Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-15
MIR. DAVIS AND PEACE
VAS he RioHrTo REFUSE fr'

sp se pr y. William Isaes on 'Ss o'he'
side.
70 fhs Editor Of The Dispatch:
| thank DIR. Jones for his kind prof.
CIR Of the inspection Of the statements
made by the commissioners, Messrs.
Hunter, Campbell, and stephens
since as l read them not only
when first Published but often
since, do not think II worm
While TO keep up that reading, and DC,
cause they were the official papers OF
che Government and necessarily re-
flecfed the sentiments Of those IN power
At the time, | have chosen rather 70
search those records the writers OF
which had no reason for bias, and were
therefore more reliable, being calm and
dispassionase reviewers. Beside this,
lam certain that +" twenty years of busy
life y mars not the memory Of great
minds. and for that reason preferred
to trust also TO the recollection Of those
gentlemen who knew the actual secret
mofires of the Administration, which
secrets. if divulged at the time, would
have been held as treason.
The question at issue is, Was Dit.
President Davis responsible for the fail
ure 10 negotiate terms Of surrender and
secure indemnity for the slaves aud
other property H the Confederates by
the commissioners which met in Hamp-
ton Roads in February, 1865?
/ advanced the Affirmative Of that
proposition, and to sustain my side
propose to give a brief review Of the
conference and Of the circumstances
that led 10 il.
II seems that in the winter Of 1865
Mr.. r. p. Blair obtained permission
from the Federals to visit Richmond,
with view OF bringing about cessa-
ton Of hostilities between the Federals
and Confederates. He came in the in
terest Of peace, and bore with him on
his last visit brief note from Mr..
Lincoln offering to hold an informal
conference with commissioners who
might be appointed on the Confederate
side, the basis Of the conference to be
the reiinion Of :" our common country"
Mr.. Davis at an early day appointed
the southern commissioners, but in
doing so formally directed them. in
writing, to negotiate on no other terms
than the independence Of the Coufede-
racy, and consequently the dissolution
Of the Union of the United States of
America. here give his instructions
to the commissioners
"RICHMOND, January %, 1865.
ain conformity with the letter of Mr..
Lincoln, Of which the foregoing is a
copy. you are to proceed to Washing
ton city for informal conference with
him upon the issues involved in the ex-
listing war, and for the purpose of Sc
curing peace to the two countries.
"With great respect,
"Your obedient servant,
"JEFsERsoN DAVIS
The instructions TO the southern
commissioners were such that the
basis Of the conference las will be seem
was sought to be changed, and they
were completely hampered from the
commencement to the close of the con-
ference; for we are told in the history
of the affair that when they reached
City Point they were distinctly in
formed that they could be received on
no other terms save for the purpose Of
negotiating on the basis contained in
Mr.. Lincoln's note. They remained in
Petersburg some time, and were re-
ceiyed at last upon their agreeing to
abide the result. When at last they
reached Hampton Roads and met Mr..
Lincoln and Mr.. Seward on board the
steamer River Queen, they found
themselves, oving to their IN
struetion, in the condition Of "the
poor boy at the frolic; they had
nothing tangible TO say" They, how
ever, trammelled as they were, did the
best they could-talked of the pre-
seryation Of the Monroe doctrine; ma
n@uvIed to obtain an armistice; spoke
military convention, &C., &c. Their
main effort was directed toward gaining
time by an armistice, proposition that
Messrs. Lincoln and Seward were too
wise to entertain, for they well knew
the condition Of the southern people
and army, and Of the temper of Mr..
Davis and his confreres, and to agree
TO an armistice was simply to give the
Confederates time TO reeuperate and
bring up the strength of their armies by
any means in their power. fair or foul.
Now, as to the Federal side, have read
several accounts Of it, both northern
and southern; those written at the
time and those written long since. l
read them before the war closed and
since it closed, and / do not remember
TO have seen in any of them anything that
was unpleasant, much less insulting, and
/ do not believe that any such thing was
ever introduced, or that the most at
tentiye student can find in any of the
accounts any such expression as
"rebel or rebellion" These words,
1t feems, were fitted for the southern
ear, by southern politicians, to fire the
southern heart, which, if DR.. Jones's
account be correct, was already too hot
and belligerent.
Those engaged in the conference on
both sides were gentlemen of culture,
refinement, and honor, and knew full
well the courtesies Of the occasion, and
obstrred them. Audit is not uncharita-
bic to say that all Of the explosives that
were (by the speakers at the African
church and elsewhere) attributed to
Lincoln and others were simply gotten
up under the excitement Of the mo-
ment as "war measures"
We read in Mr.. Stephens's aecount
page 1907 Stephens's History United
Ststes) that when Judge Campbell
renewed his inquiry as 10 how restora-
ton was TO take place, surprising
that the Confederate States were cen-
sentipg 70 it, that Mr., Seward said 10
fepiy: I'm stating a simple cOndi
ZION Of peace, ] mean simciyy to Gay
that the war will cease on the part o
the Government whenever II shall have
ceased on the part Of those who begar
H."
When DIR. Stephens asked Mr.. Lin