The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-23


It.cred on the 18TH OF January, which, of
course, was after Mr.. 3lnir's first visit
10 Richmond, and, as circumstances
otter cases" the relative position OF
the armies was very different after
the surrender OF these forts.
'rhe port OF Wilmington was COM
plctely closed by blockade, and, with
out doubt, the surrender OF Fort Fisher.
was the greatest disaster that had be-
fallen the South. it was through this
port that the Confederncy had been
able to carry on limited commerce
with, the outside world, and practically
all the cotton that tho South had been
able to export had been sent from the
port of Wilmington. 1t is true that
Fort Sumter had not surrendered at
this time, and 1t was the only sea-
bcard fort that had not surrendered ut
the time Fort Fisher surrendered. but
the port OF Charleston, from the ma
tire OF the blockade, had been prac-
t!cally useless for trading purposes.
With the surrender Of Fort Fisher
the Weldon railroad was cut In two.
II was over this road that General
Lees army depended for subsistence.
and the loss OF this railroad imperiled
the right wing OF General Lees army
to such an extent that his position at
and below Petersburg was no longer
n tenabJe one.
In this short while, so great was
the change of circumstances, and SO
well was Mr.. Lincoln convinced of
General Lees indefensible position.
and of tho ultimate fall of the Con-
federacy, that the Southern commits
sioners were detained two days at
General Grants headquarters before
Mr. Lincoln could be induced to meet
them. and then he only consented to
personal appeal through the Secre
tary of War. (See correspondence
1t Was G%,,crnl Grants Work.
Mr. Stephe $ emphatically states
that it was through General Grant that
Mr. Lincoln was induced to come to
Hampton Roads, and the writer desires
to state that in this Hampton Roads
affair General Ulysses S. Grant mans
tested q sincerity of character and n
magnanimity OF spirit rarely met with
under similar conditions in tho his
tory OF the world.
Mr.. Seward hpG gone ahead two
days In advance Of Mr.. Lincoln to For
.tress Monroe
In the correspondence referred to-,
Mr.. Lincoln, in a note to Mr.. Blair
when starting on his second visit to
Richmond uses the following Ian
guage:
"sir,--You having shown me Mr..
Davss letter to you OF the 10Th inst,
you may say to him that have con-
stantly been. am now, and shall con-
tinue. ready to receive any agent
whom lie or any other influential per-
son now resisting the national author.
ity may informally send me with a
view Of securing peace to the people
of our common country"
In this declaration Mr.. Lincoln was
gravely mistaken. because the first
week OF July, 1853. Mr.. Stephens. the
Vice-Presldent of the Confederacy.
was duly accredited as a peace COM
| missioner to go to Washington. He
got as far as Fort Monroe. when lie
received fiat denial from Washing
ton, without any explanation. that he
could proceed no further (see
Stephens's History Of the War be-
tween the State" page 566), and re-
turned to Richmond after detention
of two days at Fort Monroe, without
receiving any explanation whatever,
or being allowed to hold any commu-
nication with the Washington authort-
ties.
On the Open Sea.
!
conference Is unique in the fact that it
is one of the few Zines in the history
| of this world When the accredited
agents of two great belligerent land
powers met in vessel on the open
sea to discuss peace measures. But
| such was the case. This peace con-
ference did occur In the Roads, some
distance off from Fortress Monroe in
an anchored vessel hence the name
| Hampton Roads Conference"
i Mr.. Stephens's description of the con-
ference would seem complete from
every standpoint: their arrival at the
front, where, under a flag of truce, they
met Colonel Babcock, General Grants
chief OF staff: their first meeting with
General Grant; the cordially with
which General Grant received them
and how very kind he was in supply.
Ing their wants during the two days
they were detained at his headquar.
ters; and, although nothing was epoker
about their mission, how anxious Gene.
raj Grant was for the restoration OF
peace; and when the telegram was re.
ceived from Mr.. Lincoln. stating thai
he was coming, how General Gran
brought the telegram in person. Will
such evident delight; and. when TIL.
, commissioners returned to City Poin
General Grants headquarters), how
disappointed General Grant was tina
INVITING iluu peeIl accomplished at TIT
, conferences; and how this reference t,
General Grant by Mr.. Stephens, takel
In connection with the kind Of not
that General Grant few weeks after
, addressed to General Lee,S when nego
tiations were first opened for the sur
render Of General Lees army, mus
ever stand monument to the mag
Grant.
MIR. Lincoln's Stand.
: Mr.. Lincoln emphatically state
: time and again that he would no
treat with any one while In open re
!, bellion against the government, an
/. that the only way was "by disbandin
= the Confederate armies and permttin
: the national authorities to resum
: their functions; or. as he had put
: in his last message to Congress, a fe,
! weeks before, in stating a single cor
: dition Of peace mean simply to sa
that the war will cease on the pa,
: of the government whenever 1t sha
have ceased on the part of those VIII
began It,"
The dtsbanding Of the armies wa
!, the only condition on which Mr.. Liz
= coin would agree to an armistice
:, The writer challenges any ma
!. North or South, to take this twent.
u.