, 1864-09-08


eh, dow Of eup +rt tor 3l1. Derj sutu's rs.
eertloD. They both expressly otscIatm our
bling In RiChftOud In any representative ca
1ncl1y whatever. The SrctetarJ'g aes.rti.1n,
Therefore, must rttt, If IL hns any Foundation
at Ill, on retbarke t6ade By us ln tie .onver-
SATIN n hich occurred at tie before m=.ti.n.
eo Interview Mr. BebjaUfn's report OF the
material pnrts Of that conyereatiou is as fol-
lows:
"After perusicg the'1ctter {the one above,
quosed}I invited Col. Onld TO conduct tue
Writer'S to my CIT Ct, and o. their arrival 9 ated
to them that they musr he conscious they
could not te admitted t. au .i0ttreluw ~tth
the Prtefdcnt without Informing me more
fully Of the ohjtct Of their mission, and sat.
ist,lDg me thst tb+y catne bY request Of MI.
Lincoln Mr. Gilmore replied ttar they cane
tflicial]y. bat with the kno owledge aud ut
nlitteo that proposals ougut to come from
the Aortn. ard liza. they we're prepared to
make these proposals by Mr.. Ltneoln's au-
thorit9.
~ then Insisted on some evidence that they
came from Mr. Lincoln, .and in order 10 sat-
isfy NE, Nr. Gilmore rtfesred to the fact inst
permierion for coming through our lines had
been atkeo officially hs Gen Gsaut, in let
ter to t;eu. Lee. and tbat Gen. Grant md
asked that the 1tquf st should be referred to
Pretidept Davis. Mr. Gilmore then sho wed
me card, written and signed by Mr. Lin
coln, rtqnessii z GtD. Grant 10 aud Hlr. Gil
more at frl- nd 10 paseing through his Inns
Tito the Coniedtracy.
Colupel Jacqu. then eaid that the terms of
place which 1hey ~ould offer TO khs Prsst-
dent wontu be honorable t. the Conftderacs;
tbat they din not destrt toat the Coutederacy
snopld acct pt auy Other terms but would 90
g]Ad to hare my p1cutse as they gave theirs,
that their visit should br kept L urofuua1se
cret If it f. iled 10 result in ptucc; rnat 1t
would Lot he just that either party should
eetk any Advantage y dlvuleipk the fact of
tbelr overture tor place, II Unsuccessful. I
ass, nted to tbib request, and then rising, said:
s. Do uno. rttabd you TO et4te d1sIlnctly
that you come as ms sS-engers from Mr.. Liz
coln for the purpose ot sgretinE With tue
President ns tu the proper mode Of 1naugur-
atibg q formal negotiation tor pea:e charged
bY Nr I,tcola H1th authority for stat,ug his
Davte:' Both answered In the affirmative.
These rtmsrkB made, tccord'ug to Mr.
BenIamln's own statement, within an hour
alt4 = addressed the before-Quoted note to
bin, entirely coutIadtcIe all that ~e said in
that uote {even in his own version Of it,
e1oner to the Continent" or anlb .dy else
to believe That two gentlemen, whom he as
eerts Mr. Lincoln sele ected Ut his represents
tIvee In 70 Important business as the max
tbg ct peace IN great var, Would SO com-
pletelY etultify Themselves - to make such
verbal BtAteneQtS III lDS laCo' u "uak LnEy
Lad Just wfltteDf thtnk not.
ltn,ght be discourteous to state that Mr.
Benjamin has ~ifu1ly misreprcsented the
whole Of this conversation lW1.1theFefore,
merely say that while reporting It bis imag-
iratiop got the better Of his memory To
Sustain this assertion, l will simply notice
one of bis statements. BE says:
''Mr. Gilmore then rho wed nc a card written
and signed BY Pfesiden. Llbcoln. fequerttnR tsen-
Grsnt 10 aid Af. Gilmore and friend in passing
through hfs tincs to the Copfrderacy.
Now, this asssrte ed act of mine was simply
an uefoe. sbs{tty. The card referred to was
addressed hy President lincoln to General
gentleman nine days prlor TO this Interview.
It has not betn n u my Possession, nor have |
81 en- It since delivered it to General Grant. /
How, then, could have shown 1t to Mr.
Benjamin? The said =ard was Published ID
the Boston 1%a,te7'Ft Of July sd, and was
prre Of the North. The " Secretary Of State |!
81 the ConteG crate States" uudoQ oIedIy thus !
1e<rned of Its existence. He d,d not learn |
a, It from either Colonel Jauuess or myself,
for neither Of u.s. alluded t. 1t IN any way |
whatever.
false IN regard to this entire conversation !
madA none OF the remarks he attributes to |
ms in TACT. 7 did not &nU ten Nords du- ing the
trko1e in{erpie7c, The copV'rsat.Un was alto
gether between Mr. Brpjaniu and Colooel
Jaqueae, ard thonsh sat within three feet
OF him an d heard every word he sid, did
not hear Col Jsqueas make a"y OF the re-
marks that Mr Bspjsm!n attributes to him.
He could mt have made the request that our
visit should be kept "profouud secret"
for be is man Of truth and good faith, and
the e1press understanding between MIN and
me, before We entered rne rebel lines, Was,
That II we {ei'ed In paving the way for peace
7 fv,fn Ia rsehs
We did fall. No reqnest tor secrecy was made
By either party. All that was said On that
subject 40 said subsequently by Mr. Davis,
and WAS In these words: "I give yoQ lesye