New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-08-18
village, and they will give you no terms-they win
insist on hanging every rebel south 0f-PardOD

lou give no 0ncnce, he Iepucu,
pleasantly. - wouldt have you pick your words.
his is frank, free talk and like you the better
for'saying what you think. Go on"
" was merely going TO add, that let the North:
ern people once really feel the wartheydo not feek
it yet-and they will insist on hanging every one Of
your leaders,"
"Well, admitting all you say, I can't see how ID
affects our position. There are some things worse
than hanging or determination. We reckon CIV"
ing up the right of self-government one Of thoss
things"
"By self.government you mean disunion-South.
ern Independence" .-.n nt
"And slavery; you say, is no longer an element
in the contestP
"No, it is not. 1t never WAS an essential ele-
ment 1t was only means of bringing other con-
ficting elements to an carrier elimination; "
fred The muskct which was already capped aho
loaded. There essential differences OetweeG
tho North and the South, that will, however thiS
war may end, make them two nations"
"You ask me to say what think. VIII yon
allow me to say that know the South pretty wehr
and never observed those differences
"Then you have not used your eyes. MY sigheI
is poorer than yours, but have seen them for
years."
! The laugh was upon me, and Mr. Benjamin enc
"wei Sir, be that as It may, if understand
You, the dispute between your government and ours
is narrowed down to this Union or Disunion."
"Yes or, to put it in other words, lndepend.
ence or Subjugation"
"Then tho two governments are ireconcilably,
apart. They have no alternative but to hight is
out. But il is not so with the people. They are
tired of fighting and want peace and, as theyl
bear all the burden and suffering Of the war, 10 ID
not right they should have peace, and have 1t on
such terms as they like y
~ don't understand you be q little more ex-'
"Well. Suppose the two governments should
agree to something like this: To 60 TO the people
with two propositions say: Peace, with Disunion
and Southern Independence, as your propositGlcn ION
and: Peace, with Union, Emancipation, No Con-
fscation, and Universal Amnesty as ours. Let inc
citizens of all tie United States las they ensted
before the war) vote Yes, or No, on these Two
propositions at special election within sxly nays-
! If majority vote Disunion, our government 20 10
bound BY it, and to let you 80 in peace. II a mas
iority vote Union yours to be bound BY II, ana 20
STAY in peace The two governments can to';n'ea
in this way and the people, though constituency
aly unable TO decide on peace or war, can eiee1
which Of any two propositions shall govern theiE
rulers Let Lee and Grant, meanwhile, agree to am
arns..ce. Ibis would sheathe the sword and, y
once s,eathed, it would never again be drawn py
this generation"
"The plan is altogether impracticable. II inc
South were only one State, it might work but, ~
IL ia If one Southern State objected to emancipaN
ton il would nullify the whole thing, for you are
aware tie people OF Virginia cannot vote slavery
out of South Carolina or the people OF South Caro~
lima vote IL ont OF virginia.
"But three-fourths of the States can amend tina
Constitution Let it be done in that way-in dny
way, so that il dee done by the people. am not q
statesman or rpolitcian, and do notjust know now
such plan could be carried cut; but yon get tha
idea---that the PEOPLE, SHAH decide the question:.
"That the majority shall decide II you mean.
We seeded to rid ourselves Of the rule Of the ma
orty and this would subject us TO il again."
i.But the majority must raie finally, either with
bullets or ballots
II arr not so sure Of that Neither cnnens
oven s nor history shows that the majority rules, or
ever did rule. The contrary, ihlnk, Is True.
WHY sir. the man who shall go before the Southern
people with such proposition-with aay PROPOSE
ton which implied that the North was 70 nave .
voice in determining the domestic relations 81 inc
South-could not live here day! He would %
Hanged to the first tree, without Judge or jury.
"Allow Inc TO doubt that think it more 'iSeIy
he would be hanged if he let the southern people
know the majority could not rule lrephed' sinh-
! ing. ~ -,
smiling most good-humorcdly. 81 give you leave
! TO proclaim it from every houso-top in the SOUTH
but seriously, Sir, You let theinaloniy RUE ~
a single State; why not let it rule in the whole
"Because the States are Independent and SOW
ereign. The country is not. Il is only eonteder1
alton of States rather II rds; IL is now t0 cons
Then we are not peoplc-we are only politi.
THAT is all"
"Your Very name, Sir, United States implies
that" said MI Benjamin. But, tell me, are me
terms you have nauied-Elnancipatlon, NO Cohns-
cation, and Universal Amnestyctne terms WINCH
Mr. Lincoln authorized you 10 offer us =
"No. Sir Mr. Lincolh did not authorize me 10
on,r Won any terms But think both he and the
Northern people for the sake OF peace, would assem-
TO some such conditions
"They are rery generous" replied MI DAVIS, ZOE
the first time during the interview showing some1
angry feeling. but Amnesty, Sir, applies 70 crimi
nels. We have committed no crime. CohnscauoiS
Is ~ No account unless You can enforce IL; anu!
Fmsncipationl You have already emancipatetH
nearly two millions of our slaves, and II you taH9
care of them, you may emancpate the rest l ha.I
| a fc,- when the war began. was OF Some uso "
them. they never were of any to me; Agans1
their will YOU 'emancpated them; anu you nLt"y!
semancipatc every negro III the CouIcueIas{' w w
we will be free! We will govern ouIseNosa
,c,H do it, If We have 10 see every p.tn'a9on '"eAS
ard every Southern city IN IaInes' AZ;
~. go Mr. Davis il is useless TO continue thiS
I-orsation replied; and you will pardon us
~ We have seemed to press our views with soT
mrch pertnacity. We love the old hagf ana may
must DO our apology for iltruuihS upon !pu .. na'
lyon have not intruded upon me, ne rePhed,,
.os,r,;rc his usual manner 81 am glad to have
mot you both | once loved the old tag as wen as
Won do | would have died for 1t: but now IL Is 70
me only the emblem of oppression.
~ hope tic day msy never come, Mr.. DAVE
when 4 say that" said the Colonel.
A half.hour's conversation on other topics-noe
of nnblc interest-ensued and then We rose 10 go-
As we did so the Rebel President gave me ms nanu
and Kidding me a kindly goodbye" Expressed
sbe hone of seeing me again in Richmond IN hap-
ner times-when peace should have retnrnea-ota
with the Colonel his parting was p:rtc9laly co.'s
dial. Taking his hand in both OF his, ne Said !"