Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-08-25


deplore boodshed much you dol but feel that not
drop of the blood shed in this is my hands;
can look up to my God and say this l tried all ia my
power TO avert this it coming and for twelve
years worked night and day TO prevent il, but could
not The North mad and blind it would not let
govern ourseivesi aud the came, and now must
go till the last of this generation falls in his tracks,
and his children seize his musket and fight his battles,
unless you acknowledge right to sefgovernment We
are not fighting for slavery We are fighting for ndepen
dence-and that or determination we will have"
And there are at eas four and half millions OF us
left; you you have work before YOU" said MIR.
Berjamin, with decided sneer.
:" We have wsh to exterminate you" answered the
Colonel. 81 believe what have sad-thst there is
bitterness between the Northern and Southern people
The North know, loves the South When peace comes
it will pour money and means into your hands to repair
the waste caused by the war and would welcome
you ok and forgive you all the loss and bloodshed you
have caused But must crush your armies and exter
inmate your Government And is not that already nearly
done You wholly without money and at the end Of
your resources. Grant has shut you up in Richmond.
Sherman is b. fore Atlanta Had you NOT then, better
cept honorable terms while can retain your prestige
and the pride of the Southern people"
MR. DAVIS ON THE CONFEDERATE PROSPECTS,.
Mr. Davis smiled II respect your earnestness Colonel
but you do to understand the situation We
exactly shut up 10 Richmond II your papers tell the
truth it your capital that is in danger not ours Some
weeks ago Grant crossed the RAPID to whip Lee and
take Richmond Lee drove him in the first battle and
then Grant executed what your people call brilliant
HaDk movement and fought Lee again. Lee drove him
second time and then Grant made another flank
ment and so they kept On-Lee whipping and Grant
fankiDg-unti Grant got where he Is now And what is
the nett RESULT Grant has lost seventy five or eighty thou
sand men-more than Lee had at the ouset-and is no
taking Richmond than at first and Lee whose front
been broken, holds him completely in check and
has ugh to spare to invade and threaten
Wa hiDgton Sherman to be sure before Atlanta but
suppose he is and suppose he takes lit You know that
the goes from bis base of supplies the weaker he
defeat may come So, military view should certainly
say position better than yours. As to money; we
are richer than you You smile; but admit that
paper worth nothing it answers circulating medium
hold it all ourselves If every dollar Of it were
lost we should, have foreign debt be The
poorer But it is worth something's has the solid basis
Of large cotton-crop while yours rests on nothng and
you all the world As to resources; we do not lack
for ammunition, and We have still wide territory
from which 70 gather supplies &c. you not in
extremte s But we were-if We were without money,
without food without weapons our whole country
devastated and armies crushed and dsbanded-coud
we without giving up manhood give up right to govern
oarselVes Would you hot rather die and feel yourself
man, than live and be subject to foreign Power"
"From your standpoint there force what you say"
replied the Colonel But did not come here to argue
with you come hoping to find some honorable way to
peace and am grieved to hear you say what you do
When have your young men dying the battle
field, and your old women and children starving
their homes have felt could risk my life to save them
For that am here, and grleved greved that
| there is no hope"
Il know your motives, Col. Jaques, and honor you
| for them but what can do more than am doing7
would give my poor life gladly if it would bring peace and
got will TO the two countries but it would not. 1t
with your people you should labor Ii is they who
| dpsolate homes burn our wheat fields, break the
wheels OF wagons carrying away our women and children
| and destroy supplies meant for sick and wounded
your doors lies all the misery and the crime Of this
| war-and it is a fearful. fearful account"
"Not all of it, Mr.. Davis. admi fearful account
but it not all at our door The passions Of both sides
d. Unarmed hanged, and prisoners
shot down in cold blood by yourselves Elements of bar
bsrism entering the both sides that should
| make us-you and me, as Christian men-shudder to
think of In Gods name, then, let stop it. Let do
something cOncede something TO bring about peace You
cannot expect with only four and half millions, Mr.
Benlsmn says you have to hold out forever against
| Again MIR Davis smiled. "Do you suppose there are
twenty millions at the North determined to crush ~
Il do-to crush your Government. A small number of
our people, very small number, your iriends-seces
sonsts The rest der about measures and candidates.
but united In the determination sustain the Union
Whoever elected in November, be be committed
| to vigorous prosecution OF the war"
| Mr.. Davis srl looked ncreduous
l remarked: IL Is So SIR Whoever tells you other
wise deceives you think know Northern sentiment,
you it il SO. You know We have system of
yceum ecing in large towns At the close OF those
lectures it Is the custom OF the peops to come UPON the
platform and talk with the lecturer This gives him an
excellent opportunity Of learning public sent ment Last
winter lectred before nearly hundred Of such assoca
all oyer the North-from Dubuque to B,ngor--aud
took psus to ascertain the feeling of the people.
found unanimous determination to crush the rebe lion
and save the Union at every sacrifice The majority are
favor Of Mr. Lincoln, and nearly all those opposed to
him opposed to him because they think be does not
faht you with enough ygOr The radical Republicans,
who 90 for slave su age and thorough fcston
those who will defeat him II he lie to be deated But if
he is defeated before the people the House will elect
worse mani mean worse for you. 1t is radical
than he Is-you can that from Mr. Ashley's recon
struction billiard the people are radical than the
| House Mr.. Lincoln, know, is about to call for FIVE
hundred thousand more men, and can't how you can
resist much loDger but if you do you will only deepen
the radical feeling Of the Northern people. They will
give you fair honorable generous terms; but let them
suffer much more let there be dead in every house.
as there is in every village they WILL give you
terms-they will insist hanging every rebel south OF
-. Pardon my terms mean no offence"
"You give no ofsrcs" he REPLIED smiling very plea
sanity Il wouldn't h4ve you pick your words This s
ia free talk and like you the better for saying what
you think. Go on"
q" merely going to cay that lei the Northern peo-
Pile once really feel the warthey do feel il yet-and
they will ins let hanging every one Of your leaders
"We admitting all you say, can't how it affects
our position. There things than banging
determination We reckon giving up the right Of self
government one of those things
By sell government you mean disunon-Southern in
dependeuce7 2"
Yes"
And slavery You say, is no longer element in the
contest"
No, it is not it essentiai element. 1t
was only means OF bringing other citing elements TO
an earlier elimination 1t fir the musket which was al
ready capped aud loaded There essential differences
between the North and the South that will, however this
war may end, make thu m two nations :"
You ask me to say what think. Will you allow me
to cay that know the South pretty well, and OBJ
served those differences ~