THE LINCOLN-STEPHENS NEGOTIATION. VERMONT-Baxter, Morrill, Woodbridge. Clark, Davis, Frank, Ganson, Griswold, Her- PENNSYLVANIA-Baily, Broomall, Cof- MARYLAND-Cresswell, Henry Winter Yeaman. Onto-Ashley, Eckley, Garfield, Hutchins, Schenck, Spaulding. INDIANA-Colfax, Dumont, Julian, Orth. Norton, E. B. Washburne. MISSOURI-Blow, Boyd, King, Knox, Loan, McClurg, J. S. Rollins. 675 [By the subsequent ratification of more than two-thirds of the States, this Amendment has become a part of the Federal Constitution.] Several informal attempts at opening negotiations for the termination of hostilities were made in the course of this Winter-Hon. Francis P. Blair, of Maryland, visiting Richmond twice on the subject, with the consent, though not by the request, of President Lincoln. At length, upon their direct application, Messrs. Alex. H. Stephens, John A. Campbell, and Robert M. T. Hunter, were permitted to pass Gen. Grant's lines Fortress Monroe; where they were before Petersburg, and proceed to met by Gov. Seward, followed by President Lincoln;" and a free, full conference was had: but it resulted in nothing. The Confederate Commissioners were not authorized to concede the reunion of the States; PresiShannon.dent Lincoln would treat on no other basis; so the parties separated as they met: and a great meeting was held“ at Richmond on the return of those Commissioners, which was addressed by Gov. William Smith, of Virginia, MICHIGAN A. C. Baldwin, Beaman, Driggs, F. W. Kellogg, Longyear, Upson. Iowa-Allison, Grinnell, A. W. Hubbard, Kasson, Price, Wilson. WISCONSIN Wheeler. Cobb, McIndoe, Sloan, MINNESOTA-Donnelly, Windom. OREGON-McBride. NEVADA-Worthington. CALIFORNIA-Cole, Higby, Total, 119. NAYS-[All Democrats.] MAINE-Sweat. NEW YORK-Brooks, Chanler, Kalbfleisch, Kernan, Pruyn, Townsend, Ward, Winfield, Ben. Wood, Fernando Wood. NEW JERSEY-Perry, W. G. Steele. nison, P. Johnson, W. H. Miller, S. J. and by Jefferson Davis, who said: Randall, Stiles, Strouse. MARYLAND-B. G. Harris. KENTUCKY-Clay, Grider, Harding, Mallory, Wadsworth. ÕHIO-Bliss, Cox, Finck, Wm. Johnson, Long, J. R. Morris, Noble, J. O'Neill, Pendleton, C. A. White, J. W. White. INDIANA-Cravens, Edgerton, Harrington, Holman, Law. ILLINOIS-J. C. Allen, W. J. Allen, Eden, WISCONSIN J. S. Brown, Eldridge. "In my correspondence with Mr. Lincoln, that functionary has always spoken of the United States and the Confederacy as 'our afflicted country;' but, in my replies, I have never failed to refer to them as separate and distinct governments; and, I would be willing to yield up every thing sooner than we should ever be united again, I have on earth, and, if it were possible, would sacrifice my life a thousand times before I would succumb." He concluded by exhorting those at home, who were able to bear arms— "to unite with those already in the army Not Voting-Lazear, Pa.; Marcy, N. H.; McDowell and Voorhees, Ind.; Le Blond and McKinney, Ohio; Middleton and Ro-in repelling the foe; believing that thereby gers, N. J.-all Democrats.. "Feb. 3, 1865. we would compel the Yankees, in less than 14 Feb. 6. twelve months, to petition us for peace upon statement somewhat in detail of a course to our own terms." The meeting unanimously "Resolved, That we, the citizens here assembled, do spurn, with the indignation due to so gross an insult, the terms on which the President of the United States has offered peace to the people of the Confederate States. "Resolved, That the circumstances under which that proffer has been made add to the outrage, and stamp it as a designed and premeditated indignity to our people." A "War Meeting" was held there three days afterward; whereat R. M. T. Hunter presided, and addresses were made by Secretary J. P. Benjamin and others. This meeting likewise "Resolved, 1. That the events which have occurred during the progress of the war have but confirmed our original determination to strike for our independence; and that, with the blessing of God, we will never lay down our arms until it shall have been won. [Wild and long-continued cheering followed the reading of this resolution.] "Resolved, 2. That, as we believe our resources to be sufficient for the purpose, we do not doubt that we shall conduct the war successfully to that issue; and we hereby invoke the people, in the name of the holiest of all causes, to spare neither their blood nor their treasure in its maintenance and support." be pursued seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energy of the nation, little that is new could be presented. "The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured. anx "On the occasion