_
"Sir: Being animated by an earnest desire to unite and bind
together our respective countries by friendly ties, I have
appointed Martin J. Crawford, one of our most esteemed and
trustworthy citizens, as special Commissioner of the Confederate
States to the Government of the United States; and I have now
the honor to introduce him to you, and to ask for him a
reception and treatment corresponding to his station, and to the
purposes for which he is sent.
"Those purposes he will more particularly explain to you. Hoping
that through his agency these may be accomplished, I avail
myself of this occasion to offer to you the assurance of my
distinguished consideration."
(Signed) "Jefferson Davis."
"Montgomery, _February 27, 1861_."
It may here be mentioned, in explanation of my desire that the
commission, or at least a part of it, should reach Washington before the
close of Mr. Buchanan's term, that I had received an intimation from
him, through a distinguished Senator of one of the border States,[150]
that he would be happy to receive a Commissioner or Commissioners from
the Confederate States, and would refer to the Senate any communication
that might be made through such a commission.
Mr. Crawford--now a Judge of the Supreme Court of Georgia, and the only
surviving member of the commission--in a manuscript account, which he
has kindly furnished, of his recollections of events connected with it,
says that, on arriving in Washington at the early hour of half-past four
o'clock in the morning, he was "surprised to see Pennsylvania Avenue,
from the old National to Willard's Hotel, crowded with men hurrying,
some toward the former, but most of the faces in the direction of the
latter, where the new President [Mr.
Pages:
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426