Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-08-25

has lost scvehty-Gve or eighty thousand
men, more than Lee lad at the outset,
and is no nearer taking Richmond than
at first; aud Lee whose front has never
been broken, holds him completely in
check, and has men enough to spare to
invade Maryland and threaten Wasing-
ton Sherman, to be sure, IS before
Atlanta but suppose he is, and suppose
he takes it2 You know that the further
he goes from his base of supplies, the
weaker he grows, and the more disastrous
defeat will be to hiin And defeat may
come. So, in military view, Should
certainly say our position was better
than yours.
AS to money; We are richer than you
are You smile, but admit that Our pa
per is worth nothing; it answers us a cir
culating medium, and we hold it all our
selves. If every dollar of it were lost we
should, as we have no foreign debt, be
none the proper. But it is worth SOM
thing; it has the solid basis of large cot
ton crop, while yours rests on nothing,
and you owe all the world. As to re-
sources; we do not lack for arms or am
muni,ion, and we have still wide terri
tory from which to gather supplies So,
you see, We are not in cxtremities. But
if we were; without food without wea-
pons; if our whole country were devasta-
ted, and our armies crushed and disband-
cd, could we, without giving up our man
hood, give up our right to govern our
] ~ a rnt; al In md
feel yourselves man, .l,dh live and be
subject to foreign power?"
FROM your standpoint there is force
in what you say" replied the Colonel
.. But we did not come here to argue
with you; Mr. Davis. We came hoping
to find some honorable way to peace; and
! am gricved to hear you say what you
do. When have seen your young men
lying on the battlefield, and your Old
men, women and children starving in
their homes, | have felt could risk my
life to save them. For that reason am
here; and I am gricycd, gricycd that
there is no hope
al know your motives, Col. Jacques,
and honor you for them; but what can
| do more tl,gh am doing? | would
give my poor life gladly il it would
bring peace and good will to the tw,
countries, but it woulI not. 1t is with
your own people you should labor. 1t is
TREY Who dcsolatc our homes. burn ouI
hcat-fclds, break the wheels ofwagons
carrying away our women and children
and destroying supplies meant for "II
sick an wounlea. At your door lies al
the misery and the crime of this war, and
it is fearful account"
" not all of it, Mr. Davis. | admit :
fearful account, but it is not all at ON
door. The passions Of both sides ar'
aroused l'narmed men are hanged anC
prisoners are shot down in cold blood. b,
yourselves Elements of barbarism ar,
entering the war on both sides that
should make us--you and me, as Chris
tian men-shudler to think of. In Gods
name then, let IT'S stop it. Let us dc
something, concede something, to bring
about peace. You cannot expect, witt
only four and half millions, as Mr.
Benjamin says you have, to hold out for
ever against twenty millions"
Again MIR. Davis smiled.
Do you suppose there are twcnt,
millions at the North determined to crust
us 70 .t..
II do, to crush your Government. \
small number Of our people, very SINAI
number, are your friends, Secessionists
Tho rest differ about measures and can
didatcs, but are united in the determine
ton to sustain the union. Whoever i,
elected in November, he must be com
United to vigorous prosecution of the
war"
Mr. Davis still looked incrcdulous.
remarked - it'-
cit is so, sir. Whoever tells you
otherwise deccives you. think l know
Northern sentiment, and assure you il
is so. You know We have a system o
lyceum.lect1ring in our large towns. Al
the close of these lectures it is the Gus
tom Of the people to come upon the plat
form and talk with the lecturer. Thi.
gives him an excellent opportunity O
learning public sentiment Last winter
l lectured before nearly a hundred OF
each associations all over the North
from Dubuque to Bangor-and.I took
pains to ascertain the feeling Of the peo.
pie. found Unanimous determination
sc crush the Rebellion and save the Union
at every sacrifice. The majority are in
favor of Mr.. Lincoln, and nearly all Of
those opposed TO him are opposed to him
because they think he does not fight you
/, with enough vigor.
"The radical Republicans, who go fol
slave suffrage and thorough confscation
are those who will defeat him, If he is tc
be defeated. But if he is defeated before
the people, the House will elect worse
man Il mean worse for you. 1t is
more radical than he is (you can see that
from Mr. Ashley's Reconstruction bill, }
and the people are more radical than the
House. Mr.. Lincoln, l know, is about
to call out five hundred thousand more
men, and / can't see how you can resist
much longer; but if you do you will only
deepen the radical feeling of the Northern
people. They will now give you fair,
honorable, generous terms; but let them
suffer much more, let there be dead man
in every house, as there is now in every
village, they will give you no terms; they
will insist on hanging every Rebel south
Of. Pardon my terms. | mean nc
offensc. s,-et-5
You give no offense," he replied,
smiling very pleasantly. Wouldn't have
you pick your words. This is II frank,
free talk, and IKE you the better for
saying what you think: Go on"
81 was merely going to say that, let
the Northern people once really feel the
war-they do not feel it yet-and they
will insist on hanging every one of your
leaders" f''F
''Well, admitting all you say, I can't
see how it affects our position. There