Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-09-01

made now as after further bloodshed !, that
they knew by the recent address of the Con-
federate Congress that we were willing to
make peace; that they admitted that pro-
posals ought to come from the North, and
that they were ready to make these propo-
| sails by Mr.. LincOln's authority; that 1t was
necessary to have sort of informal under
standing in advance of regular negotiations,
| for II commissioners were appointed with
out some such understanding they would
meet. quarrel and separate, leaving the par
ties more bitter against each other than be-
| fore; that they knew Mr.. Lincoln's views,
and would state them If pressed by the Pres
ident to do 80, and desired to learn his in
| return.
! again insisted on some evidence that
they came from Lincoln, and in order to
satisfy me Mr.. Gilmore referred to the
! fact that permission for their coming
| through our lines had been asked officially
| by General Grant in q letter to General Lee,
and that General Grant in that letter had
| asked that this request should be referred to
| President Davis. Mr.. Gilmore then showed
me card, written and signed by Mr.. Lin
coin, requesting General Grant to aid Mr.
| Gilmore and friend in passing through his
| lines into the Contederacy. Colonel Jacques
then said that his name was not put on the
| card, for the reason that it was earnestly
desired that their visit should be kept Sc
cret; that he had come into the Confederacy
year ago. and had visited Petersburg on
similar errand, and that 1t was feared If his
name should become known that some of
those who had formerly met him in Pc
tersburg would conjecture the purpose for
which he now came.
HeSaid that the terms of peace which
they would offer to the President would be
honorable to the Confederacy; that they did
not desire that the Confederacy should ac-
cept any other terms, but would be glad to
have my promise, as they gave theirs, that
their visit should be kept profound secret
if it failed to result in peace; that it would
not be just that either party should seek
any advantage by divulging the fact Of their
overture for peace, If unsuccessful. / as
sented to this request; and then rising, said:
do i understand you to state distinctly
that you come as messengers from Mr.. Lin
coin for the purpose of agreeing with the
President as to the proper mode of inau-
gurating formal negotiation for peace
charged by Mr.. Lincoln with authority for
stating his own views and receiving those
of President Davis?' Both answered in the
affirmative, and then said that the Presi
dent would see them at my Office the same
eveningat Z. NJ; that at least presumed
he would; but if he objected, after hearing
my report, they should beinformed. They
were then recommitted to the charge of
| Colonel Ould, with the understanding that
| they were to be reconducted to my office at
the appointed hour, unless otherwise direct
| ed.
| This interview, connected with the report
previously made by Colonel Ould, left on
my mind the decided impression that Mr..
Lincoln was averse to sending formal COM
| iocsn tn ha
| might thereby be deemed to have recog-
| nized the independence Of the Confederacy,
and that he was anxious to learn whether
the conditions on which alone he would be
willing to take such step would be yielded
| by the Confederacy; that with this view he
had placed his messengers in condition to
satisfy us that they really came from him,
| without committing himself to anything in
| the event of disagreement as to such con-
ditions as he considered to indispensable.
On informing the President, therefore, of
| my conclusions, he determined that no ques-
tion of form or etiquette should be an OBJ
| stacle to his receiving any overtures that
promised, however remotely, to result in
putting an end to thecarnage which marked
the continuance of hostilties. ~
The President came to my Office at nine
o'clock in the evening, and Colonel Ould
| came a few moments later, with Mess rs.
Jacques and Gilmore. The President said
| tn them that he had heard from me that
| they came as messengers of peace from Mr..
| Lincoln; that as such they were welcome !;
that the Confederacy had never concealed
its desire for peace, and that he was ready
to hear whatever they had to offer on that
subject.
Mr.. Gilmore then addressed the President,
and in few minutes had conveyed the in
IN, fINaf hnSn fxxyn hod
come to Richmond impressed with the idea
that this Government would accept'a peace
upon basis ofa reconstruction of the Union,
the abolition of slavery, and the grant of an
amnesty to the people of the States as re-
pentant criminals. In order to accomplish
the abolition of slavery, it was proposed
that there should be a general vote OF all
the people of both federations, in mass, and
the majority of the vote thus taken was to
determine that as well as all other disputed
questions. These were stated to be Mr..
Lincoln's views. The President answered.
that as these proposals had been prefaced
by the remark that the people of the North
were majority, and that majority ought
to govern, the offer was, in effect a propo-
sal that the Confederate States should sur
render at discretion, admit that they had
been wrong from the beginning of the con-
test, submit to the mercy of their enemies,
and avow themselves to be in need of par
don for their crimes; that determination
was preferable to dishonor.
He stated that If they were themselves
so unacquainted with the form of their
own government as to make such PROPOSE
tions, Mr.. Lincoln ought to have known,
when giving them his views, that it was
out of the power of the Confederate Gov
ernment to act on the subject of the domes-
tic ipstitutions of the several States, each
State Maving exclusive jurisdiction on that
point, still less to commit the decision of
such question to vote of foreign peo-
pie, that the separation of the States was
an accomplished fact; that he had no au-
thority to receive proposals for negotiation
except by virtue of his Office as President
of an independent Confederacy; and on
this basis alone must proposals be made to |
him. !19
At one period of the. conversation, Mr.. |
Gilmore made use of some language refer |
ring to these States as "Rebels," while rem |
dering an account of Mr.. Lincoln's views, |
and apologized for the word. The Presi-
dent desired him to proceed, that no offense
was taken, and that he wished Mr.. Lincoln's |
language to be repeated to him as exactly |
as possible. Some further conversation |
took place, substantially to the same effect
as the foregoing, when the President rose
to indicate that the interview was at an |
end. The two gentlemen were then recon-
mitted to the charge of Colonel 0ultl, and |
left Richmond the next day. s4H thfq |