual place, aud at his right pale, thin
man, dressed in suit OF darlash gray,
with mouth aud chin expressive uf the
T. catcst determination. We. tod him
simply that we camo without official uu.
thority, but knowing tho opinions of our
government, Ia see on what terms peace
might be- made Mr.. Davis replied
Qnictly, Withdraw your armies lrou
our territory und peace will lollIw Of It.
/, soll.n Wu told him that the Northern
people would never agree tu any plar
1 with did not include the establishment
+, OF the Unidn. NJ Davis suid.thnt ",
could never 1.-Two IN peace The Nortl
had suwn such n bitterness between ii'
two sections that we never could hav,
peace ia this generation. We then urge,
upon him that II was his duty To usc every
effort to put an end TO this morstrou
4 blumshed., He acknowledged this, an,
declared that none OF The blood shed IL
this war could ho lay to his own charge
phry, the SoMh, wud not lighting iu
sluw ry, they were fighting tor indie pon
, dUncc; and Independence or ,xtcrminn
, tiun they would have. We then tried q
show him that the position OF the rtbc
! armies was such that IL was better fo
them to give up the contest while thel
could do It with honor; but he wns uu
, willing 10 ndmit that his armies were il
such desperate position. He laid th,
n blame of the bnrbarity of this wor en-
4 tirely upon the North, utterly ignorin,
T.. the instances OF rebel barbarity whicl
b. we brought TO his notice. | then had
nj considcrabl, conversation with )lr. Da
- vie, in which I directly offered him tn
J rms which | lai occn authorized /
suggest; bat az he did not show any dis
position to meet me, pwill not state then
= explicitly. These terms will be given
, through tho newspapers in sh IT time
Z They " ere, IN general entire abolition,
1 general amnesty, no c0niiscation, tn
| debts OF the South to be ignored, III,
1 debts of tho general government To b.
o borne by all the States. Mr. Davis de
clnrcd that such terms could never be- nc
}, cepttd by the Southern people, aud ruth
. or than submit To them they would stuk
I. their whole property, aud their nationo
b, existence.