“So we’re proposing to get them out of all the Free States except California,” said Stevens. “I don’t like giving up California, but the ports further up the Oregon Coast are just as good and are less distant from Chicago. And we may continue using the Mississippi River to get our trade to New Orleans? That would be acceptable to me. If the Confederates concur with the proposal, I think it should be accepted.” The rest of the Cabinet affirmed their agreement.
“Is there any other topic for summary discussion today?” asked Lincoln.
“Not for me,” said Stevens. “I am satisfied that every item has had an adequate summary discussion. I’ll be here tomorrow for the discussion of the currency and taxes.”
With that the meeting broke up. Mr. Lincoln felt drained by the discussion. “I am getting old too,” he said to Hay. “My mind does not work as fast as it used to. I could use a dozen more of you young whipper snappers helping me to sort these things out.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Mr. President,” responded Hay cheerfully. “You steered the discussion so as to reach agreement on our obtaining a secure railroad through the Canadas, a national currency to replace the gold and silver specie that has gone out of circulation, and an agreement to seek peace with the Confederates. That is a sufficient amount of business for anybody to conclude in one day.”
7
New York City, August 22, 1861
Horace Greeley’s Peace Proposal
“Come in, Mr. President!” exclaimed New York Tribune Editor Horace Greeley in warm greeting to Jefferson Davis. “Thank you so much for giving me a fair hearing.”
“The pleasure is mine,” replied Davis. “I need all the friends I can get in the press, especially among you Damn Yankee Abolitionists!”
Greeley threw back his head laughing. “Yes, I know. I do read the Southern papers. Those States Rights men are raising a hue and cry, aren’t they? They’re not at all pleased about your sending recruiting officers and commissary agents into their states to obtain men and supplies for your National Army.”
Davis sat down with Greeley and took off his derby hat. “It’s all about political favors so far as they’re concerned. They think the men and supplies should be raised exclusively by the governors and state legislatures. One can only imagine how much money would be changing hands under the table to obtain procurement contracts and officer appointments. This is a national war that will be administered from Washington City. I’ve made it clear there will be no corruption in procurement and appointments. That hasn’t set well with some people in the state capitals.”
Greeley held up the latest copy of the Charleston Mercury. “Have you read Rhett’s latest editorial?”
Davis shook his head. “I don’t have time to read that tripe anymore.”
Greeley read it anyway. “Rhett says: ‘We’re supposed to be acquiring Mexico and getting rid of Yankeeland. The Damnyankees have done us the favor of leaving on their own volition. Forcing them to stay in our house makes about as much sense as demanding that uninvited guests sleep over after the soiree has finished.’ ”
Greeley laughed again. “They can’t make up their minds whether they want you to conquer us ‘Nigger-Loving Abolitionists’ and force us back into your Confederate Union or whether they want you to barricade the doors and make sure that we’ll never again be able to set foot in the South!”
Davis frowned. “Newspaper editors are never happy!” He looked at Greeley. “Tell the truth, I have gotten fairer press from you than from the Southern Fire Eaters. Never thought I’d receive fairer treatment from a Republican editor than my supposed friends at the South, but you have given it to me, and I appreciate it.”
“You deserve it,” replied Greeley. “You’ve always been honest about saying what’s on your mind, even when you’ve known that it would offend some of your constituencies. Your integrity in preserving the National Union against the Dis-Unionists North and South has made you popular here, even among my Republican readers. Even if they do not favor your course of recovering the Free States by force, they respect you as their President.”
Greeley could hardly believe that he was warming to Jefferson Davis, a product of the slave owning aristocracy he disdained. But how could one not like Jefferson Davis when conversing with him in person?
Davis is stubborn in believing that slavery is the most beneficial relationship between Whites and Negroes. But he is an ardent Unionist who has courageously staked his reputation on making common cause with Stephen Douglas in suppressing the Southern Secessionists. If Davis had not united his fortunes with Douglas, then Bill Yancey’s band would have destroyed the Union from the other side. Davis is a humble man who campaigns only for what he thinks best for preserving the unity of the country. He is honest and speaks the plain truth of what he thinks. He does not revel in complicated schemes like the late Stephen Douglas.
Greeley motioned for Davis to enjoy the minted tea and salted crackers that he had set out on the table.
“Mr. President, I want to ask you to carefully consider whether prosecuting this war to recover the Free States by force is truly in the interests of the Confederate Union. I have a proposal for peace that I will print in The Tribune next Saturday. Mr. Lincoln’s government has already accepted it in principle. Mr. Lincoln’s representative Edward Baker is here. He is ready to meet with you and to sign a letter of intent that his government will accept the proposal.”
“I see,” said Davis. “What are the proposed terms?”
Greeley got up and brought a map from his desk and spread it on the table for Davis to study.
“The Confederate Union will recognize the independence of the United States of Free America. You will cede them the territory you hold in Metropolitan New York and in Indiana and Illinois and the small strip of territory in northwestern Virginia between Pennsylvania and Ohio. In return you will receive title to all territories in the Southwest including all of California.”
Greeley continued while Davis studied the map. “You would be giving up about 50,000 square miles of Free State territory you hold in the settled portions of the country east of the Mississippi River in order to receive 350,000 square miles of land in the Far West that is suitable to the introduction of slavery. And rich in gold and silver I might add. Giving up one square mile of land that is not suited for slavery in return for seven that are seems a fair trade to me.”
Davis frowned. “As President I am sworn to uphold the Constitution for the entire Confederate Union. The people voted by a majority of 63 % to elect Douglas and myself to represent them. That is very close to being the two-thirds majority that in Congress is considered to be sufficient to override a Presidential veto. I cannot allow on principle 37 % of the people to overturn the decision of the majority. The majority is sovereign over every inch of the national territory.”
“But the votes are concentrated in the northern section of the country,” Greeley argued. “The people in that section feel strongly enough to take up arms to leave.”
“Not all of the Northern people voted Republican!” exclaimed Davis. “We won the electoral votes of Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey and Oregon, all of which you propose should join the United States of Free America. On what basis do you want us to abandon states whose majorities favor us? The so-called United States of Free America don’t even have a legitimate elected government. They have a Provisional President that they change at the drop of a hat. They have a Provisional Congress, which is merely the rump of the Republicans they sent to the old United States Congress. They’ve entirely disfranchised the Democrats. They’re a pirate state, not a Constitutional republic.”