The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-06-26

W LnpcacH TIC tTWtH Vi my 5tattIioho w
the testimony of witness who does not
profess to have ever heard it.
have not lived in corner for the last
| five years, and Mr.. Bolts well knows that
when it suited his purposes to seek me, he
had no trouble in finding me. That there
was nothing in our relations to prevent
/ him from communicating with me, is ma
nifest from the fact that when he was ar
rested by the Confederate authorities in
! 1862, he selected me as counsel for his
defence.
| The position had taken in the Confc-
deratc Congress in opposition to martial
! law and the suspension Of the ha'enS cor
p,s, rendered it proper, in my opinion,
that should decline acting as his counsel.
Upon learning my reasons, Mr.. Bolts and
his family approved my refusal; and the
| unprofcssional service which was enabled
to render was accepted and acknowledged
/ as equally satisfactory, and possibly more
efficient.
If what passed between us in this con-
ncction has been forgotten by Mr.. Bolts, |
certainly have no disposition to remind nm
of it: but must admit that il was brought
freshly tony mind when heard, pending
my application for pardon, that Mr.. Bolts
had declared, in Washington and else
where, that "if the President knew me as
well as he did, he would not pardon me at
all, as | was more responsible than any
other man for all the blood that had peeh
she'd in the war;"
certainly denounced this statement
and its author in terms which, If accu-
rately reported to Mr.. Bolts, would natu-
rallv have impressed him with the belief
that was very much excited
JONI B. BALDWIN.
The above is the whole Of Mr.. Baldwn's
statement as it appears in the pamphlet
| which he has Just issued. The pamphlet
also contains the evidence given before the
Reconstruction Committee by himself and
Mr.. Bolts, which we published some time
ago. II also contains letters from num-
Der of gentlemen and statement by Mr..
Nagruder. who came TO Richmond in 1861,
to bear a request from Mr.. Seward that
| Mr.. Summers or some political friend OF
his should visit Washington to have an in
teryiew with Mr.. Lincoln. Mr.. B. was the
person whom Mr.. Summers prevailed upon
TO- 90. We give the most important por
ton of these letters and of Mr.. Ms state
ment.
Colonel Baldwin, who had gone to the
interview full of hope and confidence as to
! its results, was obviously much depressed
and disappointed by the untayorable turn
of affairs. He expressed TO me his fears
! for the countryside that the President
reserve, after having invited him To an IN
terview and sent special messenger 10
him. convinced him that he had changed
| his mind, and that he refused 10 make any
explanation Of his remark, oit-repcatcd-
:" Fan came loo Mt." remember his say
inc that he told the President, if he only
had his power. he would save the country
from the vawning gulf before it. The Pre-
sidcnt asked what ne would do. He re-
ulicd. he would Withdraw the troops from
/ Fort Sumter. and issue a proclamation to
the American pcoplc, declaring his deter
mination not to inaugtratc civil war-that
he would not be the aSgrcssor, but would
/ throw himself on the sober second thouSn''
and the moderation anI wisdom OF the
people as opposed to the Po,d,c'at"-thatt
thus the border States Would be saved
! from the vortex Of diSunloIS ana al would
ultimately be brought BACK int" the
Union" To all this, Mr. Lincoln only re
piled. at is nor too iate." Mr.. Baldwin
! reminded him that ne had said on sending
for Mr.. Summers, that he mrA 1T get here
! by Frtday-that it was now ONLY Ih"HdnH
, and Mr.. Baldwin asked, "14o S4te tor
I rLat ," to which he received nj reply.
Hon. Henry ". Thomas sayS3
ain this conference, which wan free and
protracted, President Lincoln ne1lther SAID
nor minated anything inconsistent viii
/ the version you had prcyiouSlyy gNcn /"
the conversation between him al ut your
self. In this conference some allu>lol
being made To Fort Sumter, the PHc>lbch
indicated no purpose toevacuatc thl al or
hut my impression is that ii was RAJ, her /
! the contrary
+ Hon. G.. W. Summers says:
/ II am very certain that in your statd mel
| to lis YOU did not mention that the res
dent had proposed or suggested to y0uS I'd,
/ if the Convention would adjourn sinSR d
nc would withdraw the United 81 ttc
/ troops from Forts Sumter and Pickens
/ either of them, or anything cquiyalenH |
such Il proposition. That would have n at
too deep an impression 10 have been Tor
gotten by any of u.s."
Hon. John Janncy says: -
Il have no recollection of having be- 1rC
you say that any specific terms had be- r.
proposed by him, or that he would ofdN lei
: a.. .yaouafipu N Fort Sumter II tho WET.
ginia Convention would adjourn sine disH
Hon. \. ii. II. Stuart says: q
IL am certain heard from you no ntimae
ton of a proposition on the part of Mr.
Lincoln 10 withdraw the United StatesH
troops from Fort Sumter if the Convention
would adjourn. Some two or three Years
ago heard it reported that Mr.. Lincoli
had given 10 some other party i different
version of the interview, and had said he'll
had proposed to you 10 withdraw the 4
troops from Fort Sumter ifthe Conventiong
would adjourn sine die.' 4
Hon. Samuel Price says: II
Your narration Of the conversation bel :
tween Mr.. Lincoln and yourself was cirS
c;mStantial and minute. You seemed n
give the language of each, and sometimef ;
YOU described Mr.. LincohS manner ami
gestures but You did not say to me, NJ
to any one else whom heard speak of r.,
that Mr.. Lincoln proposed cvacuating F91rt
Sumter upon any terms. If any >uchthYng
was said have not the slightest rccollfcc
ton Of it,"
Robert Whitehead, Esq, says:
/" was struck with your report ofth ~ IN