Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-08-26
" EDMUND KIRKES" INTERVIEW
WITH JkFF DAVIS.


" EDMUND KIRKEs" INTERVIEW
WITH JEFF DAVIS.
We take the following extract from an ar.
ticle in the September number Of the Allan
tic Monthly, entitled Our Visit to Rich.
mond, ." by J. R. Gilmore, giving an accoun,
Of the curious journey to the rebel capital re.
Gently taken by hi,n and Col. Jaques:
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Mr.. Benjamin occupied his previous seat at
the table, aud a. his right sat a spare, thin
featured man, With iron-gray hair and beard.
and a clear gray eye, toll Of life and vigor
He had a biosd, massive forehead and
mouth and ctin denoting great energy and
strength Of viii. His face vas emaciited and
much wrink.ed, bat his features were good
especially his eyes-though one Of them bore
scar, apr arently made by some sharp instru-
ment. Hs wore suite OF greyish- brown,
eyidon ly Of foreign manufacture, and As be-
rose. / Jaw that be was about five feet ren
inches 1izh, wi,h slight stoop in the shout
ders. hi. manners were simple. easy, and
quite fascinating and be threw an ndescro.
aolo charm into bis voice, az be extended his
har and said to US;
" am glad to see you, gentlemen You
are welcome 20 Richmond
And this was he man who was president
# the United States under Franklin Pierce,
and who is heart, soul and brains of the
southern coniederscy
His manner put me entirely at my ease
the colonel wodld be at his II he stood be-.
fore Cnsar-and ! replied
We thank you Mr.. Davis. II is not often
you meet men Of our clothes. and our prnci-
piles, in Richmond
Not often, not 90 often as / could wish
and trust your coming may lead to more
frequent and a more friendly intercourse be-
tween the North and the South"
We sincerely hope it may"
Mt BENJAMIN tells me you have asked TO
see me 20 -
And he paused as II 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 can be stopped. Our peo-
pie want peace your people do. and your
congress has recently said that you do. We
have come 10 ask how it can be brought
about"
In very simple way. Withdraw your
armies from our territory, and peace will come
Of itself We do not seek TO subjugate you.
We are not Waging an offensive war, except
so far as we are forced to invade you 70 pre-
vent you invading US. Let US alone, and
peace will come at once"
But we cannot let you alone so long as
you repudlate the Union. fha. is the on
thing the northern people will not surren
der"
81 know. You would deny to US what
you exact for yourselves--the right Of self.
government"
" NO sir" remarked. We would
deny you no natural right But we think
Union essential to peace and, Mr. Davis,
could two people. with the same language.
separated only by an imaginary line, live at
peace with each other, Would not disputes
instantly arise and cause almost constant
war between them
Undoubtedly with this generation Iou
have shown such bitterness 70 the South, YOU
have put such oceans Of blood between the
two sections, that despair Of seeing any bar
mony IN my time. Our children may forget
this war, but we cannot"
think the bitterness you speak Of. sir"
said the Colonel, does not really exist. We
must talk here as frieLds our soldiers meet
and traterniZe with each ether and | feel
sure that # the Union were restored, more
friendly feeling would arise between us than
has ever existed before. The war has made
US know and respect each other better than
before ms Is ihe view Of very many south
ern men have had il from many of them
~ our leading citizens"
They are mistaken" replied Mr.. Davis.
" They do not understand southern senti-
ment How can we feel anything but btter-
ness towards men who deny us our rights,
1t you enter my house and drive me out oft,
am not your natural enemy p
" You put the case too strongly. But we
cannot hight forever; the war must end az
ZONE time, @e must finally agree upon some
hing can we not agree now ana stop this
rigbtful carnage We are both Christian
men, Mr.. Davis. Can you, as Christian man,
cave untried any means that may lead to
peace I"
" No, cannot. desire peace as much a.
Tou do. deplore bloodshed as much as you
10 but feel that no one drop of blood shed
n this war is on my handss l can look up to
ny God and say this. tried all in my rower
o avert this war. | saw it coming. and for
welve years worked night ard day to pre-
tent it, but could not. The North was mad
md blind it would not let us govern our
elves and so the war came, and now it
must 60 on Till the last man Of this genera
Ton falls in his tracks, and his children ssizs
us musket and fight his battles, unless you
eknowledge our right to selfgoyernment.
We are not fighting for slavery We are fight
ng for Independence, and that or extermiua'
ion we will have"
" And there are at least four millions and
half OF US lefti so you see you have work
efore you'' said Mr.. Benjamin with decd'
d sneer.
We have no wish to exterminate you,
nswered the Colonel. 81 believe what
ave said, that there is no bitterness between
he North and Southern people. The North
know, loves the South When peace comes
will pour money and means into your
ands to repair the waste caused by the war
nd it would now welcome you back and for
i've you all the loss and boodshed you have
aused. But we must crush your armies ana
your government"
Mr.. DAVIS REFUSES AN ARMisTICR.
Well, suppose two governments should