mediator
between the North and the South. He personally gave the President
hints of his wishes in this respect, but received from the latter
no encouragement, save the remark: "Come to me after Savannah
falls." Sherman took Savannah, December 22, 1864. Mr. Lincoln,
without permitting Mr. Blair to reveal to him his plans in detail,
on December 28th, wrote and signed a card: "Allow the bearer, F.
P. Blair, Sr., to pass our lines, go South, and return."

With this credential Mr. Blair went to Grant at City Point, and
under a flag of truce sent communications to "Jefferson Davis,
President," etc., etc. The effect of one of the messages was to
request an interview with Mr. Davis to confer upon plans that might
ultimately "lead to something practicable"--peace. After some
vexatious delay, Mr. Blair was allowed to go to Richmond, where,
January 12, 1865, Davis accorded him an interview.

Mr. Blair explained to Mr. Davis that he came without President
Lincoln's knowledge of his plans but with the latter's knowledge
of his purpose to try and open peace negotiations. After some
preliminary talk Mr. Blair read to Mr. Davis an elaborate paper
containing his "suggestions." These covered a reference to slavery,
"the cause of all our woes," saying it was doomed and hence no
longer an insurmountable obstruction to pacification, adding that
as the South proposed to use slaves to "conquer a peace," and to
secure its independence, "their deliverance from bondage" must
follow.(10) With slavery abolished, Mr. Blair suggested the war
against the Union became a war for monarchy. Reference was then
made to Maximilian's reign in Mexico, under Austrian and French
protection, and of its danger to free institutions by establishing
a "Bonaparte-Hapsburg dynasty on our Southern flank." Mr. Davis
was complimented over his position being such as to be the instrument
to avert the danger. It was suggested that Juarez at the head of
the "Liberals of Mexico" could be persuaded to "devolve all the
power he can command on President Davis--a dictatorship if necessary
--to restore the rights of Mexico." Mr. Davis was to use his
veteran Confederates and Mexican recruits, with, if necessary,
"multitudes of the army of the North, officers and men" to drive
out the invaders, uphold the Monroe Doctrine, and thus "restore
the Mexican Republic." Mr. Blair further suggested that if Mr.
Davis accomplished all this it would "ally his name with Washin