The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-04-23

gentlemen for whom Mr. DAVIS sent ane
for whom MI. Blair inquired, Mr.. Davis
said that he had ne pfopQsition tC
make, Mr.. Blair then propcaed that
General Lee,s army be marched intc
Mexico against the French; that Gener.
al Grant would follow and support the
movement: that the united armies
wonld drive out Maximilian; and then
the Southern States should name theiI
own terms OF reconsfructlon
everything short of Independence being
guaranteed. At Mr.. Davis request, this
proposition was made in writing and
after some consultation and reflection
,,ds sianed and accepted By him. Mr.
Blair returned to Washington and Mr..
Lincoln was highly delighted with the
success of the negotiation. Itvas In the
hope of consummating this arrangement
that Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Seward met
the "peace commissioners" Hons. Ste-
phens, Hunter and Campbell, at Fortress
Monroe; but there, much to Mr.. Lincoln's
chagrin, the committee declared that
they had been instructed by Mr.. DAVIS
to insist upon the Independence of the
South and would listen to no other
proposal. And thus the whole affair
came to a "most lame and impotent
conclusion"
Such is the substance of the account
related to Governor McMullin by Mr.
Blair. Mr.. McMullin says that he asked
and obtained Mr.. Blair's permission to
make the statement public, but he had
refrained from giving it publicity pend.
no-ioI frial faarsnty Iaot If
might, in some way, prejudice his case.
DISTINGUISHED CoNFEDERATEs.
have had the pleasure of meeting
several distinguished Southern leaders,
at various points, during my present
visit to Southwest Virginia. l saw
General Jubal A. Early in Lynchburg.
He is slender man, about five feet ten
inches in height, and is slightly stopped
in figure. His complexion is dark, and
his hair and beard iron gray. His old
acquaintances say that he is looking
much better than usual, and as he ap-
pears upon the streets he is everywhere
greeted with deep and genuine respect.
l have, several times, seen General Ma
hone, of Norfolk. He is a small, wiry
man, of nervous temperament, and
has, bound up in his diminutiye
frame, more energy and rim than
falls to the lot of half
q dozen ordinary men. He was des-
perate fighter during the war, and is
now one of the most prominent and
powerful railroad men in the country.
He is President of four railroads and
gives his active personal superintend-
ence to the affairs of each. General
of Pulaski, who commanded
the famous "Stonewall Brigade" Gen
eral Terry, of Bedford, who commanded
Early's Brigade, and General Terry, of
Wythe, who bore an equally prominent
part in the great struggle, are among
the most pleasant acquaintauces it has
ever been my good fortune to meet.
WHAT THE PEOPLE wANT-THE COMING
ELECTION.
The people down here are disposed to
reconstruct" as rapidly as Congress
will let th0m. They are law-abiding
and orderly and will be content if per-
mitted to pursue the even tenor of their
way, cultivating their fields, raising
fine tobacco and fat cattle, and vigor-
ously letting politics alone. But they
do want to feel safe in their persons and
secure in their possessions, and safe
ty and security are not to be OBJ
tained in the method now being
tried by Congress. The proba-
bilities now are that what is
called the walker ticket" will be sue
,Cssful at the ensuing election. 1t rep
4 IL II I
the negroes being one extreme, and the
the other. The most
odious features of the Underwood Con-
stitution, the disfranchisement clause
&C., will certainly be stricken out and
the amended Constitution ratified. The
whole canvass seems to tHrn upon the
question whether the people of Virginia
will accept half a loaf in preference to
having no bread, and upon this the vote
is to be had. Yours, &c.