test."

"No, it is not, it never was an _essential_ element. It was only a means
of bringing other conflicting elements to an earlier culmination. It
fired the musket which was already capped and loaded. There are
essential differences between the North and the South that will, however
this war may end, make them two nations."

"You ask me to say what I think. Will you allow me to say that I know
the South pretty well, and never observed those differences?"

"Then you have not used your eyes. My sight is poorer than yours, but I
have seen them for years."

The laugh was upon me, and Mr. Benjamin enjoyed it.

"Well, Sir, be that as it may, if I understand you, the dispute between
your government and ours is narrowed down to this: Union or Disunion."

"Yes; or to put it in other words: Independence or Subjugation."

"Then the two governments are irreconcilably apart. They have no
alternative but to fight it out. But it is not so with the people. They
are tired of fighting, and want peace; and as they bear all the burden
and suffering of the war, is it not right they should have peace, and
have it on such terms as they like?"

"I don't understand you. Be a little more explicit."

"Well, suppose the two governments should agree to something like this:
To go to the people with two propositions: say, Peace, with Disunion and
Southern Independence, as your proposition,--and Peace, with Union,
Emancipation, No Confiscation, and Universal Amnesty, as ours. Let the
citizens of all the United States (as they existed before the war) vote
'Yes,' or 'No,' on these two propositions, at a special election within
sixty days. If a majority votes Disunion, our government to be bound by
it, and to let you go in peace. If a majority votes Union, yours to be
bound by it, and to stay in peace. The two governments can contract in
this way, and the people, though constitutionally unable to decide on
peace or war, can elect which of the two propositions shall govern their
rulers. Let Lee and Grant, meanwhile, agree to an armistice. This would
sheathe the sword; and if once sheathed, it would never again be drawn
by this generation."

"The plan is altogether impracticable. If the South were only one State,
it might work; but as it is, if one Southern State objected to
emancipation, it would nullify the whole thing; for you are aware the
people of Virginia cannot vote slavery out of South Carolina, nor the
people of South Carolina vote