New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-03-28

and found him extremely in the desire to settle
the matter and apparently shrinking rom rne aea 81
and reported to the gentlemen who had sent blm
Further on in his testimony he added that he unuer'
stood Mr.. Lincoln had given somewhat diileTe9t YER
sion OF the interview, representing that he had offered
/. be Convention would adjourn sine Due TO wlthdra"
.Ioops from Sumter and Pickens. am as clear,
4 Mr.. Baldwin. in my recollection as 1t is possible
T. J that he made such suggestion as understood
it, nd said nothing from which could infer it;
r. John Minor Bolts gave his version OF the inter
Iv,ev. rs 1t was related to him by Mr.. Lincoln; lie
say IA. on Sunday afternoon April Z ls6i, beng
Il 4 Washington, he received note from MI. Lin
c. , .1ying that no would be glad to see him during
til i!nT and that he went the same evening to the
" Touse and remained in conversation with Mr..
Liz q from O'Clock until IL o'clock. during which
tim r. Lincoln related the particulars OF the Visit Oh
Mr.. win, substantially ~ follows:
30 Mr. Baldwin" said Mr.. Lincoln, why did
you come soonerl have been waiting and expect
ing of you gentlemen Of the Convention 70 come 10
me Tor more than week past l had most important
propOsitiol TO make to yOu and am afraid you nave
come too late. However will make The proposition
now, We have in Fort Sumter with Major Anderson,
about 80 men, and learn from Nj jor Anderson that
his provisions nearly exhausted. have not only
written to Gov. Pickens but have sent special mes
senger to him to say that If he will allow Major Ander'
son 10 obtain his marketing ut the Charleston market
will have II sent TO him. will make effort To pro-
vision the Fort and that if he does not do that VIII
not permit these people to starye and shalt send yes
sci laden with bread and that fhe fires on that vessel
he viii fire upon unarmed vessel. But shall at the
time, send fleet along with her with instructions
Charleston unless that Vcsscl
" fred lno and II she 49, then the fleet Is TO enter the
is lying in the harbor of NewYork and viii sail this
afternoon at O'clock and although fear it is almost
too late, yet / will submit the proposition
which L intended when L sent for Mr.. Summers
Your Convention in Richmond has been sitting nearly
two months and all that they have done has been 10
shake the rod my head. You have recently taken
vote in the Virginia Convention the right OF seces
sion, which was rejected by 30 to ia majority OF two
thrds-showng the strength of the Union party in
that Convention. If you viii go back to Richmond and
get hat Union majority to adjourn and 60 home With
passing the ordinance of Secession so anxious am
for the preservation of the peace OF this country ana
20 save Virginia and the Border States from going
ont that will take the responsibility Of evacuating
Fort sumter and take the chance OF negotiating with
the cotton States which have already gone out =
Well Mr.. Lincoln inquired Mr. Bolts, now did
Mr. Baldwin receive that proposition"
Sir" said Mr. Lincoln. raising up his hands he
would not listen IL for moment; he hardly treated
me with ciylity He asked me what meant by an adj
Journment DID / mean an Adjournment sane die
Why OF course. Mr.. Baldwin said did not mean an
adjournment sine de- do not mean to assume such
responsibility rs that Of surrenderng that fort 70 the
people OF Charleston upon your adjournment and then
oT you in week or ten days and pass your
ordinance of Secession after have given up the fort.
Mr.. B',fs very much incensed, as he says that
Mr.. Baldwin should have rejected the proposition. and
asked Mr. Lincoln 10 authorize him to make II to the n
ion Of the Convention assuring him that they would
adopt II willingly and cheerfllly To which Mi. LIN
coin replied: "Oh 1t is too llei the heet has sailed,
and have no means Of communicating with IT,
Mr. Bolts then asked permission 10 mention the CIR.
cumsanco .or Mr. Llncolns own benefit; but Mr. Lin.
coin said: Well not just now, Bottsi after while
yol may"
MI Botts's inference was that Mr. Lincoln was as.
suming a responsibility which would at that day have
been extremely ds,asteful 20 those who had elevated
him 10 the Presidency but he thought Il due now 20
history and to the character of Mr. Lincoln TO make II
known Mr. Bolts was here asked:
q Are you perfectly sure. according 10 your best
recollection that Mr.. Lincoln told you that he had
made that proposition TO Mr. Baldwin, TO eyacnate Fort
SUMTER A. / know 1t well / know you are
standing before me. and that l am answering your
question.
Mr. Bolts relates that some weeks afterward he re-
turned Richmond and mentioned one evening 10 Mr..
John L. Lewis Union member OF The Convention, the
interview he had had with Mr. Lincoln. and that next
morning Slr. Lewis and Mr.. Baldwin drove to bis mouse
aud mad interview with him, which he narrated as
follows:
Lincoln did propose to you that if the Convention would
adjourn aud 20 home without passing the ordnance oil
Secession. he would cvacuate Fort Sumter e
Yes said Mr.. Baldwin, " he did
NV God Mr.. Baldwin. said Mr.. Bolts, why did
you reject such proposition as that
I The oay answer that Mr Baldwin made was by
taking out his watch and saying " 1t only wants 20
mnntes Of the hour OF meeting OF the Convention when
important vote Is TO be taken (meanlng the vote
the ordinance OF SECESSION. am obliged TO be
there punctualy at the hour. and have not time 70
make the explanation desire but viii avail myself
OF the earliest opportunity TO make fa explanation OF
the whole Oft -,
From that aay 10 this Mr. Bolts says he never laid
his eyes on Mr. Baldwin. heard any explanation
from him nor had directly any communication with
him; bat he had been informed that Mr.. Baldwin gets
very much excited whenever the subject Is mentioned
In his presence. ii
Further on in his testimony Mr.. Bolts was asked II
this whole proposition had been communicated 10 the
Unonists OF the Virginia Convention. together with
call for National Convention, would that have pre-
vented the breaking out Of civil war;
A. think IL would; for the reason that, although the
Democracy, which never meant 20 be satisfied with
anything but dcsparng Of being able 70 carry the
ordinance would have voted for the ad ournment, while
the Union men, who wanted peace would also have
voted for adjournment |
The testimony Ia relation 10 this interesting historical
episode is confined 20 the three witnesses Messrs.
Lewis Baldwin and Bolts IL Is quite yolnminous 0ut
the foregoing extracts contain the pith and marrow
oft.