Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-06
Tue NEGOTIATIONS wITu JonNsroN

NUM- lSFNi" NV iViIO"ihb 10 " N"t t4S s"JN
relative to
THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH JOHNSTON.
met General Johnston in person at q house
FIVE miles IRON Durham Station under a flag Ct
truce After a few preliminary remarks he said
to me, since Lee had surrendered bis army at
Appomattx Court House, VI which he had just
been advised, he looked upon further opposition
by him as the greatest OF possible crimes that
he wanted To know whether could make him
any general concessions anything by which be
could maintain his hold and control OF his army,
and prevent its scattering anything ~ satisfy
the great yearning OF their people il 80, he
thought he could arrange terms satisfactory to
both parties. lie wanted to embrace the con
dtIon and fate OF all the armies of the southern
Coniederacy to the Rio Grande; TO make one
JOB OF it, as he termed it.
asked hun what b 8 powers were-whether
he could command and control the fate OF all
the armies to The Rio Grande. lie answered
that he thought le could obtain the power, but
he did not possess it that moment; be did not
know where Mr.. DAVIS was, but he thought II
could give him the time he could hnd Mr..
Breckenridge, whose oTter would be obeyed
everywhele, and he could pledge to me bis per
sonal faith that whatever he undertook to do
would be done.
| had had frequent correspondence with the
President OF the United States, with the Secre-
tary Of War, with General Halleck and with
General Grant, aud the general impression lett
upon my mind that # settlement could be
made consistent with the Constitution Of the
4 United States, the laws OF Congress and the
! ,.T kn Draa itau
MY be wiling, but pleased 10 terminate the
war by one single stroke Of the pen.
needed time to finish the railroad from the
Neuse bridge up to Raleigh and thought j
could put in four or five days Of good time IN
making repairs to my road, even It ! had to
send propositions to Washington | therefore
consented to delay twenty -four hours, 10 enable
General Johnston to procure what would satisfy
me as to his authority and ability as military
man, to do what he under took TO DO ! there
fore consented TO meet him the next day, the
l7th, at II noon, at he same place.
We did meet again after general inter
change oi courtesles, he remarked that he was
then prepared to satisfy me that he could fulfil
the terms Of our conversation Of the day before.
He then asked me what | was willing to do |
told hun, in the first place, could not deal with
anybody except men recognized by US as " bel
hgerenls," because no military man could 20
, beyond that fact. The Attorney General has
since SO decided, and any man Of common sense
so understood II before, there was o difference
upon that point as 10 the men aud olhcers &C.
compaDyng the Confederate armies. told
him that the President Oi the United States, by
] Il published proclamation, had enabled every
man in the southern Confederate army, OF the
rank Of colonel and under, 10 procure ana
obtain amnesty, by simply taking an oath OF al
legauce to the United States and agreeing 10
20 to his home and live in peace The terms
VI General Grant 70 General Lee extended the
same principles to the officers, OF the rank oi
bfigader general and upward including the
highest officer in the Confederate army, VIZ.
General Lee, the c0mmander.in chief. wac
therefore willing to proceed With him upon the
same principles.
Then conversation arose as to what form Of
Government they were to have in the South
We're the states there to be discovered, and were
the people to be denied representation IN Con-
gress7 Were the people there to be-ln she
common language OF the people OF the south
slaves to the people OF the North OF course,
, sail " No We desire that you shall regain
, your position as citizens Of the United States,
, free aud tqual to us In all respects and " sh
representation upon the c.n1itI n OF submission
To the law al authority OF the United States as
I defined by the cOIsrltution the United Stattf
r courts, and the authorities oil the United ate-
supported by those courts lie then remarked
to me that General Bfeckenrdge, MAJOR gene
; raj in the Confederate army, was near bj aad,
# had no objection, he would like 20 have hun
, present. | called his attention to the Tact that
had on the day before explained to hun that
any negotiations between Us must be confined to
=, beiSerents. lie replied that he understood
!. that pert city.
D d" But, said he, " Breckenridge, whom you
=, do not know, save by pubic rumor, as Ssceeta-
ry of War, lie, IN fact, MAJOR general; give
= you my word for that. Have you any objection
n to bis being present as majlr general ! w
q replleI " have NJ objection u any military
officer you desire being present as a part OF your
personal staff, nys 1t had my own oihcer
J. near me at call.
e Breckenridge came a stranger to me, whom
!. had never spoken to in my lite, and he j)ined it
=, the conversation; while that conversation wa
; gong on a courier arrived and handed to Gene
Il raj Johnston package Of papers; be aud Breck
e time and put them away in their pockets wha
. they were | knew not, but one Of them was
slip Of paper, written, a. Gener !. johnston toll,
me, by MIR kegan, Postmaster General OF tb
T Southern Conitderacy they seemed to tall
d about it soto roce, and finally handed It to me
| glanced over it; it was preceded by pream
; BILE aud cl sed with u few general terms | re
jectei it at once.
II We then discussed matters talked abou
d slavery, talked abOu. everything. There was
universal assent that slavery was as dead a
anythIng could be that 1t was one of tho issue
OF the war long since determined and ever
! General Johnston laughed at the folly Of tn
o Confederate government in raising negro sol
Il iers, whereby they gave US al the points OF tn
case. | told them that slavery had been treateO
by US US dead institution, first by one class o
20 men.irom the initiation of the war, and theI
2, from the date OF the Emancipation Proclamation
II OF President Lincoln, and finally by the assen
Of all parties. AS to the reconstruction, toll,
them that ! did not know what the views o
the administration were. Mr.. Lincoln, up t,
9 that time, in letters aud by kilograms to me
o encouraged me by all the words that could b.
. usei in general terms to believe, not only in hi
" willingness, but IN his desires that | sh,uk
a make terms with civil authorities governors an.
y legislatures, even as lar back as 1868. II hel
j, occurred to mo that ight write oil some gen
, eral propositions, meaning little, or mcaniu
" much, according to the construction OF parte
lie what would term gItierog ganeralltes-
a. and send them to W ashington, which | coul
q. do in four days. That would enable the net
President to give clue to his policy IN III
~ important junoture which was then upon u,
Z for the war was over the highest military au
Of thorlties OF the southern coniederacy so coz
iessed to me openly, uncOncealedly and repeat
eddy. | therefore drew up the memorandum