Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-09-01

each other2 Would not disputes constant I
" arise and cause almoet constant war be- 0
tween them 7"
Undoubtedly this generation. - q
You have sown such bitternessat at the South, =
you have put such an ocean of blood be- |
tween the two sections, that despair Of
seeing ans, harmony in my time. Our chill
dren may forget this war, but we cannot" ,
~ think the bitterness you speak Of, sir"
said the Colonel, does not really exist.
We must talk here as friends our soldiers
meet and fratefnize with each other; and
feel sure that il the Union were restored
more friendly feeling would arise between us
than has ever existed The war has made
US know and respect each other better than
| before. This is the view of very many
Southern men. have had it from many
of them-your leading citizens" ,
They are mistaken" replied Mr.. Davis :
They do not understand Southern senti-
4 ment. How can we feel anything but bit
terness toward men who deny us our rights?
Ii you enter my home and drive me out of
1t, am not your natural enemy?'
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, ard stop this
! frightful carnage We are both Christian
> men, Mr.. Davis. Can you, as Christian
man, leave untried any means that may lead
to peaceW
$ mo, cannot desire peace as much
! as you do. l deplore bloodshed as much as
you do; but | feel that not one drop Of the
. blood shed in this war is on my hands;
? can look up to my God and say this. l tried
d all IN my power to avert this war. saw it
n coming, and for twelve years worked night
!. and day to prevent it, but | could not. The
q North was mad and blind; it would not let
= us govern ourselves and so the war came,
. and now it must 60 on till the last man of
d this generation falls in his tracks, and his
children seize his musket and fight his bat
J. ties, unless you acknowledge our right to
= selfgovernment We are not fighting for
n slavery. We are fighting for independence
ct and that or determination we will have" +"
And there are at least four and half
:, millions Of US left so you see you have
IS work before you" said Mr.. BENJAMIN, with
decided sneer.
n, eve have no wish to extermnate you," Z"
rs answered the Colonel Il believe what /
have said-that there is no bitterness be-
to tween the Northern and Southern people.
:" The North, know, loves the South When
We peace comes it will pour money and means
ee into your hands to repair the waste caused
by the war; and it would now welcome you
m back and forgive you all the loss and blood
shed you have caused But we must crush
nd your armies and exterminate your govern
- ment. And is not that already nearly donei
be You are wholly without money and at the
be end of your resources. Grant has shut yor
all up in Richmond. Sherman is before At
Ill lanta. Had you moi, then, better accep
or honorable terms while you can retain you
prestige and save the pride OF the Southern
MS people ?"
MR.. DAVIS ON THE CONFEDERATE PROS
r'., PECTS.
N' Mr. Davis smiled.
,r+ IL respect your earnestness, Colonel, bu
,ve you do not seem to understand the situa
Ve tion. We are not exactly shut up in Rich
io. mond. If your papers tell the truth it i
r. your capital that is in danger, not ours =
,;s Some weeks ago Grant crossed the Rapda
''' to whip Lee and take Richmond. l.,
-, drove him in the first battle, and then Gran
,y1I executed what your people call 'brilian
~ ~ flank movement and fought Lee again. =
,u ,n Lee drove him a second time, and the
re Grant made another flank movement = an
- - 80 they kept on Lee whipping and Gran
,,u hanking until Grant got where he is now
And what is the net result? Grant ha
of lost seventy FIVE or eighty thousand men
,;s more than Lee had at the Outset-and is n
;H. nearer taking Richmond than at first; an
;.h Lee, whose front has never been broker
"" holds him completely in check, and has me
lio. enough to spare to invade Maryland an
's ~ threaten Washington. Sherman, to
L' La sure, is before Atlanta; but suppose he i
'rS and suppose he takes it, You know thu
,,n ' the farther he goes from his base of suI
"n, u plies the weaker he grows, and the MOI
ur disastrous defeat will be to him, and deie,
~ = may come. So, in military view, shou
,dv certainly say our position was better thu
,te yours. ''
, aot "As to money, we are richer than you ar
Yon smile. But admit that our paper
inc worth nothing, it answers as a circulatr
l,S nS medium and we hold it all OURSELVES.
h ~ every dollar OF it we're lost, we should,
r. r,... we have no foreign debt, be none the poo
lea er. But it is worth something; it has
ar,. solid basis of large cotton crop, whi
N' yours rests on nothing, and you owe all Il
ll.A world As to resources, we do not lack Il
"o' arms or ammunition, and we have still
wide territory from which to gather supple
So you see we are not in extremities. b
seat if we were-if We were without none
are. without food, without weapons--if o.
and whole country were devastated and our 8
and mics crushed and disbanded-coul we wit
lad. cut giving up our manhood, give up o
ner, right to govern ourselves? Would you n
ma rather die and feel yourself man than Ii
lres and he subject to foreign power"
one From your standpoint there is force
J by what you say" replied the Colonel. "B
I of we did not come here to argue with 20
lnu- Mr.. Davis. We came hoping to find son
was honorable way to peace, and | am griev
ght to hear you say what you do. When ha
we're seen your young men dying on the batt
he field, and your old men, women and childr
oice starving in their homes, have felt cou
risk my life to save them For that reas
You am here, and am grieved, that there is
hope"
lent "I know your motives, Col. Jaques, a
'rce, honor you TOR them; but what can
Is of more than l am doing2 | weuld give I
roor life gladly, il it would bring peace a
ease good will to the two countries; butt wou
be- not. 1t is they who desolate our hom,
burn our wheat fields, break the wheels
not wagons carrying away our women and Oh
our dren, and destroy supplies meant for o
- anI runnndah Az vnnr dnnr lies