Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-09-07

The President CAME to my Office at 8 |
O'Clock in the. evening, and Colonel Ould |
came a few moments later, with Messrs. |
jacques and Gilmore. The President |
said to them that he had heard from me,
that they came as messengers Of peace
from MIR: Lincoln that as such they were
welcome that the Confederacy had never
concealed its desire for peace, and that he
was ready to hear whatever they had to
offer on that subject.
Mr. Gilmore then addressed the Presi-
dent, and in . few minutes had conveyed
the information that these two gentlemen
had come to Richmond impressed with the
idea that this government would accept
peace on the basis of reconstruction Of
the Union, the abolition of slavery, and
the grant Of the amnesty to the people Of
the States as repentant criminals. In Or
der to accomplish the abolition OF slavery,
it was proposed that there should be.
general vote of all the people of both fed
erations, in mass, and the majority of the
vote thus taken was to determine that as
we'll as all other disputed questions. These
were stated to be Mr.. Lincoln's views
The President answered, that as these pro-
posals had been prefaced by the remark
that the people Of the North were ma
jority, and that majority ought to gov
ern, the offer was, in effect, a proposal
that the Confederate States should surren-
der at discretion, admit that they had been
wrong from the beginning Of the contest,
submit to the mercy of their enemies, and
avow themselves to be in need Of pardon
for crimes; that determination was prefer
able to snch dishonor.
He stated that it they were themselves
so unacquaintcd with the form Of their
own government as to make such propo-
sitions, Mr.. Lincoln ought to have known,
when giving them his views, that it was out
of the power Of the Confederate govern
ment to act OH the subject Of the domestic
institutions of the several States, each State
having exclusive jurisdiction on that point,
still less to commit the decision of such q
question to the vote of foreign people !;
that the separation of the States was an
accomplished fact; that he had no author
ity to receive proposals for negotiation ex-
cept by virtue of his office as President OF
an independent confederacy; and on this
basis alone must proposals be made to
him.
At one period of the conversation, Mr..
Gilmore made use of language referring
to these States as "rebels while render
ing an account of Mr.. Lincoln's views, and
apologized for the word. The President
desired him to proceed, that no ofense
was taken, and that he wished Mr.. Lin
coins language to be repeated to him as
exactly as possible. Some further CONVEX
saton took place, substantially to the same
effect as the foregoing, when the Presi-
dent rose to indicate that the interview
was at an end. The two gentlemen were
then recommitted to the charge of Colonel
Ould, and left Richmond the next day.
This account Of the visit of Messrs. Gil.
more and jacques to Richmond has been
rendered niece sa by publications made
by one or both OF them since their return
to the United States, notwithstanding the
agreement that their visit was to be kept
secret.
They have, perhaps, concluded that as
the promise OF secrecy was made at their
request, it was permissible to disregard it.
We had no reason for desiring to conceal
what occurred, and have, therefore, no
complaint to make Of the publicity given
to the fact of the visit. The extreme mac.
curacy Of Mr.. Gilmore's narrative will be
apparent to you from the foregoing state.
ment.
You have no doubt seen, in the Northern
papers, an account of another conference
on the subject Of peace, which took place
in Canada, at about the same date, between
Messrs. G. G. Clay and J. P. Holcombe
Confederate citizens of the highest char.
acter and position, and Mr.. Horace Gree.
ley, of New York, acting with authority
Of President Lincoln. It is deemed no,
improper to inform you that Messrs Clay
and Holcombe, although enjoying, in an
eminent degree, the confidence and esteem
of the President, were strictly accurate in
their statement that they were without any
authority from this Government to treat
with that OF the United States on any sub.
ject whatever. We had no knowledge OF
their conference with Mr.. Greeley, nor Of
their proposed visit to Washington, till we
saw the newspaper publication. Asignif
icant confirmation of the truth of the state.
ment OF Messrs. Gilmore and jacques,
that they came as messengers from Mr.:
Lincoln, is to be found in the fact that the
views OF Mr.. Lincoln, as stated by them to
the President, are in exact conformity with
the offensive paper addressed to "whom il
may concern" which was sent by Mr.. Lin.
coin to Messrs. Clay and Holcombe by the
hands of bis private secretary, Mr.. Hay
and which was properly regarded by those
gentlemen as an intimation that Mr.. Lin.
coin was unwilling that this war should
cease while in his power to continue hos.
tilities.
| aim very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
j. z. BENJAMIN,
Secretary of State.
ILL., N N