The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-09-02
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.

were restored, a more friendly feeling
would arise between us than has ever ex-
listed. The war has made US know and
respect each other better than before.
This is the view Of very many southern
men; I have had it from many of them
your leading citizens"
"They are mistaken" replied Mr.. Da
Wis. "They do not understand southern
sentiment. How can we feel anything but
bitterness towards men who deny us our
rights? If you enter my house and
drive me out of it, am | not your natural
enemy?"
"You put the case too strongly. But
we cannot fight forever; the war must end
at some time; we must finally agree upon
something; can we not agree now and
stop the frightful carnage? We are both
Christian men, Mr.. Davis. Can you, as a
Christian man, leave untried any means
that may lead to peace ?"
"No, | cannot. I desire peace as much
as you do. I deplore bloodshed as much
as you do; but l feel that not one drop of
the blood shed in this war is on mig bands;
can look up to my God and say this. 1
tried all in my power to avert this war.
l saw it coming, and for twelve years /
worked night and day to prevent it, but l
could not. The North was mad and blind;
it would not let Us govern ourselves; and
so the war came, and now it must go on
till the last man of this generation falls in
his tracks and his children seize his mus
ket and fight his battles, unless you &C
knowledge our right to self-government
We are not fighting for slavery. We are
fighting for independence-and that or ex-
termination we will have
"And there are at least four and half
millions of US left; so you see you have a
work before you, said Mr.. Benz with
decided sneer.
1--WE have no wish to exterminate you,''
| answered the colonel. 81 believe what
have said-that there is no bitterness be-
tween 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 it would now well.
come you back and forgive you all the loss
and blOOdshed you have caused. But we
must crush your armies and exterminate
your government. And is not that al
ready nearly done You are wholly with
out money, and at the end of your resour-
ces. Grant has shut yOu up in Richmond.
Sherman is before Atlanta. Had you not,
then, better accept honorable terms while
you can retain your prestige and save the
pride OF the southern people,"
| MIR. DAVIS ON THE CONFEDERATE PROSPECTS,.
Mr.. Davis smiled
p" respect your earnestness, colonel,
but you do not seem to understand the sit
uatlOn. We are not exactly shut up in
Richmond. Ii your papers tell the truth
it is your capital that is in danger, not
ours. Some weeks ago Grant crossed the
Rapldan to whip Lee and take Richmond
Lee drove him in the first battle, and then
Grant executed. what your people call a
brilliant flank movement, and fought Lee
again. Lee drove him second time,
and Grant made another flank movement;
and so they kept On-Lee whipping and
Grant flanking-until Grant got where he
is now. And what is the net result :?
Grant has lost seventy-tive or eighty thoa-
sand men-more than Lee had at the out
set-and is no nearer taking Richmond
than at first; and Lee, whose front has
never been broken, holds him completely
in check, and has men enough to spare to
invade Maryland, and threaten Washing
ton! Sherman, to be sure, is before At
lanta; but suppose he is, and suppose he
takes it You know, that the farther he
goes from his base Of supplies, the weaker
he grows, and the more disasterous defeat
will be to him. And defeat moy come.
So in a military view, I should certainly
say our position was better than yours.
AS to money, we are richer than you
are. You smile but admit that our pa
per is worth nothing-it answers as cir
culating medium; and we hold it all our
selves. If every dollar of it were lost, we
should, as we have no foreign debt, be
none the poorer. But it is worth some
thing; it has the solid basis OF large cot
ton crop, while yours rests on nothing,
and you owe all the world AS to resour-
ces, We do not lack for arms or ammuni-
ton, and we have still wide territory
from which to gather supplies. So you
see we are not in extremities. But if we
were-if we were without money, without
food, without weapons-ifour whole coun-
try were devastated, and our armies crush
ed and disbanded-could we, without Civ
ing up our manhood, give up our right to
govern ourselves? Would you not rather
die, and feel yourself man, than live,
and be subject to foreign power?"
"From your standpoint there is force
in what you say" replied the colonel
"But we did not come here to argue with
you, Mr.. Davis. We came, hoping to find
some honorable way to peace and I am
grieved to hear you say what you do.
When I have seen your young men dying
on the battlefield, and your old men,
women, and children starving in their
homes, l have felt could risk my life to
save them. For that reason am here,
and / am grieved, grieved, that there is no
hope" 9 aoaua t,.r
81 know your motives, Colonel Jaoues,
and honor you for them; but what can
I do more than I am doing? would give
my poor life gladly, if it would bring peace
and goodwill to the two countries but it
would not. 1t is with your own people
you should labor. It is they who desolate
our homes, burn our wheat-felds, break
the wheels of wagons carrying away our
| ~k:1Jvo..