The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-13
THE PEACE COMMISSION OF 1866
LETTER FROM Ex-pREsIDENT DAVIS,
In Reply tn the Hen. n. N. r. Hunter.

| fJpG16bys
| sir-Ths article of the Hon. r. M. r. Hunter
| In regard to the Peace Commission Of 1865. pub
| 1ished In Philadelphia paper u few months
ago and rspublished in tho Southern Historical
| Papers Of April last, Is OF such q character as
seems TO me to require that correction should
be sent 10 your readers. and fled with IL In
Mr. Hunters position rs formerly a member
OF my Cabinet, afterwards ~ CJnfederate Sem
| ator. and one of those SOLICITED by me as 4 COM
| missioner to whom tire interests ha1 the honor
| Of our country and OF its a1minisration might
be entrusted. constitute this an exceptional ease
which seems to call for u departure from the
rule to which have heretofore ndbsred; that
| is. to Leave all atthcks upon myself in connee-
ton with the government Of the Confederaey To
be answered 6s time or by other persons.
4 further and not less powerful reason for
| fact that this articls hos been republished in
| The papers Of the Southern Historical Society.
Worthy d data af9r for the use Dp Of the future is
| who may treat Of our cause and the manner In
which 1t Was maintained.
The article opens with o statement Of the DE-
ninishsd hopes Of CERTAIN persons at the ge-
Rod indicated, and Of the effect produced by th.
assoeatss Of V the meBss @ reoaress of The , gov W.
ernment Of The United States, and Of the de-
struetve spirit which further resistance by the
may be- u fair, exponent of the despondence he
I, describes, and was influenced by the threaten
|? does no doyw hat Ra r2nn n sss
spects he. was q fair representative of the
prevalent feelings oil the country. and. least OF
NJ be q ths lis as i mag be proceeds to ascrbe to
President. Dayilgy and his friends. Under tho
that Re f was eRpedan sde to ssh 9 y
pacific incinations "trhe talk about peace
be be states became SO earnest and freanent in
the capital OF the Cgnfederaey. and the indiea-
tions of q desire for 1t among many members Of
the Cpnfederacy became so plain and obvious
fee feel that It was % espedeat @ f that f he conisd rso
government should show some desire for peace
on fur terms. 10 show no sense OF responsi..
biliLy for the terrible conflict then wag ng, aud
no desire for peace on any terms would lnjure
the Confederate government in the eyes OF ita
Drawing perhaps, as men frequently do, upon
his own consciousness an index of the gem
eral feelings he aserbes to the many" alarm
ment OF law for which 1t will be ,remen,bered
Mr., Hunter s opposition was q chief obstaeIeI:
the land in representing them MS finching from
the prospect Of having their boys Of sixteen "0r
under" exposed to tn. horrors and hardshipsof
military service. He proceeds accordingly.
the President in January. 1865. determed to
appoint three commissioners and proposed
conference between them and others to be ap-
pointed by the United slates government. on the
When Mr.. Hunter penned these statements
he must have known that the inaugural address
Of President Davis under the provisional gov
ernment, delivered four years prior TO the
desire for peace: that few days after his in
auguration he appointed commissioners to GO
to Washington with full authority to negotiate
for q peaceful and equitable settlement between
the two governments. that in many, if not in
all, of his messages to Congress there was
| any settlement that would be fair and honorable
p both parties; that hoping something from
5s fG'sRs sus Of bessa rressns E
S sr N.Y. negn cent to eb bGst bs.Dnne ~ n,sya Ms
the subject Of suffering. prisoners, it was ex-
pected that other. questions might be reached
Hunter knew It was the assurance brought BY
Mr.. Blair that o commission sent to discuss the
question Of establishing, amicable relations
United States that ledto the appointment Of q
commission !. q, Of wi which ,l Mt Hunter was mem-
ao 70 aIag Mg tb me a saea ii II org ID
as being proposition initiated by the FRESH
dent OF the Confederaey for conference. u is
Lincoln and seward at 6SId Point It was OK.
and d1 reesvys hy Ya IN through the
todide.a oeTJis-" TO proceed to Washington City
true-hearted Confederate. it might have
been thought reasonably instead Of seeking to
put his President in the attitude Of renewing
efforts for conference after previous rejectfons
without any Intervening overtures from the
other side indicating Il more coneiliatory spirit.
would the rather have made prominent the fact
that ie was the assurance OF one coming directly
from President Lincoln which led to the aD-
UOintTnenb At tDat Llf0e OF the lSS10D.
With regard to the instructions to The COM
missioners, Mr.. Hunter notices that they were
to treat on the basis Of two countries" thus
which, he says gave rise to difficulties; and he
adds: 1T was rumored that Mr.. BENJAMIN.
ofed n vain al 10 have t @
Hunter then believed all that he now asserts.
Why did he not frankly state his yiews to the
sion? Ii he wished to go for the purpose OF
promoting "reunion"-that is to say. to surren-
der the .onfederacy-he knew. or might easily
accord with those Of the President for bis en-
ployment in the confidential service to which he
The letter OF Mr.. BENJAMIN. hereunto sub
joined. with the, copies Of his original draft OF
instructions to the commissioners and the mod
ification made by the President gives n correct
statement Of the case and of the reasons for
which that modification was made. 1t shows
to have anything stricken out" az d that there
was no difference whatever between him and
the President in any except minor t1 Question
disappeared ON conference and comparison of
views, Nay. if Mr.. Hunter has, been correctly
reported. ne himself was at that time Of one
mind with the President and Secretary OF State
in regard TO this point. In a speech Of stirring
and patriotic tone. delivered by him 10 Rich
represented tthe quotations are from the report
given in the Annual CycloDadia for 1865" as
dignation: And now, after three years Of
waste and destruction. we have been lately i'm
formed by the President OF the United States
that there can BE- 40 peace except upon the con-
ditions Of laying down our arms and absolute
submission; to come in as rebels, )" ctr, etc.
And again. II anything more was wanting
to stir he blood. it was furnished when we were
told that the United States would not consent to
entertain any proposition coming from US
people; that government which makes treaties
with the meanest and weakest Of nations tells
u.s. a nation cf seven millions Of men, with arms
in their hands, that it cannot entertain any
proposition coming from rebels. Even upon
the theory that we were rebels, upon wi1as au-
thority could they refuse TO treat with us2
| There has been no civil war Of any magnitude
which has not been terminased by treating. It
would seem possible that Lincoln nigh have
| offered something to people with 10000 SOL
Tba trnth fa that tba ,haaf ~ the In
Structions to the Commissioners constituted no
embarrassment 10 them a. all Vice President
! aiCr. bic y aEQA n