Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-08-31


brought no overtures whatever from our Gov.
eminent, and had no authority frornAit be-
yond Mr.. LINCoLN's perrni ssion 10 come, and
we're there not as diplonatists, but as men
and christians, desiring to see if there was
not some way by which this war could be
stopped. Mr.. BENJAMIN promised to use his
influence TO have an interview granted, and
| requested Messrs. GILMORE and JAoUEs to call
again in the evening, which they did, and
then met the rebel President We give the
remainder of Mr. GILMoRE's narrative in full,
JEFFERSON DAVIS
Mr. Benjamin occupied his previous seat at
| the table, and at his right sat spare, thin
featured man, with iron gray hair and beard,
| and clear gray eve full of life and -vigor
| He had broad massive forehead and mouth
and chin denoting great energy and strength
! of will. His face was emaciated and much
| wrinkled, but his features were good, espe
cially his eyes-though one of them bore
| scar, apparently made by some sharp instru-
ment He suit of grayish brown, ev-
| identity of foreign manufacture, and as he rose
| saw that he was about five feet ten inches
high, with a slight stoop in the shoulders.
| His manners were simple, easy, and quite fas
cinating and he threw indescribabe charm
into his voice as he extended MS hand and
| said to u.s.
. am glad TO see you, gentlemen. You
| are very welcome to Richmond"
And this was the man who was President
of the United States under Franklin Pierce,
| and who is now the heart, soul and brains of
| the Southern Confederacy.
| His manner put entirely at my ease
| 1.-THE Colonel would be at his if he stood be-
fore Cesar) and | replied
- We thank you, Mr.. Davis. 1t is not often
you meet men of our clothes and our princi-
plies in Richmond
''Not often, not so often as l could wish /;
and trust your coming may lead to more
frequent and more friendly intercourse be-
tween the North and the South"
1--WE sincerely hope it may"
"Mr. Benjamin tells me you have asked TO
see me, to,'-r,..-. .....--,.-.-,as t..
And he paused, as if desiring We should
finish the sentence. The Colonel replied -
Yes, sir. We have asked this interview
| III the hope that you may suggest some way
| by which this war can be stopped. Our peo-
pie want peace your people do, and your
| Congress has recently said that you do. We
have come to ask how it can be brought
| about"
g In very simple way. Withdraw your
| armies from our territory, and peace will come
| of itself, We do not seek to subjugate you
| We are not waging an offensive war, except
so far as it is offensive -defensive-that is, so
far as we as we are forced TO invade you to
| prevent your invading Let us alone aud
peace will come at once"
But we cannot let you alone so long as
| you repudiate the Union. That is one thing
| the Northern people will not surrender"
81 know. You would deny what you
| exact for yourselyes-the right of self-gOvern
| ment.'
| "No sir" | remarked. awe would deny
| you no natural right. But we think Union
essential to peace and, Mr.. Davis, could two
people, with the same language, separated by
only imaginary line, live at peace with
each other? Would not disputes constantly
arise, and cause almost constant war between
| them 20 nT sEE I1ETa1.T~
Undoubtedly this generation. You
| have sown such bitterness at the South, you
| have put such ocean of blood between the
| two sections, that l despair of seeing any
harmony in my time. Our children may for
get this war, but we cannot
I" think the bitterness you speak of, sir, y
| said the Colonel, " does not really exist. We
| must talk here as friends: our soldiers meet
and fraternze with each other; and feel
| sure that if the Union were restored a more
friendly feeling would arise between US than
| has ever existed. The war has made US know
and respect each other better than ever be-
| fore. This is the view of very many South
eun men. | have 'ad it from many of them
your leading citizens"
"Thev are Mistaken replied Mr.. Davis
'They do not understand Southern sentiment.
| How can we feel anything but bitterness to-
wards men who deny US our rights If you
enter my house and drive me out of il, am |
not your natural enemy 2"
| "You put the case too strongly. But we
cannot fight forever; the war must end at
| some time; we must finally agree upon some
| thing; can we not agree now and stop this
| frightful carnager We are both Christian
men, Mr. Davis. Can you as a Christian man,
| leave untried any means that may lead to
| peace ?"
Ono, cannot desire peace as much as
| you do | deplore bloodshed as much as you
/ do but feel that not one drop of the blood
shed i'll this war is on my hands; | can look
| up to my God and say this. L tried all in my
| power to avert this war. | saw it coming,
| and for twelve years | worked night and day
| to prevent it, but | could not. The North
| was mad and blind it would not let US gov
ern ourselves; and so the came, and now
it must go on till the last man of this genera
| ton falls in his tracks and his children seize
his musket and fight his battles, unless you
acknowledge right to selfgovernment.
We are not .fghjpg for slag@y. We are right
ing for uodepend7ace--atsdH that or determination
IRE ocU hare
| "And there are at least four and half
millions of us left; so you see you have work
before you," said Mr.. Benjamin, with decd-
| ed sneer.
| eve have no wish to exterminate you,
answered the Colonel. " | believe what
nave said--that there is no bitterness be
tween the Northern and Southern people
The North, | know, loves the South. When
peace comes it will pour money and means
into your hands to repair the waste caused by
the war; and it would now welcome you back
and forgive you all the loss and bloodshed
you have caused. But we must crush your
armies and exterminate your government.
And is not that already nearly done You
are wholly without money and at the end of
your resources. Grant has shut you up in
| Richmond. Sherman is before Atlanta. Had
you not, then, better accept honorable terms
while you can retain your prestige and save
the pride of the Southern people ?"
Mr.. DAVIS ON THE CONFEDERATE PROSPECTS.
| Mr. Davis smiled.
! 81 respect your earnestness, Colonel but
| you do not seem to understand the situation.
| We are not exactly shut up in Richmond. If
your papers tell the truth it is your capital