had entered the State Department and found
Jefferson Davis seated at the long table on the right of his Secretary
of State.

John Vaughan was given a seat at the other end of the table to report
the interview for Mr. Benjamin.

He studied the distinguished President of the Confederate States with
interest. He had never seen him before. His figure was extremely thin,
his features typically Southern in their angular cheeks and high cheek
bones. His iron-grey hair was long and thick and inclined to curl at the
ends. His whiskers were small and trimmed farmer fashion--on the lower
end of his strong chin. The clear grey eyes were full of vitality. His
broad forehead, strong mouth and chin denoted an iron will. He wore a
suit of greyish brown, of foreign manufacture, and as he rose, seemed
about five feet ten inches. His shoulders slightly stooped.

His manner was easy and graceful, his voice cultured and charming.

"I am glad to see you, gentlemen," he said. "You are very welcome to
Richmond."

"We thank you, Mr. Davis," Gilmore replied.

"Mr. Benjamin tells me that you have asked to see me to----"

He paused that the visitors might finish the sentence.

"Yes, sir," Jaquess answered. "Our people want peace, your people do. We
have come to ask how it may be brought about?"

"Withdraw your armies, let us alone and peace will come at once."

"But we cannot let you alone so long as you repudiate the Union----"

"I know. You would deny us what you exact for yourselves--the right of
self-government."

"Even so," said Colonel Jaquess, "we can not fight forever. The war must
end sometime. We must finally agree on something. Can we not agree now
and stop this frightful carnage?"

"I wish peace as much as you do," replied Mr. Davis. "I deplore
bloodshed. But I feel that not one drop of this blood is on my hands. I
can look up to God and say this. I tried all in my power to avert this
war. I saw it coming and for twelve years I worked day and night to
prevent it. The North was mad and blind, and would not let us govern
ourselves and now it must go on until the last man of this generation
falls in his tracks and his children seize his musket and fight our
battle, _unless you acknowledge our right to self-government_. We are
not fighting for slavery. We are fighting for independence, and that or
extermination we _will_ have."

"We have no wish to exterminate you," protested the Colonel. "But we
must crush your armies. Is