The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-04-28

Warrington, = ril %, 1865.
Tie following i the iistory, Of .the ~
thority recently given foA tie assembling
Of thsfe6sl Legislature ofvirginias
While President Lincoln was In Rich
mopd, he was waited upon BY Judge Jno.
A. Campbell, Who observed:
81 had q Interview with JelIerspu Di-
vie, Bepjanin and Bssekinridgs Just be-.
fore they left, and said to them: The mil.
itary power of the Confsdsracy is broken.
Its independence is hopeless. Il only re-
mains for NJ to make the best terms We
can. Tho trouble il, the President OF the
United States cannot enter into negotia.
tions with you; but he does,recog nize The
States, and can confer with their regular
authorities. Under the doctrine Of State |
Rights, so universally held in the South
the troops iron Virginia--the Confeder.
ate Government being afugitive-will re-
cognixe the right Of the Virgins Legisia-
ture 70 control Them If you, Mr.. Lin
coin, will permit that body to convene, it
will doubtless call them from the field"
Campbell's arguments for this course
were many and specious. The President
WAS actuated by his absorbing desire Tor
peace to listen sttentively; but be said:
Judge Campbell, LEI us have 10 mis-
understanding. will give you once
more in black aud white my onl, terms"
And he Immediately wrote the Same prop
ositions which Mr. Seward took from him
to the Hampton Roads Conferences:
/. The territorial integrity of the Re-
public.
| ii. No retraction Of Executive or Con.
gressional action on the subject Of sla-
verv.
III. No armistice.
To these he added fourth condition,
that, il leading Confederates still persisted
10 the war, now it bad beooms 20 utterly
hopeless, their property should be rslent-
lessly con6scated.
Campbell prayed for . mobilization oil
the third article, but the President vas i'm
movable. He said:
1--WE will not negotiate with men ., long
rs they are fighting against rs. The last
election established this Is the deliberate
determination OF the coon,ry."
On the steamboat which brought Mr.
Lincoln down the james river he wrote
this order to Gen. Weitxel:
| "You viii permit the persons who al!
themselves the Virginia Legislature t.
eonvene in Richmond for the purpose d
Withdrawing the Virginia troops from til.
rebel army, but Jon will not allov then
to use any treasonsb'e language, or adop
any trt asonable measurss.''
Without consulting with anY rersor
whatever, or advising any one Oh It's cen
tents, he sealed this document, and sent i
to General Wetzel BY United State,
Senator. ~
Il But, on the very day of his death, h,
received letter from Judge Campbell
;inged with the usual rebel incidence. 10
no,ing altogether the proposition whicf
the President had made 10 him ia wri
ting, and urging:
Il is true that the military power O.
the Confederacy is destroyed. but IN.
spirit Of the Southern people still remain.
unbroken. Ifyou want to conciljate them
it will be wise for you to grant an arms
tice, and necessary for you to treat Ieni.
emily their leading public men. and sesl
their assistance!"
/ This was too much even for Mr. Lin
coins good nature. He characterized Mr.
CamphelPs course as urgrateful and out
rsgeous Meanwhile the capitalization o.
General Lee obvialed the necessity Of
convening the rebel legislatureI and he
sent an order countermanding the call.
| One Of the Presidents last official act,
was deed Of mercy toward his enemies
/ He expressly stated that be meant to piys
the leading confederates IN opportuoit,
to leave the country. Tais telegram from
Portland came to Washington:
Beverly Tucker and Jacob Thompson
will pc here Tomorrow in.disguise to leave
on the steamer for Europe. What sbal
we do?''
| Dir. Lincoln directed the authorities e
let them CO.. A few hours later Ne feIl b.
the assassin's bullet, and beside his death
bed . member Of the Cabinet counter
] manded that order. Fortanately for theil
own lives, Thompson and Tucker did no,
come into the United States after the con.
spirators had murdered the only man whs
could have saved them from their doom
Mr.. Seward exhibits wonderful vitality,
but his physicians have little hope thai
his mouth viii ever recover it's symme.
try. It i likely to be awry, and probably
power will be lacking entirely to close the
lower Jaw. Several days since the Score.