Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-09-02
Secretary benjamin and Edmund
NfrlEe-


We publish below the account of SeSre-
tary Benjamin of the interview
of Gilmore and Jaques with Jefferson
Davis. It will be seen that it substantially
corroborates the statement of Edmund
Kirke," differing from it, to be sure, in mi
nor details, but agreeing with it in the de-
claration that Davis maintained thatpeace
could not be secured except by negocia-
tions which admitted him Davis to be the
President of q separate Of and independ-
ent Confederacy-in other words, without
recognizing the independence Of the South.
The statement of Secretary Benjamin
we cut from letter addressed by kim 10
aHon. james N. Mason, Minister to the
Continent" It begins by vOluminous
statement of the ins:rumentality through
which the interview was brought about
and of the preliminary interview which he
(the Secretary held with the "snvoys,"
which is of no special moment. 1t closes
with a rather undignihed personal Htsa0lE
on Messrs. Kirke and Gilmore, which, as
the people of the North care very little
about these two persons, as individuals, we
do not think it worth while to notice.
The President came to my Office about 8
o'clock in the evening, and Colonel Ould
came a few moments later with Messrs.
Jaoues and Gilmore. The President SAID
TO them that he had heard from me that
they came rs messengers OF peace from
Mr.. Lincoln; that as such they were well
come; that the Confederacy hsd never
concealed its desire for peace, and that he
was ready to hear whatever they had to
offer on that subject.
MIR. Gilmore then addressed the PFesi-
dent. and in few minutes had conveyed
the information that these two gentlemen
had come to Richmond impressed with the
idea that this Government would accept a
neace on the basis of q reconstruction OF
| the Union. the abolition of Slavery, and
| the grant of an amnesty for the people OF
the State ss repentaDt criminals. In order
| m accomplish the abolition of Slavery, It
| YVES nroposed that there should be gen.
eral vote of all the people of both Coned-
erstions, and the majority of the vote thus
taken was to determine that as well as all
other disputed questions. These were sta
ted TO be MIR. Lincoln's views. The PreSl-
| dent answered that as these remarks had
been prefaced by the remark thai the peo
ple of the North we're a majority and
| that majority ought to govern, the
Offer was in effect, proposal that the Oon-
faderate States should surrender at disere-
tIon. ADMIT that they had been wrong from
the beginning Of the contest, submit to the
mercy of their enemies, and avow them
selves to be in need Of pardon for crimes
that extermmatiCn was preferable 10 ols
honor.
He stated that if they we're themselVe
so unacauainted with the form OF their owl
Government as to make such propositions
Mr.. Lincoln ought to have known wheI
giving them his views that it was out OF tn
power ef the Confederate Governmen
TO act on the subject of the domestic institu
tons of the several States, each States hay
ing exclusive jurisdiction on that point, stl
less TO commit the decision Ur sucH d quo
) tion to the vote of foreign peoples tins
the separation of the States was an accom-
= nlisbed fact; that he had no authority
receive proposals for negotiations, excep
mo by virtue of his Office as President
an independent Confederacy, and on tn
basis alone must proposals be made
him. ~
At one period of the conversation M
Gilmore made use of some language, +
ferring to these States as @rebels WIN
rendering an account of Mr.. LincOlI OH
views. and apologized for the word. II
e President desired him to proceed, that !
offence was taken, and that he wished N
= Lincoln's language to be repeated to nj
exactly as possible. Some further conv'
l. sation took place substantially to the saT
effect as the foregoing, when the Preside
I rose to indicate that the interview was
an end. The two gentlemen were then
. committed to the charge OF Col. ould,
left Richmond the next day.