The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-08-25
Jeff. Davis Terms Of Peace.

Jeff. Davis Terms of Peace.
AT, ,Pawtucket, on Wednesday evening
last Mr.. Gilmore edmund Kirk delivered
a lecture, describing his interview with
jeff Davis, during late visit to Richmond,
and giving the substance of their conversa-
ton on the terms of peace. From report
of it in the Providence Press, we make the
following extracts:
went to Richmond with the Reverend
Colonel Jaques, and went with the hope Of
making negotiations which might result in
peace. If we should succeed, we thought
that the consciousness of having served our
country would pay our expenses. If we
failed, we might still serve the country by
letting the people of the North know what
was the reason of our failure I went with
propositions, on the basis Of which we
might have made an arrangement for peace
with Mr.. Davis, and if we were unsuccess.
it would be useful for the country to know
what propositions were rejected. We went
to Richmond in an ambulance, and were
three hours on the way after we entered
the rebel lines. We entered Richmond al
10 o'clock, and planted our white flag in
the very heart Of the rebel capital. As We
stopped, Judge Ould. the rebel Commission
er of Exchange, directed Colonel Jacques
to button up his overcoat, as it was danger.
/
Gus to be seen with blue uniform in the
streets of Richmond. We were taken to a
hotel, and shown up to "No. CO." shabby
room, with some fine furniture in very bad
order. We were provided with supper, and
directed how to apply for an interview with
the President. The next morning we di-
rected note to Secretary Benjamin, ask.
ing an interview with the President, and
were invited to call upon him, when we
made an engagement to meet the President
that evening, which was Sunday.
On meeting our engagement, we were
shown into the State Depar ment, where we
saw Mr.. Benjamin, small, plump. black
haired, black-eyed man, seated in his usua
place, and, at his right, a pale thin man,
dressed in suit Of darkish gray, with a
mouth and chin expressive OF the greatest
determination. We told him simply that
we came without official authority, but
knowing the opinions Of our Government,
TO see on what terms peace might be made.
Mr.. Davis repllsd, quietly, withdraw
your armies from our territory, and peace
will follow of itself. We told him that the
Northern people would never agree to any
plan which did not include the establish
ment Of the Union. Mr.. Davis said that we
never could live in peace. The North had
sown such bitterness between the two
sections, that we never could have peace i,
this generation. We then urged upon him
that it was his duty 20 use every effort to
put an end to this bloodshed. He acknowl
edged this, and declared that none of the
blood shed in this war could he lay to his
own charge. They, the South. were not
fighting for slavery; they were fighting for
independence; and independence or EXTERN
ination they would have. We then tried
to show him that the position of the rebel
armies was such that it was better for them
to give up the contest while they could dc
II with honor; but he was unwilling to ad
NIT that his armies were in such desper.
ate position. He laid the blame of the
barbarity Of this war entirely upon the
North, utterly ignoring the instances of reb.
el barbarity which we brought to his notice.
| then had a considerable conversation with
Mr'Davis, in which indirectly offered him
the terms which had been auth horized to
suggest; but as he did not show any dlspo.
| sition to meet me, did not state them ex-
plicitly. These terms will be given through
the newspapers in short time They
were, in general entire abolition, general
amnesty, no confscaton, the debts of the
| South to be ignored, the debts of the Ger.
eral Government to be borne by all the
States. Mr.. Davis declared that such terms
could never be accepted by Southern peo-
pie, and that rather than submit to them
they would stake their whole property and
their national existence.