White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1865-03-16

WAsHIxarox, March 4, 1865.

WAsHlN0TON, MeIcn 4, 1cOC.
EDITOR CHIEr:-Once more under.
take to esligbtes your readers upon mat
tsrs passing behind the scenes. as well as
before them. The reason Of my prolong-
ed silence was. that I was on . secret
mission to Richmond. with pass from
the President. authorized to ask JEFF.
Davis how his pulse bsst on the peace
question. My real object was to recover
my grandmother's gold spectscles. which
had been stolen BY rebel raiders; but
adopted the peace dodge. in order to make
safe uninterrupted journey.
The inauguration is over. and nobody
hurt" 1t was = mere msttsr of form
or, as the President remarked. he looked
upon it pretty much as he did changing
shirts. when hs lived at home. in Illinois.
He donned fresh one every four weeks
NOT that il made him feel any better.
bot merely for the looks of the thing.
The Peace Conference between the Pres
ident and the rebel Commissioners. l sup
pose your readers have read so much
about that it has become stale: yet they
will doubtless be interested in. hearing
the true cause Of tho fsilure Of that confer.
snce. This has DOT yet been laid before
the public. bat I shall now proceed to do
it.
After three hours wranghsg. the par
ties failed to agree, and were shout sepa-
rating. when Hunter proposed that the
question be decided by game of "seveb
Up"-Stepbeus and Hunter against Lin.
coin and Seward-tte former playing for
peace and independence of the South;
the latter for Union and the submission Of
the South. To this Lincoln readily as-
sented, as be. to use bis own words. "hsd
been no slouch at the game. in his young
er days" A greasy deck was borrowed
from the cook of the River Queen. and the
game commenced. Lincoln got the deal.
He turned Jack and held low. Stephens
made high and game. Hunter dealt next,
and the result was as before. two apiece.
Each party now had three to make.
Seward dealt. Stephens held in his hand
Jack and ten Of trumps. He concluded
to rick Jack for high and ten for game.
which would give him bis three. and he
"stood." But Campbell, who had taken
up position where be could look into
both Stephens and Lincoln's hands, saw
that the latter held the King. Queen, Ace
and low. which would enable him to Sc.
cure the lead, and swing for Stephens
Jack and ten; he therefore made private
signal to Stephens. who quickly corrected
himself. and said that be would "beg."
The President. who bad been "watching
the corners" saw the msneuvere; and
throwing down his hand. be remarked.
that when the Csnfederscy were anxious
for peace. they could do as Stephens had
just dons-''beg." Thus the conference
ended.
/ perceive that you Kansas folks are
very much pct ont atout the Draft, and
seem to think that injustice has been done
your State. You are wrong. The re.
port Of the Congressional COMMITTEES. sp.
pointed expressly to inquire into the Draft
matter. renders it SO plain that even q
Philsdelphis lawyer can almost see
through it. But even If that cannot be
understood by all. we have the Presidents
own explanation to the Governor of Yer
mont, in which be illustrates the matter
by . comparison between Vermont end
New Hampshire. To convince your read
ers Of the fairness of the manner of deter
mining quotas, 1 will take the Presidents
comparison. and apply it to Kansas snd
Massachusetts. Three hundred thousand
men are wanted, and Kansas and Massa-
chusetts are each called upon for about
1900 men. You will see thst the mum.
Der from each State is almost equal; and
this is the way the figures are arrived at:
1t is found that Massachusetts, on former
calls. is 0.000 in arrears, and that K an.
sas, on the same calls, is 5000 ahead.
Kansas is called upon for 1900 men,
which. added to 90. 900 already furnished.
makes 81, 200. Massachusetts, is also
called upon for 1900 men. which. added
10 her 10000 deficiency, amounts like
wise to 2l.2O0. Subtract the 10000
which Kansas has furnished, from the to-
tai of 81 200. and you zee she has 1900
to supply. Then subtract the former de-
iciency Of Massachusetts, from her total
present deficiency. and you find the num-
1900 remaining. Thus. if Kansas furnish
ID an excess Of 5000 on former calls,
Massachusetts, has the benefit of deficit
of 20. 600 now. In no other way can the
quotas Of the two States be made equsl,
md in no other way can the 300. 900 men
be raised. Now. can't you ''ses it ?"
am enabled to state positively that
another draft for 500, 900 men will take
place the fret Of April. The draft will