, 1864-09-03

AID then, rising, said: "Do I understand you
to state distinctly that you come al mes4en-
gers from Mr. Lincolo for the purpose Of
agreeing with the President as to the proper
mode Of inauGu1atlng formsl negotiation
Tor peace, charged b.. Mr. Lincoln With an
tho,ity for stating bis own views and recctY-
lie thoEe Of Presiucnt paviss" Both an-
aHercd In the affirmative, and then said
that the President would see ttem at ny Of
fee the saun evening. at o'clock; that. at
least, presumed he would, hut II hs object
ed after hearing my report, they shuutd bs
inforned. They were Then rccomnitted to
the Charge Of Colonel Ould, with tue uoder-
stnne ing that tLey were to DO recoGductcd
tony Office at the appointed hour, unleAs
This interview, connected with the report
previously made By Col ,Ould, left on my
mlKd tee decided impression that Mr. Lio-
cold vas averee to 'Eeuding formal Commits
e1pDer6 to open negotiations, i.st he might
thereby be dscmeu to hnye recognized rne
Independence Of the Contederacy, aud th It
be was snxious to learn W3lctter the condl,
tons On which .afone be would DO wi,iteg to
'teke speh step would be yielded bY tue
Contcderacy; that with this yIer he had
placed his mfssspgers IN. q condition to sat-
ts,y us that they really camc from him, With
ont committing himself to anything Ia the
event ct DISAGREEMENT as to eucn conditions
rs he considered to. be Indispensable. on
tuf01mlng 'the President, tbs rrtore. of my.
conclusion, hc determined that TO question
OF forna or etiquette should be % obdtacle to
bis rectivIog any uEcrtures that promised,
however remotely, to result in putttng IN
end to the Carnage which marked the con
tiDusDce of hostllties.
The President came to my office 1T nine
o'clock In the evening, ard Col Ould cane
ftw momtnts later, with Measre. Jaauoss
ma GHUore. The President said to them
that he had heard from mo that they came as
messengers Of peace from Mr. Lincoln; that
ss eucH'tLey were Welcome; that the Com
1ederacy had uevtr concealed It's desire for
ptace, mud that lie Was ready to hear what
ever they had to offer on that subject.
Mr. Gilmore then addressed the President,
and in a few mindkes bad conveyed tna fuS
formation that tho6e two gentlemen had
come TO Richmond impressed with the idra
that this Government would accepts pace
Oh the basls of reconstruction OF the
Union, the abolition Of slavery, and
the grant Of cn amnesty to the people
OF the States as rcpentaae criminals. Iu
|. order TO accomplish the 1pollt1oa OF slavery,
1t T.s proposed that there should be. gene
1al vote Of oil the people Of both Confede.
rations, and the majority Of the vote thaa ta-
Ken was to determine that ns welt As all 9TH
cr' disputed questions. These were. stated
to DO Mr. Liucoln's views. The President
prefas ed By tho renssk that the people RI
tho North Were W2jorlty, and that tnalori-
ty ought to govern. the nf1er was, In effect;
sucStf It the Git fat9t Ss3 seon.4 s.!
been wrorg frum the begianing OF Tho con-
test, spbu.it to the mercy Of their enemies,
spa ayoW themselves to be In -aeed OF par
dun Tor crimes; thatt1tsTHsiuatitH tcas prefer
e H. stated that il they were themselves 50
unacquaintcd with the form Of thetr owa
Government as to make such propositions,
Mr, Lincoln ought to have known When
giving them his views that it Was ont Of the
power Of tho Confederate Government to act
On the subject Of the domestic Institutions Of
the several States, each STATE navlog excln-
sire jurisdiction On that tpoint still less TO
| commit the decision ,ol, such q question to
the vote Of foreign people !; that Ihq sstar ra-
&ioH ef the States Kas an aaoH !iattd JGct.' that
he haa no du1oTifyt to 1trei,e prvposats {or nego-
tiations e1cta cs II. tie # lis office as President
IL olot.t f,..lM p,o3,olats b ,nade 10 hin.
| At one period Of the conversation Mr.
| Gilmore u.noe uB5 Of eome language referring
to those States as .'rebels' while rendering
III account Of Mr.. 1iGco1n's vie ~s, aod apJl-
cglzea for the word The President desistd
him to proceed, that no oQeDse Was taken,
to be repeated to him as exactly ns possible.
Some further conversation took place. sab
etantiallY to the saute elect Us the foregoing,
when The President rose to indicate tnas the
Interview wAs Mt CD ind The tWo gentle.
| mtn Wfrc then rtCommfttcd to the charge OF
Colonel Ould and left Richmond the next
The account of the visit OF Alessrs. Gilmore
and jacques to Richmond has been rendered
necessary by publications made py one OF
beth Of them since their return to the United
States, Notwithstanding the agreement thai
tErtu xT{o{k xpa &51H HS l. oFtao fa = =
perhaps, concluded that, is tho promise Of
secsesv ras nade at their request, 1t was par
msesable to disregard it. We had no reason
fur desiring to conceal what occurred, and
| have, therefore, no complaint to make OF tht
publicity given to tina fact CT the visit. The
extreme inaccuracy Of Mr.. Glimore's nara
tive will be apparent to you from the fofeso
You have, no doubt. seen in the Northern
papers an account Of another conference OF
the subject OF l'esce, which took place II
Canada at about the same date, bctweeE
federate citizens Of the highest character ant
potitian, and MIR. Horace Greeley, OF New
torK, Reting with authority Of :Presidsn
Lincoln: It tIs deemed not improper to in
form you that Massrs. Clay ana Holcombe
although enjoy Ing In an eminent degree TIT
conadence aud esteem ,ot The President
were etrictly accurate In their statemen q
| luAk Lucy ME4E NlIutAt EAs45 AAkAs
from this Government to treat with tha,
of the United States IN any subject what
ever. We had 10 knowledge Of theil
conference with Mr. Greeley, nor Of the
proposed visit to Washington, till W.
sAw the newspaper publications. slspsl
cant confirmation Of the truth Of tho state
nept Of Messrs. Gilmore and Jacques: taal
thty came " messengers from Nj. Lincoln,
Is TO be found in the met that the views oi
Mr. Lincoln, II stated by them to tbs Presi'
dent, ase In exact coufoEmitT with tAe ofTan,
tive paper addressed to whom 1t may con.
cern," which Was ~aent by bfr. Lincoln to
Measra: Clay and Hoicomoa By the hands oi
his private Secretary, Sir. Hay, and Which
WEE properly regarded bythose gen s1emen as
an int1aation that Mr. Lincoln was unwtil.
ing that this war should cease while in his
po er to continue hosttllties.
Lam very respectfully, sour obed't sery't,
]. ?. BENJAMIN, Secretary Of State.
Hon. James H. Mason, COMMISSIONER to the
! CCptiuent, &c. Paris IS.