Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-08-27


the Colonel would be at his if he stood be-
fore Cesar replied:
"We thank you, Mr.. Davis. It is moi
often that you meet men of our clothes and
cur principles in Richmond
Not oiten,-not so often as I could wish;
and trust your coming may lead to a more
frequent and a more friendly intercourse be-
tween the North and the South"
We sincerely hope it may"
"Alr. Benjamin tells me that you have
asked to see me to
And he paused, as if desiring we should
finish the sentence. The Colonel replied:
YES, Sir. We have asked this interview,
IN the hope that you may suggest some way
by which this war may be stopped. Our
people want .peace,-your people do, and
your Congress has recently said that you do.
I We have come to ask how this can be
| brough. about"
in very simple way. Withdraw your
armies from our territory. and peace viii
come of itself. We do not seek to subjugatc
you. We are not waging an offensive war,
except so far as it is oifensiYc-dcicnsiyc,-
{ that Is, so far as we arc forced to invade you
/ to prevent your invading us. Let us alone,
and peace will come at once
But we cannot let you alone so long as
you repudiatc the Union. That is the one
thing the Northern people will not sur
render"
Il know. You would deny to US what
| you exact for yourselycs--tLc right of self
government
mo, Sir" l remarked. We would deny
you no natural right. But We think Union
essential to peace; and,. Mr.. Davis, cypii
two people, with the same language, scpara-
ted by an imaginary line, live al peace with
each other! Would not disputes constantly
| arise, and cause almost constant war be-
tween them p
"Undoubtedly, with this generation
| You have sown such bitterness at the South;
| you have put such an ocean of blood between
the two sections, that | despair of seeing
any harmony in my time, Oar children
may forget this war, but we cannot"
Il think the bitterness You speak of. sir
and the Colonel. "docs not really exist. We
meet and talk here rs friends our soldiers
meet ana tratCrnizc with each other: and /
| feel sure that if the Union were restored. a
more friendly feeling would arise between
us than has existed. The war has made us
know and respect each other better than be.
| fore. This is the view Of very many South
ern men; l have had it from many of them,
your leading citizcns.'
They are mistaken replied Mr.. Davis.
"They do not understand Southern scnti-
mcnt. How can we feel any thing but bit
| tcrncss toward, men who deny rs our rights!
( If yon enter my house and drive me out of
| 1t, am | not your natural enemy =
y Ou put the case too strongly. But we
cannot fight for ever: the war must end at
some time; We must finally agree upon some
/ thing; can we not agree now. and stop this
/ frightiui carnagel We are both Christian
men, Mr.. Davis. Can you, rs a Christian
man, leave untricd any means that may lead
/ to pcace!'
"No, cannot desire peace as much as
/ You do | dcplorc .blood-hcj as much as
7 You do; but | feel that not one drop of the
b,oOdshcd in this war is on my hauds,-I
can look up to my God and say this. |
/ tried all in my power TO avert this war. |
saw it coming. and for twelve years ] work
ed night and day to prevent 1t, but | could
not. The North was mad and blind; it
/ would not let us govern ourselves, and so
+ the war came. and now it must 90 on till
( the last man Of this generation falls in his
/ tracks, and his children seize his muskct and
. fight our battle, unless you acknowledge our
right to selt-govcnmcnt We are not fight
ing for slavery. We ore fighting for indie
pcndence, and that, or determination, we
will have"
And there are, at least, four and a half
millions of Us left so YOU see You have q
work before you, '.sai5 Mr.. benjamin, with
Il decided sneer.
I'VE have no wish TO cXtcgmiu&to You,
answered the Colonel. ~ believe what |
have said-thut there is 10 bitterness be
tween the Northern and Southern people.
The North, know, loves the South. " hen
peace comes, it will pour money and means
into your hands To repair the waste caused
by the war; and it would now welcome you
back, and forgive you all the loss and hood
shed YOU have caused. But we must crush
your armies and CNtermina.c YOUR govern
mcnt. And is not that already nearly done:
You are wholly without money, and at the
end of your resources. Grant has shut you
up in Richmond, sherman is before Attain
Ia. Had you not, then, better accept honor
able terms while you can retain your pres
tige, and save the pride o! the Southern
people z"
Mr.. Davis smiled.
u respect your carncslness, Colonel, but
you do not seem 10 understand the SITUATION
We are not exactly shut up in Richmond
If your papers tell the truth, il is your cap
itai that is in danger, not ours, some weeks
.ago, Grant crossed the Rar.dan 10 whip
Lee, and take Richmond. Lee drove hIm
in the first battle, and then Grant executed
what your people call brilliant flank move
mcpt. and fought Lee again. Lee Uruv,
him second time, and then Grant mau'
another flank movement and SO they hop
on,-I.ce whipping, and Grant iankiaE,-
until Grant gut where he is now. And wha
is the net result Grant has lost seventy,
five or eighty thousand mcn-more than
Lee had nt the outset, and Is no neary
, taking Richmond than 10 tUg first; and Lee
whose front has never been broken, hold
him completely in check, uud has me!
- |cnouvh tn spare to invade Maryland Hu'
, |tAr,atcu Washington, sherman tn hc sure
, . Is before Atlanta; but suppose hc is, ur'
suppose lac takes il ! You know that th
, farther he goes from h,, base ul supplies
the weaker he grows, and the noFs 1i,H-
/ traus defeat will be 90 him. Aud deiya
I NAV come. SO, In o military View, shou'
. certainly say our position was better 'ha
p yours,
s. As 20 money We are richer Than so
i pra. You emile; but, admit THAI our pap,
|, 4, worth uotking,-it answers us oit,ula
4 tug medium, and We hold 70 ui uuf-rlNr
Il lfeyeFy dollar uf a. were lost, We should, d
!. we have uo foreign debt, he uouy the poorr
I. Bat. il Is N lr,h Something IA hAs thH ,nii
"a basis OF large cotton crop, while low
y rests on nothing, auA AoU uuvall ihe Worl.
i A. 10 resources Wg NO not lAcA ilr afms ,
!, ammunition, and Wp have silll Wide trrI
,ary nom which % gather auppits 30, yu