[smug]

Lincoln, making an offer to "...agree, treat, consult, and negotiate of and concerning all matters and subjects interesting to both nations..." What if Davis didn't find responsibility for debt or payment for property seized a matter or subject of interest? I suppose it wouldn't have come up for discussion.

Objection your Honor, Learned counsel for the Union is introducing fact not in evidence. The mere fact that he has proposed the question ---- What if Davis didn't find responsibility for debt or payment for property seized a matter or subject of interest? I suppose it wouldn't have come up for discussion. What ifs are not relevant, facts are what is needed. They proposed a settlement of debt, they send commissioners to settle debt, they were ignored. These your Honor, are facts before the court. What ifs and could have beens are mere dust in the Tempest of history.

[Non-Sequitur]

They proposed a settlement of debt, they send commissioners to settle debt, they were ignored.

Overruled. The South did nothing of the sort. They sent commissioners to demand the U.S. recognize confederate sovereignty. No other topic was open for dicussion. An end to secession wasn't on the table. None of Lincoln's positions were open for discussion. It was recognition or nothing. And only after the Lincoln administration had given in to demands and recognized the legality of the Southern acts of secession was there a vague offer to discuss 'subjects of interest to both countries'. So no, the south didn't propose settlement of debt. They proposed nothing but Union surrender. Had Lincoln given in to their demands then, maybe, the topic of debt and stolen property might have been discussed. Or it might not. We'll never know.