Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-08-30


official, or unofficial, authority, We come a
men and Christians, not as dpl0matlsts, hop
ng, in frank talk with Mr. Davis, to discoye
some way by which this war may be stopped. !"
b" Well, gentlemen, | will repeat what yo
say to the President, and If he follows my ad
ylce-and think he will-he will maet you
lie will be at churbh this afternoon SO, sup
pose you call here at nine this evening. |
nything should occur IN the meantime to pre-
vent his seeing you, will let you know lhrougl
Judge Ould."
After day spent in our room, converslnl
with the Judge, or watching the passers-by II
the street, should like to tell who they werC
and how they looked, but such information i;
just now conTaband-we called again ut nine
o'clock at the State Department.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Mr.. Benjamin occupied his previous seat at
the table, and at his right sat a spare thin-iea
tured man, with iron-gray hair and beard anc
"a clear gray eye full OF life and ylgor. He hac
broad massive forehead, aud o mouth and chin
denotlng great energy and strength OF will
His face was emaclated and much wrlnkled
but his features were goOd, especially his eyet
though one Of them bore scar apparently
made by some sharp instrument. lie wore a
suit Of graylsh brown, evidently OF foreign
manufacture, and as he rose, | saw that he was
about five feet ten inches high, with slight
stoOp 10 the shoulders Hls manners were FIN
pie, easy, and quite fascinating aud be threw
an niescrlbable charm into bis voice. as be ex-
tended his hand, and SAID to us
" am lad TO see you, gentlemen. You are
very welcome 10 Richmond
And this was the man who was President oi
the United States under Franklin Pierce, and
who IS now the heart, soul, amt brains Of the
Southern Conlederacy
Ills manner put me entirely at my ease--tho
Colonel would be at his, II ae stood bslore
Cesar-and | replied
" We thank you, Mr.. Davis. 1t is not often
you meet men Of our clothes, and our prihcl-
pies 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
" We sincerely hope 1t may"
" Mr. Benjamin tells me you have asked to
See me, to -
And he paused, as if 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 eau be stopped. Our people
want peace your people do, and your Con-
gres has recently SAID that you do. We have
couc to ask how IL can be brought about"
"In very simple way. Withdraw your ar
mics from our territory, and peace will come OF
Itself We do not seek to subjugate you. We
are no, waging an offensive war, except so far
as it IL -deienslye-th that is, So Tar as We
are forced to invade you TO prevent your inyad
Ing US. Let US alone and peace will come at
once "
but We cannot let you alone so long as you
repudiate the Union. That Is the one thing the
northern people will not surrender,
| know. You would deny to us what you
exact for yOurselyes-the right Of self-goyern-
ment.
"No SIR remarked. " We would deny
you no natural right. But we think Union e.
sentia to peace and, Mr.. DAVIS, could two peo-
pie, with the same language, separated by only
an imaginary line, live at peace with each 9th
er Would not disputes constantly arise, and
cause almost constant war between them 2"
4" Undoubtedly-with this generation. You
have sown such bitterness at the South, you
have put such an ocean Of blood between the
TWO seclions that despair of seeing any har-
mony IN my time. Our children may forget
this war, but zoe cannot.
al think the bitterness you speak OF sir, "
said the Colonel, " does not really exist. We
must talk here as friends; our soldiers meet
aud raternize with each other aud feel sure
that if the Union were restored, more friendly
feeling would arise between US than has ever
existed. The war has made Us know and res
pect each other better than before. This is tn
view Of very many southern men have had
it from many of them-your Leading citizeus, y
They are mlsaSen,' replied Mr.. Davis.
=. They do not understand southern sentiment.
low can We feel nything but bitterness towards
men who deny us our righIs2 II YOU enter
my house and drive me out Of it, am not your
natural encmyl"
"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 frightiul
carnagel We are both Christian men, Mr.. Da-
WIS., Can you, as a Christian man, leave un-
tried any means that may lead 10 peace
"No, | cannot. desire peace AS much
YOU do but feel that not one drop of the
blood shed in this war is on my hands can
look up to my God and say this tried all in
my power 10 avert this war ! saw il coming
and or 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 10 the war came, and now 1t must 90 on TILL
the last man Of this generation falls in his tracks
and his children seIz his musket aud fight his
battles, unless you acknowledge our right to
seltgoyernment, We are not fighting for sla
very, We are fighting Tor Independence ce--and
that or determination we will have,
"And there ar9 az least iOur and hall mi.
lions OF us left SO you see you have work
before you, - said Mr. Benjamin, with decided
sneer,
We have 10 wish 70 extormlnate you, an-
swered the Colonel. " believe what have
said that there is no bitterness between the
northern and southern people. The North,
know, lives the South. When peace comes it
will pour money and means into your hands "a
repair the waste caused by The war; and it would
now welcome you back and forgive you all the
loss and bloodsned you have caused, Bat we
must crush your armies and exterminate your
government And is not that already nearly
done7 You are wholly without money and at
the end Of your resouro .. Grant has shut you
in Richmond Sherman Is before A tlanta Had
you not then, better accept honorable terms
while you oan retain your prestige and save the
pride Of the Southern people "
Mr.. DAVIS ON THE CONFEDERATE PROSPECTS.
Mr.. Davis smiled
- respect your oarneslness, Colonel, bu. you
do not seem to understand the sitaution We
are not exactly shut up in Richmond If your
papers tell the truth il Is your capital that is in
danger, not ours. Some weeks ago Grant crossed
the Rapidaa TO whip Lee and take Richmond