Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-08-26
The Jacques and Gilmore Interview with
JEFF. Davis.

The Jacques and Gilmore Interview with
JEFF. Davis.
An article in the atlantic Monthly for Sep
TENDER, from the pen Of J. II. Gilmore. gives
a long and rather sossippins account Of the
visit which be and one Col. Jaques made to
Richmond to talk over peace and war with
the head Of the rebel coniederacy
We give the main points of it. They cross
cd the lines and entered Richmond under
a flag Of truce. They then sought an inter
view with Mr.. Benjamin, the confederate
Secretary of State, through whom an inter-
view with Mr.. Davis was obtained. After
introductory remarks he said
"Nr Benjamin tells me you have asked to
see me- to-
and he paused as if desiring we should I'm
ISL the sentence. The Colonel replied
''les, sir We have asked this interview in
the hope that you may suggest some way by
which this war can be stopped Our people
/ want peace,-your people do, and your Congress
has recently sail that y0v do. We have come
TO ask how it can be brought about
His reply was.
'In very simple way. Withdraw your ar
mics from our territory. and peace viii come Of
itself We DO not seek 60 suljugate you We
are not waginS an offensive war, except 50 far
il is offensive det,nsIve,-that IS, 50 far as we
are forced 20 iuya ie you TO prevent your inva-
ding u.s. Let u alone, aud peace viii come at
once"
After further discussion be saii
. I desire peace as much as YOU do. deplore
blood AS much rs YOU; but feel that not one drop
" the blood shed in this war IS on my hands
Z can looA up 10 my Cod and say this. | tried
u.l u my power TO avert this war. I saw il
coming. and for twelve years worked night
aud day 90 prevent il, but could not. The
/ Worth WIS mad and blind; it would not let us
I govern ourselves; and 50 the war came, and
~ must g1 on till the last man Of this genera
t..n falls n bis tracks AMI his children seize his
u.us4rt and light his battle, unless y0u ac.H0iri-
cfls aur risit 10 sslf-yorernment We are not
Sighting or slavery. We are fighting for inle-
pvrIeuee,-aud that, or determination We viii
alre~
And there are, nj least, four and half mil
Ions Of Us let 81 you SEE you have a work
before you, said Mr. Beuymin, with decided
saesr
SIR. Davis proceeded TO argue that the
south Yves in a stronger position than the
North was.
Tie reply was
You cannot expect, with only four and a half
millions, SIS Mr.. Benjamin says you have. TO
bold QUO forever against twenty Millions
"H. sou suppose there are twenty millions at
t.. N.r-l determined o. crush Us '
..i ia,--o crush your gJreramsHt. A small
ula.,r of our people, "a very small number are
sour taeris,--eee-si0uists. The rest differ
about measures and c4Ididates, bur ara uuitel
il .a determination 20 sustain the Union. vs. no
ever IS elected iu November he must he COM
u.-oi TO "a vigorous prosecution Of the war.
L-- tar Northern people once really feel the war
they do not feel it yet-and they viii insist on
h7a- ~ every one Of your leaders
After further conversation Col. Jacques
said
"Ii / understand you. the dispute between
your Government and ours l. narrowed down to
this. Union OF D-uni1u-'
Yes; or TO put u in other words Independ-
elce or Sugu-ation.
Then the two Governments are irreconcilably
arsrt They have 10 alternative but TO fight il
out
lie proceeded TO query whether it would
not be fair thing TO let the people have
voice IN the matter in some such way as the
following
TO 20 to the people with two propositions
say, Peace with DisUnion and Southern indie
pcudeuce. as your proposton,-aud Peace with
Union, Emancipation, No Coufscaiion. and Uni
versal Amnesty, as ours. Let the citizens Of all
the United States las they existed before the
war; vote Yes or . No. on these two PROPOSE
tious. at a special election within so days fla
majority votes D.suuion, cur Government TO be
bound by DO, and 90 let You 20 IN Peace. Ii a
majority votes Union, youTs 90 be bonnd by IL,
and 90 stay IN peace. The Two governments can
contract DO this way. AID the people, though
coust;uu0u9lly unable to decide on peace or war,
can cleo, which Of the Two propositions shall gov
eru their rulers. Let Lee and Grant meanwhile.
agree % an armist.ce. This would sheathe the
sword; and if once sheathei, it would never again
be drawn by this generation
Mr.. Davis said that was utterly impracti-
cable, and the following dialog ensued
'' II the South were only one State. it might
.,,,l TO emancipation, it would nullify the
whole thing for YOU are aware that the people
Of Virginia cannot vote slavery out Of South
Carolina, nor the people Of South Carolina vote
il out Of Virginia"
But tbree-fourths Of the States can amend the
Constitution Let 1t be done in that way.-in
any way, 60 that it be done by the people. |
lm uot statesman or politician. and do not
snow Just bow such plan could be carried out.
aut You get The iiel,-Jhat the people shall de-
eide the question.
"Ihlr The majority shall decide il, YOU mean
We seeded 20 Ri ourselves Of the rule Of the
majority, and this would subject Us to IL again
.'But the majority mus, rule finally. either
with bullets or ballots.
Il am not sure Of shat. Neither current
events nor history, shows that the majority
rules or ever I.i rule. The contrary. think, IS
true
The end OF the conversation is as follows
As We were leaving The room Mr. Davis said
SAY 20 Dir. Lincoln from me, that | shall at
any time be pleased 3D. receive proposals for
peace on the basis Of our Independence. It VIII /
be useless TO approach me with any other"
Jeh. Davis told Ilessr- jacques and Gil /
more nothing which the world dIi not know
bef1re-viz: that a determination not 10
submit TO a government Of the majority, but
to found a new goyernment-one Of an Oh /
garehv-on the ruins Of the United States
Government. was the great object Of the rebel /
leaders; an object steadily plotted for
as they themselves say, for more than 80
years. Ofcourse, Davis knew he was Wing
when he said they cared nothing about slave
ry-that 1t was not an essential element in
the question. Slavery is made the corner
stone, as the Vice President of the Confeder-
acy' A. Il. stephens, SAYS. Of their system.
The oligarchy aimed ut is an olicarchv of