corresponding to this, four years ago, all thoughts were iously directed to an impending civil war. While the Inaugural Address was being All dreaded it. All sought to avert it. delivered from this place, devoted altogether to the saving of the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city, seeking to destroy it without war-seeking to dissolve the Union and divide the effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but let the nation survive; and the other would one of them would make war rather than accept war rather than let it perish-and the war came. One-eighth of the whole tributed generally over the Union, but population were colored slaves, not dislocalized in the Southern part of it. beneficial interest. These slaves constituted a peculiar and All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. interest was the object for which the insurTo strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this while the Government claimed no right to gents would rend the Union even by war; do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war the magnitude nor the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just from the sweat of other men's faces. God's assistance in wringing their bread But let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayer of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.' If we shall suppose that American Slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs 45 March 4, 1865, Mr. Lincoln's Address, on his second inauguration" as President, may fitly close this final chapter of our political history. In its profoundly religious spirit, its tenderness, its undesigned solemnity, in view of the triumphs already achieved and the still more conclusive triumphs rationally anticipated and now just at hand, the reader will discern the then unperceived but awful shadow of impending death: "FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN-At this second appearing to take the oath of the Presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then, a HOOD'S INVASION OF TENNESSEE. come, but which, having continued through | 677 drawn with the lash shall be paid by an- "With malice toward none, with charity XXXI. HOOD'S TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN. he seemed to be acting." GEN. THOMAS had been detached | have changed the orders under which Grant, in his camp before Richmond, could hardly realize that Hood was moving on Nashville, "which seemed to me," says he in his report, "to be leading to his certain doom. At all events, had I the power to command both armies, I should not Thomas had probably quite as Forrest, with a large body of light cavalry, preluded Hood's advance. Crossing the Tennessee near Waterloo, he suddenly presented' himself at Athens, Alabama, held by Col Campbell, 110th U. S. colored, with 600 men. Investing the town, he opened with a 12-pounder battery on 'Sept. 23, 1864. the fort; sending in two different | 1,500 infantry, was steaming up the 3 summonses, which were declined; then soliciting and obtaining a perşonal interview with Campbell; at which the latter "allowed himself to be convinced" that it was useless to hold out, and ingloriously gave up, just 30 minutes prior to the arrival of the 18th Michigan and 102d Ohio to rëenforce him; compelling them also to succumb, after a sharp contest. Forrest now raided north to Pulaski, destroying the railroad and capturing a fortified post by the way; skirmishing heavily all day at Pulaski; but Gen. Rousseau was here, and had hastily collected such a force that an assault would have been madness; so Forrest drew off eastward and struck the Chattanooga railroad near Tullahoma and Decherd, doing it some damage; but Rousseau had moved rapidly around by rail through Nashville, and again confronted him at Tullahoma; while Gen. Steedman, leading 5,000 men, crossed the Tennessee from northern Georgia, and advanced upon him from the south-west; Morgan's division of the 14th corps moving simultaneously from Atlanta to cooperate in enveloping and crushing him. Б Tennessee to join in the hunt; and Lt.-Com'r Forrest, with several gunboats, was patroling that river in Alabama, on the lookout for his reappearance hurrying southward. 