Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-09-22

- n1AessIA. ulmore and sJaquess py opening witt
the iDsurgent military authorities oorrespon
dence which led to the fulflmsnt Of their wishes
They entered n the lines Of the enemy They scsr
there ty the e1PTsss fsrmissios or tie Pyesidsnt o
Ae United STATES sostA fNll As.oOledge on his par
thatAey ssent s0it1 terms and proportions O.
peace. Arrived in Richmond, Messrs. Gilmor.
and Jaquess addressed the following note to Mr.
Benjamin, the Confederate Secretary Of State:
s,t5 s4az -5a ~ asPorTswooD HOUSE, s
\" Richmond, Ya.) July IL, 1864. +
Hon. J. Z. BsSJAM1S, Secretary Of State, go. m ,s
DEAR slR The undersigned respectfully solicit an
interview with President Davis. tIs 2F E,sn.{ hsg
Ihey visit Richmond only private citizens aud have
no ocal character authority; but ey are
Dth fhe PISCES cf he Ud States Government and with
the Of the Northern people relative to an adjust
ment the differences existing between the North and
South and ssysesp hope that free ineychangc of pieos
es0ssn Prsidsni Dasss and may open eaS
TO snch cciatMeg0fiaiOss S result resfOrng PEACE
TO 1e tico sect0As Of 0Gr disyseted c0snry. 8 m 3ga
They therefore, ask interview with the Presidents
and Awaiting your reply, sre g' ss5 tasi N y but
ssf' "TIuy and pectfulIy yonfs,a si Jrs 81 IA !
.,ss VI, JAMES 4 JAoUEss. of Illinois,l eas Il
Iats..s ~ JAMss = GilMoRE, of Massachusetts.p
The reader has already been informed Of the cir
.culmstanccs and opportunities which enabled Mr.
Gilmore and Col. Jaquess to say that they were
i' scquainttd with the views Of the United States
Government on the subject Of the. terms and con-
,ditions Of peace We may, therefore, look to
the proposition they made as being one which
they knew to be in accordance with the "views"
Of President Lincoln. What was, that propo-
sition? We quote from Mr.. Gilmore's report
Of his interview with president Davis
an interview which had been granted him only
on the assurance given that he and Col. Jaquess
/" s0ere acqHaintfd soiM The eie,os OF the United
States Government" The proposition was as fol-
lows, ss5 ar,s5 .''t 5.ai taqEat p -'a
Suppose the two Governments should agree TO some
thing Ike this: TO 60 totbe people with two propositions
say peace with disunion and Southern A.
your propostonand peace, with anon emancipation no
and universal amnesty a. ours Lot the c
.sns Q, III sns United states they existed before the
special election within sxty days, If q msjorty votes
deuuon our Government 70 be bound it, aud to let you
% 70 pescs msority votes union, yours to be bound
BY It. snd to stay in pesce. The two Governments can
,ontract 10 this way and the people, though
ly u.sbe 10 decide war elect which of
he two propossuns shall govern their rulers Let Lee
hsatA the soord end sheathed sould neuer again
y draWn By this gsae,s,iosr 01gtl
Here, then, We have the "views" of President
Lincoln respecting the terms of peace, if Mr. Gil
more is to be ore dited as man Of veracity which
nobody disputes, and, least Of all, any body in the
Republican party, Of which he is an active and
lsalons member Here. too. we have the original
If the " armistfce" embraced as part and parcel
" the Presidents views Here, tco, alas we have |
he terms Of proposition which embraces dsunion
IS an alternstive-.he question of Union or no
Union being RENTED to TIE chance, not Of 40ar,
MT of the pacific loLot.
All these, be it observed, are the Presidents
'icws, unles, Mr.. Gilmore was guilty prevarica |
or to Gen. Jefferson Davis, and unless he has CON-
victed himself Of untruth before the merican
people. We know very well that Mr. Gilmore, in
ais report Of the interview he had with President
Davis" is particular to disclaim the presumption
If shaving in any way acted for Mr.. lincoln"
md he. adds that neither COL Jaques, nor him
'elf had any official or unofficial authority from
hs President; that they were not requested or ou-
horised to express his views, opinions, or desires
70 Mr.. Davis or to any one else" This may all
be very true-the reader will not fail to mark the
measured terms in which the disclaimer is couch.
sd-and yet, unless what they said to General
Jefferson Davis did fairly and fully reflect the
" views" Of Mr.. Lincoln, they played equal
ly false to both Presidents" For Mr.. Lin.
coin allowed them to "go South " in the full
assurance that though acting on their own
they would not misrepresent his
" views" and thus frustrate the object of their
mission To "President Davis" they gave the
foil assurance that, though not acting in any Off
oial or authorized capacity, they were none the
less acquainted with the views Of the United
States Government" and, unless the proposition
which they made was in conformity with those
(" views" they are convicted CT deliberate and
wanton, because mcst gratuitous Justification,
especially in view Of the fact that Mr.. Gilmore
had, in the way he discloscs, been put Ia conf
Dental possession Of the opinions and purposes Of
the President on this subject. ,t i.s II ,Is.s.7 ).
Now, let these terms and conditions. with tho
proposition Of an "armistice' and the alternative
Of disuuion included, be compared With the follow
ing "tressonable resolutions' Of the Chicago Con
vention: lie a5, sHl y lte.4sgE J"
Rssolpsd That Ia the future A. in the past ~, NIL
Asrs sh nrsiosrpssg fidelity 10 he Union snd.r n, Con
sstseu, the only sod ioundatioo or our stranstb 40
curty, and happInoss people, and A. frame ort of
equally eondncvc 70 the were and prosperity
Of I'll the States both Northern and Southern.
~ the ssnse Of the American people, that after nr
of failure 10 restore thu Jrnion bv tha Ir yV