The Portland daily press., 1896-10-28

Gen. Lee received few hours ago flom
Gen. Mcclellan, and to get your opinion
upon it, Toombs read the letter, and
then said, "There is something of the
highest consequence behind that letter. My
opinion is that Gen. Lee ought to see Gen.
Mcclellan so that he may know what pur-
pose Mcclellan had in mind when writing
it." And Longsreet said in response. 'sThat,
too, is my opinion. Gen. Lee asked my ad-
wise, and wasn't ready to give it, but
now that find that your opinion and mine
are the same, shall say so to Gen. Lee"
He mounted his horse Immediately and
rode to Gen. Lees headquarters and he
told Lee that he had taken the liberty of
showing the letter to Toombs, and had
found that Toombs and he were of the same
opinion, which was that Gen. Lee ought to
grant McClellan's request.
Gen. Lee said: 81, too, have been think
ing this matter over, and l have come to
an opinion. reason in this way: Gen.
Mcclellan cannot want to see me in relation
to an exchange of prisoners or any kindred
subject There is perfect understanding
about those things. At all events he
would have so suggested in his letter. II
he wants to see me about the conduct of
the war he proposes a discussion which
neither he nor have any right to enter
upon with one another. If he wants to see
me with regard to any settlement of this
strife he is assuming authority for himself
and for me which we do not possess. Those
subjects are exclusively for the administra-
ton at Richmond and the administration at
Washington. will n OF see him."
aeofo b.
tain the letter, and Gen. Lee consented to
that. The retreat rolled miles away until
Gen. Lees army was safely intrenched upon
the south bank of the Rappahanock.
This extrao rdinary proposition from Nc
Clellan is not referred to in McClellan's me-
moirs, nor in Gen. Lees book. Longstreet
intended to refer to it in his memoirs, but
while writing that book, his house was de-
stroyed by fire and many of his most valu-
able memoranda We're lost, including this
letter. Therefore Longstreet does not refer
to it in his personal history. But he has
told the story to his friends, among whom
Was the prelate who related it in this city
the other evening.
Longstreet has his own idea of what
Mcclellan had in mind, and he was satisfied
That Gen. Lee was OF MS opinion. Inc Dat
tie of Antietam had been fought, and Lee
had been driven south of the Potomac. 1t
was Union victory by reason of Lees re-
pulse, but it was not a full victory, because
Mcclellan had permitted Lee to escape him.
The impression which Gen. Lee had was
that Mcclellan proposed to suggest a sus-
pension of hostilites, and possibly to treat
with Lee for the closing of the war. the only
terms that Mcclellan would ask being the
restoration of the Union. If the negotiations
were disapproved by Mr.. Lincoln's admin
istration then Mcclellan expected to go to
the people with the plea that he had made
honorable propositions for ending the war
upon the simple basis of the restoration of
the Union, and that he had been prevented
from concentrating those plans by Mt. Lin
coin and his Cabinet, position which he
thought would make him inevitably pow
erful candidate for the succession to the
Presidency. That may not havs been Nc
C1ellan's purpose, but it was both Gen. Lees
and Gen. Longstreet's impression that it
was what he had in mind when he sought
this private conference wit the general of
the Southern army.