Year: 1864

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Edmund kIzIrkc's Interview with


JeR Davis.


THE REBELs' TERMS OF PEACE.


Mr.. Gilmore Edmund Kirke), deliver
ed at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, a lecture,
in which he gives the following particu-
lars of his late visit to Richmond. His
remarks are thus reported by the PrOvi-
dence Press:


"I went to Richmond with the Rev.
Colonel Jaoues, and went in the hope of
making negotiations which might result
in peace. five should succeed, we thought
that the consciousness Ofhaving served our
country would pay our expenses. five
failed we might still serve the country
by letting the people of the North know
what was the reason of our failure; for
went with the propositions, on the basis
of which might have made an arrange
ment for peace with Mr.. Davis, and If we
were unsuccessful, it would be useful for
the country to know what propositions
were rejected. We went to Richmond In
an ambulance, and were three hours on
the wav after we entered the rebel lines.
We entered Richmond at 10 o'clock, and
planted our white flag in the very heart
of the rebel capital. AS we stopped
Judge Ould, the rebel commissioner OF eX-
change, directed Colonel Jaques to butt
ton up his overcoat, as it was dangerous
to be seen with blue uniform in the
streets of Richmond. We were taken
to a hotel and shown mp to No. co. a
shabby room with some fine furniture in
very bad order. We were provided with
supper, and directed how to apply for an
interview W ith the President. The next
morning we directed note to Secretary
BENJAMIN, asking an interview with the
President, and were invited to call upon
him, when we made an engagement to
meet the President that evening, which
was Sunday.


THE INTERVIEW.


'tOn meeting our engagement, we were
shown into the State Department, where
we saw Mr. Benjamin, a small, plump,
black-haired, black-eyed man, seated in
his usual place, and at his right pale
thin man, dressed in suit of darkish
grey, with mouth and chin expressive
of the the greatest determination. We
told him simply that we came without
official authority, but knowing the Opin-
ions of our government, to see on what
terms peace might be made. Mr.. Davis,
replied, quietly, withdraw your armies
from our territory, and peace will follow
of itself. We told him that the northern
people would never agree to any plan
which did not include the establishment
of the Union. Davis said that we never
could live in peace. The North had SOW
ed such q b bitterness between the two
sections, thatwe never could have peace in
this generation. I'VE then urged upon him
that it was his duty to use every effort to
put an end to this monstrous bloOdshed.
He acknowledged this, and declared that
none of the blOOdshed in this war could
he lay to his own charge. They, the
South, were not fighting for slavery; they
were fighting for Independence; land ins
dependence or determination they would
have. We then tried to show him that
the position of the rebel armies was such
that it was better for them to give up the
contest while they could do it with honor;
but he was unwilling to admit that his
armies were in such desperate position.
He laid the blame of the barbarity of this
war entirely upon the North, utterly ig-
noring the instances of rebel barbarity
we brought to his notice. then had a
considerable conversation with Davis, In
which l indirectly offered him the terms
which had been authorized to suggest;
but as he did not show any disposition to
NEE. me did not state them explicitly.


These terms will be given through the
newspapers in short time. They were,
in general, entire abolition, a general
amnesty, no confscatiOn, the debts of
South to be ignored, the debts of the
general government to be borne by al
the states. Davis declared that such
terms could never be accepted by the
southern people, and that rather than
submit to them Gthey would stake their
whole property and their national exist
ence." uH...