would. Unless the popular mind were disabused of
this fictitious hope, the Democrats would prevail and the Union would
collapse. But if an offer to negotiate should be made, and if "Davis
should refuse to negotiate--as he probably would, except on the basis of
Southern independence--that fact alone would reunite the North, reelect
Lincoln, and thus save the Union."(6)

"Then," said Lincoln, "you would fight the devil with fire. You would
get that declaration from Davis and use it against him."

Gilmore defended himself by proposing to offer extremely liberal terms.
There was a pause in the conversation. Lincoln who was seated at his
desk "leaned slightly forward looking directly into (Gilmore's) eyes,
but with an absent, far-away gaze as if unconscious of (his) presence."
Suddenly, relapsing into his usual badinage, he said, "God selects His
own instruments and some times they are queer ones: for instance, He
chose me to see the ship of state through a great crisis."(7) He went on
to say that Gilmore and Jaquess might be the very men to serve a great
purpose at this moment. Gilmore knew the world; and anybody could see
at a glance that Jaquess never told anything that wasn't true. If they
would go to Richmond on their own responsibility, make it plain to
President Davis that they were not official agents, even taking the
chance of arrest and imprisonment, they might go. This condition was
accepted. Lincoln went on to say that no advantage should be taken of
Mr. Davis; that nothing should be proposed which if accepted would
not be made good. After considerable further discussion he drew up a
memorandum of the terms upon which he would consent to peace. There were
seven items:

1. The immediate dissolution of the armies.

2. The abolition of slavery.

3. A general amnesty.

4. The Seceded States to resume their functions as states in the Union
as if no secession had taken place.

5. Four hundred million dollars to be appropriated by Congress as
compensation for loss of slave property; no slaveholder, however, to
receive more than one-half the former value of his slaves.

6. A national convention to be called for readjustment of all other
difficulties.

7. It to be understood that the purpose of negotiation was a full
restoration of the Union as of old.(8)

Gilmore and Jaquess might say to Davis that they had private but sure
knowledge that the President of the United States would agree to peace
on these term