[4CJ]

Just vague suggestions about amicable solutions.

For the purpose of establishing friendly relations between the Confederate States and the United States, and reposing special trust, &c., Martin J. Crawford, John Forsyth, and A. B. Roman are appointed special commissioners of the Confederate States to the United States. I have invested them with full and all manner of power and authority for and in the name of the Confederate States to meet and confer with any person or persons duly authorized by the Government of the United States being furnished with like powers and authority, and with them to agree, treat, consult, and negotiate of and concerning all matters and subjects interesting to both nations, and to conclude and sign a treaty or treaties, convention or conventions, touching the premises, transmitting the same to the President of the Confederate States for his final ratification by and with the consent of the Congress of the Confederate States.

Given under my hand at the city of Montgomery this 27th day of February, A.D. 1861, and of the Independence of the Confederate States the eighty-fifth.

Jefferson Davis

[Grand Old Partisan]

"both nations"

Ay, there's the rub.

[Non-Sequitur]

The problem is that there weren't two nations in the eyes of the Lincoln administration. There might have been, had a solution agreeable to both sides been reached, but that wasn't part of the Davis regime's agenda. It was 'take it or leave it' and no dicussions allowed. Given that then again I ask, what was there for the Lincoln administration to discuss? If they weren't willing to give in on the first point then there was never any hope on the second.