6 Buford tried to carry Athens, Ala.; which was firmly held by Lt.Col. Slade, 73d Indiana, who repulsed him handsomely; when he drew off westward and escaped' over the Tennessee at Brown's ferry. Forrest had now enemies enough encircling him to have eaten all his horses; but, destroying five miles of the railroad, and paroling his prisoners, he sped south-west through Mount Pleasant and Lawrenceburg, and got safely across the Tennessee at Bainbridge; having inflicted much injury, kept busy many times his number of men, worn out a good many of our shoes, taken at least 1,000 prisoners, and escaped with very little loss. 8 Hood, who had meantime been operating, and continued for a fortnight longer to operate, on Sherman's line of communications nearly up to Chattanooga, and had thence moved westward, as we have seen, into northern Alabama, next demonstrated in considerable force against Decatur-being the point at which the railroads cross the Tennessee which tend eastward to Chattanooga, westward to Memphis, and northward to Nashville. He found here Gen. Gordon Granger, with a considerable force, which he pressed for several days; establishing a line of rifle-pits within 500 yards of the defenses; intrenching strongly, and threatening an assault; but using no guns, and being roughly handled in 'Sept. 29. Oct. 5. Oct. 2-3. Oct. 3. Oct. 26. All in vain. Forrest turned on his track, and pushed south-east to Fayetteville; there dividing his forces and sending Buford, with 4,000 men, to summon Huntsville, and then Athens, Ala.; while he, with 3,000, swept north-west to Columbia; threatening that place, but not assaulting it; for by this time Rousseau, with 4,000 mounted men, was coming after him from Nashville; while Gen. C. C. Washburne, with 3,000 cavalry and 3 Gen. Thomas's official report. Sept. 27. FORREST ASSAILS JOHNSONVILLE, TENN. 679 a sortie,' wherein a part of the garri- | below-was about to follow his vanson gained the rear of the rifle-pits guard across the Tennessee-Gen. on his left; clearing them and taking Thomas directed a concentration of 120 prisoners. On that day, one of the 4th and 23d corps on Pulaski,. the batteries on his right was carried with intent to impede rather than and spiked by Col. Morgan's 14th seriously dispute the Rebel advance U. S. colored, with some loss; and on Nashville. Hood's infantry, ache drew off westward next evening. cording to our best advices, now exceeded 40,000; his cavalry were 12,000, well equipped, in high spirits, under their boldest and most skillful leader; so that, including artillery, the entire Rebel force, well concentrated, was not far from 55,000 men. Many of these were Tennesseans and Kentuckians, long exiled, who had come home to stay, alive or dead. To oppose these, Thomas had in hand the 4th corps, Gen. Stanley, 12,000; the 23d, Gen. Schofield, 10,000; and 8,000 cavalry, under Hatcher, Croxton, and Capron-in all 30,000 men. He may have had as many more, scattered over the wide region under his command; but, to concentrate these, he must abandon such posts as Chattanooga, Stevenson, Huntsville, Decatur, Athens, &c., and in effect relinquish more to the enemy than they could hope to win by a victory. He knew that time was on his side-that, if he fell back to Nashville, showing a firm front that would compel Hood to keep his army together, our strength would be constantly augmenting, while the enemy must be steadily weakened. There was a more brilliant alternative, but he chose to be safe. The pressure on Decatur was a feint to cover his crossing farther west; which was soon effected near Florence, in spite of resistance by Gen. Croxton's brigade of cavalry, there picketing the river. Meantime, Forrest, moving eastward from Corinth, Miss., through Paris, Tenn., with 17 regiments of cavalry and 9 guns, had struck the Tennessee at Johnsonville, an important dépôt connected by railroad with Nashville, and a chief reliance of that city for supplies; defended by Col. C. R. Thompson, 12th U. S. colored, with 1,000 men, aided by Lt. E. M. King with three gunboats; and several days'" sharp fighting ensued; the enemy ultimately drawing off, upon the approach by rail of Gen. Schofield with his 23d corps from Nashville; but not till-our mariners having been worsted in a fight with Forrest's cavalry-our commanders had fired their gunboats and transports, lest they should fall into the enemy's hands; and the flames had extended to the stores on the levee and the commissary's and quartermaster's dépôts, involving a loss of $1,500,000 worth of provisions, &c., just when they could worst be spared. Gen. Thomas reports this destruction needless and unjustifiable. It being no longer doubtful that Hood-who had been rëenforced by part of Dick Taylor's army from ⚫ Oct. 28. While Sherman remained near Kingston, Ga., menacing his flank and rear, Hood seemed to linger on the Tennessee; possibly deeming the odds against him too great; perhaps not yet fully provided and equipped 10 Oct. 28-Nov. 5, |
