The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-05-13

to select Mr.. Stephens as the head of
the Commission, if the appointments
rested with himself; that he would
appoint associates agreeable to Mr.
Stephens, and not trammel the Com
mission with instructions:
|. You ask q grct deal, SAID Mr.. Davis,
smiling. Appoint an enemy Of the
Administration at the head Of COM
mission to make peace with the
enemy, allow him to choose his own
colleagues, and then give them dis
crctionary powers! l said [ was
aware l was asking great deal, and
my requests were only suggestions to
be weighed by him-that the disease
we were seeking to care WAS great
and growing, and needed q bold remc-
dy, aud | believed there WAS no way
to cure. and stop the decentralization
caused by this negotiation clamor,
but by making the ncgotiation doc
tors fake their own medicines. mixed
to suit themselves and that Mr.. Ste
phcns was undcr pledge, if the COM
mission failed. to unite with US to
rally the people to arms, and make a
harmonious fight for independence.
AIR. Davis said he had eEtiro conf
dcnce in Jndge Campell, Senator Gra
ham, and all the gentlemen named,
but he would prefer TO have one
"Straight jacket" on the commission.
There was 20 better or truer man
than Mr.. Hunter, and there was no
good reason why Mr.. Stephens should
object to Mr.. Hunter. Iagrccd that
the objection TO Mr.. Hunter was not
reasonable. lie was President pro
tenn of the Senate, but the Senate
conld easily remedy this. l did not
believe q better man, every way,
could be selected, and there was cor
tainly no good reason why he should
not be one of the number.
Then followed the two visits Of Mr..
Blair to Richmond, who, though he
di<claimcd any authority to bind Mr.
Lincoln or the United States Govern
meut, made such statements asJustl-
fed the hope of obtaining peace on
honorable terms. Az tins critical
juncture, and most iuopportuncly,
came tho proclamation of Governor
Brown convcning the Legislature,
and the announcement of great de-
moralization in Georgia, to render
futile all efforts at negotiation A
peace commission, consisting Of
Messrs. Stephens, Campbell and Hun
ter, were appointed, but from the
first it was apparent that they could
accomplish nothing. They were not
allowed TO 60 to Washington, but
stopped at Hampton Roads, and saw
only Mr.. Lincoln and Nr. Seward.
\ sudden change seemed to come
over the spirit of the enemy, doubt
less i'll a large measure owing to the
State action in Georgia, lead
ing to divisions, desertions and disin-
tegration generally.
Mr.. Hill concludcd:
l have recently learned tlrat Gov
crncr Brown never received the letter
which Mr.. Stephens promised the
Georgia delegation he would write,
and that if he had received il he
would have respected the wishes Of
the delegation and not have convened
the Legislature. Great anxiety was
felt in Richmond, and especially with
the Georgians,. .as to the course Mr..
Stephens would pursue on his return,
if the commission failed. Ills pledge
was in the resolutions which the dele
cation had agreed to, drawn by hlm-
self. / was not in Richmond when
he returned. l an Informed he was
10 by Georgians, in and out
Of the delegation, to join hr. Davis
ut the African church in an effort to
rally tho people and fire.the Southern
heart anew. [ believe he declined
to do so and camo homo. The i'm
portant facts of the Confederate Civil
Government, and the reasons for
them, transpired in the secret couu-,
cils of the President and Cabinet
and in tho secret .scssions.of the Con-
sress. Those who banishcd them
selves from both during tho most
periods of the struggle are
not fit to write Confederate history.
The malcontents arc not the men to
pass judgment upon the faithful.
The facts as they occurred, and by
hose who know them, will be writ
en-, and when written the true will
DC vindicated, and the .faithlcss will
be made ashamed.