Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-06-30

--.... ..,v ON : very liberal uss ofthe POW.
- ccnadcd 70 him 70 remit those Psa"s s"1
s".s,.;ss n peace be restored. ~I
~ - SAtsd u the above ceenocson
49, III lied b he Va BY to Conss'ttF'o":
- coul1 not chap1e o. impair the power p
GonrreSp, nor abolish It, lsv.A not say !ne
;SacI,eNts of ~ court1; Id the Ie!'s.ause
And judicial power had co equal jur.sa'EtSn
nth the Executive. But ne d'd onea Al ~
mover Of mercy and pardon ."d Innuencs,
10Th A 4 Chief Magistrate and - : Popular
nsrtv leader, and that = > better ones .n.n
rsheis on the eve a deetsucs'os snd rum
ever had before from . victorious power.
Mr.. Hunter stated that ne mad never en-
,.,t.;ned any fears for his person or life
rom 40 mild . Government as that OF the
iro;sed States. To which Mr.. Lincoln re-
torted. that he, also, had felt easy ~ to the
rebels, but not always 80 easy about the
lsmp posts around Washington city-a hint |
that he had already done more favors for the
rebels thar was exactly popular with the
radical men Of his y party.
During the conference the proposed
amendments TO the Constitution, adopted
by Congress on the 31st, were brought to
notice : these smeadments provide that
neither slavery or involuntary ssrvitude, Z
cept for crimes, should exist within the Uni
ted States, or any place within its jurisdic-
ton, and Congress should have power to
enforce the amendment by appropriate leg
~islation.
Mr.. Lincoln had almost assumed the tone
OF argument, and intimated that the States
might do much better TO return to the Union
ct once, thar to stand the chance Of contin-
Ned war, and the increasing bitterness Of
feeling in Congress. And that the time
might come when we would cease TO DE an
erring people, invited back to the Union as
citizens, but looked upon perhaps IS enc
mics to be exterminated or ruined.
Mr.. Seward then remarked "Mr. Pres.
ident. it Is as we'll to inform those gentle
men that Yesterday Congress acted upon
the amendment to the Constitution abolish
ing slavery"
suggested that there was n question as to
the right Of the insLrgent States to return
1t once and claim a right to vote upon the
amendment, to which the concurrence Of
two -thirds Of the States was required.
lie stated that it would be desirable to
have the institution Of slavery abolished by
| the consent Of the people, as soon as pos
siblc-he hoped within six years. lie also
stated that four hundred millions of dollars
might be offered as compensation to the
owners, and remarked you would ne
surprised were | to give you the names OF
those who favor that"
Mr.. Hunter said something about the IT,
humanity of leaving so many poor old ne
groes and young children destitute, by en-
| couraging the able bodied negroes to run
away and asked, what arc they-the help
lcss-to do?
Mr.. Lincoln said that reminded him Of an
old friend in Illinois, who had a crop Of po-
tatoes and did not want to dig them. So he
| told a neighbor that he would turn in his
hogs and let them dig for themselves. But,
said the neighbor, the frost will soon be in
| the ground, and when the soil is hard frozen
what will they do them To which the
worthy farmer replied, "Let en- root"
Mr.. Stephens said he supposed that was
the original Of Root, Hog or Die" and a
fair indication Of the future of the ne
groes.
The finishing up part of the report ofMr.
Davis Commissioners reads thus:
OF all correspondence that preceded the
Conference herein mentioned, and leading
to same, you have heretofore been inform
| ed.
Very respectfully, your ob't s&erv'ts,
Signed ak. II. STEPHENS,
r. M. +. HUNTER.
JOHNA CAMPBELL.
We remark now that all we know of the
| correspondence above mentioned we have
| from the report Of Mr.. Seward, as MIR. Da-
Wis never favored US with it.
The whole meeting was friendly, and the
| parting cordial, as reported. Mr.. Stephens
| reported to Mr.. Davis that nothing had been
| done, but that nothing was determined, and
| that, il he relied upon the sincerity OF Mr..
| Blair. the conference was but a coniirma-
ton Of the desire for peace on the part Of
the United States, and the way open for
settlement. Mr.. DAVIS, however, looked
upon the proposals as insulting, and seem
ed to have the concurrence Of Mr.. Hunter
in that view-somewhat. lie wished a
statement to 90 before the public that only
insulting terms were rendered but the
| Commissioners declined to make it, on the
| ground that it was not true.
With some difficulty they secured the
reception Of the brief and perfectly truth
| ful, but not very clear report that was pub
lished, and Mr.. Davis put the coloring to
it, and cndeavored to secure his object Of
crushing the great Southern Peace party by
an inilamnatory dispatch all over the coun-
try, followed by the actual report, with the
| following ingenious preface, written by
himself:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, RrcnNoSD,
Feb. 6, 1865.
To the Senate and House Of Representatives.
of the Confederate States:
recently received a written notification
| which satisfied me that the President Of the
| United States was disposed to confer infor-
mally with any official agents that might be
| sent by me with a view to the restoration Of
peace. requested the Hon. A. IL. Ste
phens, Hon. r. NJ. r. Hunter, and Hon. j.
A. Campbell to proceed through our lines
and hold conference with Lincoln, or such
persons as he might depute to represent
him.
herewith submit for the information of
Congress, the report of these eminent citi-
zens above named, showing that the enemy
refused to enter into negotiations with the
Confederate States or any Of them separate
", or give our people any other terms or
guarantee than those which Congress may
grant, or to permit us to have a vote on any
other basis than our unconditional submis-
sion to their rule, coupled with the accept
ance Of their recent legislation, including
the amendment to the Constitution emanci-
pating all the negro slaves. and with the
right on the part of the Federal Congress
to legislate on the subject of the relations
between the white and black populations in
each State. Such is, as l understand, the
effect Of the amendment to the Constitution
which has been adopted by the Congress Of
the United States.
tSighed) JEFFERSON DAVIS.
This was closely followed by mass meet
ings in the capital and elsewhere.
How strange it is that all these bloody
minded men, who advocated the 'black
flag" and mo quarters" upon our street
corners, contented themselves nth soords
and with all this hate Of Yankees never
undertook to find them at the front, where