Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-04-06
IMPORTANT HISTORICAL REMINIs,

LhFOAEANE hASEDHktAL AEMANLS'
CENCE.
From the New York Herald, March q.
Mr.. John Minor Bolts gave his version
I Of the interview, as it was related to him
by Mr.. Lincoln. be says that on sun
day afternoon, April Z, 1851, being then
in Washington, be received a note from
/ Mr. Lincoln, saying that he would be
glad TO see him during the evening, and
I that he went the same evening to the
! White House and remained in conversa-
( ton with Mr.. Lincoln from o'clock un-
! Ill II O'Clock, during which time Mr..
Lincoln related the particulars of the
visit Of Mr.. Baldwin substantially as
/ follows:
"Oh, Mr.. Baldwin, - said Mr.. Lincoln,
| "why did you not come sooner2 / have
! been waiting and expecting some of YOU
/ gentlemen of the convention to come to
! me for more than a week past. I had a
! most important proposition TO make to
/ you, and ana afraid you have came too
/ late. However, ] wiz make the pr0po-
1 sitiOn now. We have in Fort Sumter,
/ with Mai, Anderson, about 50 men, and
! ! learn from Maj. Anderson that his pro-
/ visions are nearly exhausted. I have
/ not only written to Gov. Picsens, but
1 have sent a special messenger to him, TO
say that if he will allow Mai Anderson
| to obtain his marketing at the Charleston
market, or viii have it sent tOhim, / will
/ make no effort 10 provision the fort; but
I that if he does not do that ] viii not per-
NIT these people 10 starve, and shall send
a vessel laden with bread, and that If he
/ fires ON that vessel he win FIRE upon an
unarmed vessel But shall, atthe same
/ time, send fleet along with her, with
1 instructions not to enter the harbor Of
/ Charleston unless that vessel is fired into;
and, if she is, then the fleet is to enter
/ the harbOr and protect her. Now, Mr..
Baldwin that fleet IS lying ia the harbor
I of New York, ana viii sail this afternoon
Z at o'clock; and, although I fear it is
/ almost too late, yet | viii submit the
/ proposition which l intended when I sent
4 for Mr. Summers. Your convention in
I Richmond has been sitting nearly two
months, and all that they have done
i has been 10 shake the rod over my
/ head. 1Ou have recently taken a vote
/ in the Virginia Convention, on the right
/ of secession, which was rejected by 80 to
45-a majority of wo-thirds-shOwing
the strength Of the Union party in that
Convention. If you viii 90 back to Rich
mond and get that Union majority to adj
loFn and go home without passing the
ordinance Of secession, so anxious am
for the preservation Of the peace Of this
country, and 70 save Virginia and the
other border States from going ont, that
| VIII take the responsibility Of evacuat-
ing Fort sumter and take the chance Of
Negotiating with the cotton States which
have already gone out. y
Well, Mr.. Lincoln, p inquired Mr.
/ Bolts, " how did Nh. Baldwin receive
that proposition 20
"Sir" said Mr.. Lincoln. raising his
hands, he wodld not listen 10 ID for a
moment; he hardly treated me with civ
ilty. He asked me what / meant bg an
adjournment did I mean an adjourn
ment sine die why, Of course, Mr..
BALDWIN, said |, 1 mean an adjourn
ment sine die. / do not mean to assume
such responsibility as thatof surrender
ing that fort to the people Of Charleston
upon your adjournment and then for
you to return in week or ten davs and
pass your ordinance Of secession after 1
have given Up the fort F."
Mr.. Bolts was very much incensed. as
he saws, that Mr.. Baldwin should have
rejected the proposition. and asked Nr
Lincoln 10 authorize him 10 make II to
the Union men Of the Convention. assyr-
ing hiIn that they would adopt il Will
lngiY ana cneertully. To which Mr.
Lincoln replied oh it is TOO late:
the feet has sailed, and ] have no means
Of communicating with it.n
Mr. Bolts then asked permission To
mention The circumstance for Mr.. Linz
coins own benefit; but Mr.. Lincoln said
" v Ell, not Just NOW, BogEsi aiteF awhile
you may
1lI Botts' inference was that Mr. Linz
coin was assuIDinga a responsibility which /
would at that day have been extremely
distastefol 10 those who had elevated hina
b the Presidency, but he thought ii due
now to history and 10 the character Of
Mr. Lincoln to make it known.
Mr.. Bolts was here asked.
q. Are yeu perfectly sure, aeeordineto
your best recollection, that Mr.. lin.
coin told you tbat he had made thar
proposition % ALr. Baldwin to evacuate
Fort Sumpterg
a. know il as well as I know YOU are
standing before me and that ! am am
swering your question.
Mr.. Bots relates that some weeks az
tsrwar,ls he retarRed 10 Richmond, and (
mentioned one evening TO Mr.. John X. I
lewis. a Union member Of the C0nven- /
ton, the conversation he had had with |