The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1865-12-09

Senator Douglas, to accomplish settle.
ment. He was sanguine of such a re-.
suit u the South were prudent, gave
time and avoided war The result OF
my consul alton with him was, that at
ms instance | called on Senator Davis
OF Mississippi, to invite him into con.
hdentlal conference with Senator Doug.
las MIR. Douglas said he was satisfied
1t Mr.. Davis could agree upon pro.
gramme of settlement, everything could
be harmonionsly arranged. / wrote
from Washington to Mr.. William S..
Lyles, member OF our State Conven.
tion from Fairfield, urging upon him in
the strongest terms, the avoidance of
every step tending to a collision with
the United Suites authorities. / wrote
in the same strain to high official in
onr State, and to Mr.. Keitt When
our commissioners, Messrs. Barnwell,
Orr and ADAMS, arrived in Washington
called upon them and urged the same
line Of policy. | wrote to a gentleman
in New York, Mr.. Pell, at the same
time, and stated my ideas of compro
mise. proposed in this letter to MIR.
Pell, an extract from which was publish.
ed at the time, in the New York Euen.
ing Post that the South should give up
slavery in the Territories, and the North
Should, by All amendment to the Consti,
tuition leave slavery in the States to the
action of each State. In this letter /
also asked for the South balance of
power, principle to be inserted in
the Constitution to protect the Southern
section. | would not, however. have
made this an ultimatum. 1t was with
most profound sadness that ] heard Of
the attack on Fort Sumter. | thought
it was great mistake, and opeued
future Of indefinite horrors to my view.
| did not think the authorities at Wash.
ington or Richmond either, had sufli.
cienlly exerted themselves to avoid n.
collision. Mr. Seward was evidently
impressed with the great policy of con.
ciliation, which was obliged to be sue.
cessful, but he vas overborne hy the
pressure in his own party. After The
first battle of Manassas, | threw ont the
suggestion in secret session of Congress,
that we should send the prisoners back.
AT the same time / urged that PROPOSE.
tions for peace should be made. After
Gen. Mcclellan was driven from Rich.
mond, | wrote to Mr. Benjamin, then
Secretaryiof State. and urged upon him
the policy of opening negotiations When
Congress assembled. made this poll.
cy the subject Of II rcsoldlion and an ur.
gent address in'secret session As soon
as saw howi earnest the Norharn
States were in prosecuting the war, [
saw it was impossible for the South
even to have n p"rmanent peace, while.
the Mississippi flowed in its present
channel. was satisfied the only salts
factory solution was peace through the.
agency of,the conservative portion Of
the North in possession Of the Govern.
ment / moved resolution on The
subject of peace again in sccfet session
in the winter Of 1864. Ineed not re.
fer to my letter in September 1864, to
President Davis. with. which you are
familiar, for it created great opposition
to me, an opposition which does not die
out even now When Mr. Blair came
to Richmond on his peace embassy, |
did everything | conld to make lIis rf.
for's successful. / should also add that
that during the war 1 always urged tho
most humane treatment possible 10 the
prisoners, as tending to benefit the con.
dition of oar own soldiers in the hands
of the United States, and leaving the
door to Cancellation as open as'possible.
a few words as to our present policy,
and 1 will have finished Your rehabili
tation ia objected to by a party atthe
North, on the ground that you are not
loyal to the Union. To avoid the OBJ.
lection you should do everything in yonr
power to manifest the sincerity 6f your
devotion to the Union. And this is not
difficult in your position, for nothing
else is possible but the Union. The
only possible way to preserve free instl.
tutions is by clinging to the Union. A
Il