Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-06-02

y b. CARRENTER, Esq-, The artist, conuioutes
another article to the Independent Of this week
in continuation Of his reminiscenees Of Mr.. LIZ
coLS. from rhich ~e extract the following;
NAV say with propnety. and feel thA, it j.
due 70 Mr. Lnc0ln's memory, 20 state that during
the entire period Of my stay 10 Washington, after
Witnessing bis intercourse with almost all classes
OF people, including Governors Senators Mem.
bers OF Congress. officers Of the srmy. and
familiar friends. cannot recollect TO have ever
heard him relate circumstance 90 any one OF
them ell that would have been ost Of place
uttered in ladies drawing room am aware
that different impression prevails, founded. il
may be IN some instances upon facts. bot where
there Is one fact Of the kiud. am persuaded
there are forty falsehoods. at least. Atsny rate,
what have stated is voluntary testimony, from
4 stand point, ] submit. entitled 70 respectful
consideration.
Among his stories freshest in mind, one which
be related 10 me shortly after It's occurrence, be
longs 20 the history Of the famous interview on
board the River Queen at Hampton Roads, be
tween himself and Secretary Seward and the
rebel Peace Commissioners. IL Was reported at
the time that the President told {" little story
| on that occasion, and the inquiry went round
the newspapers q" What was it p Being in
Washington few days subsequent TO the inter
view with the Commissioners my previous so
journ there having terminated about the lst OF
last August asked Mr.. Lincoln one day eff il
was true that he told stephens, Hunter and
Campbell a story :" WHY yes" he replied,
manifesting seine surprise, " but has il leaked
out was in hopes nothing would be said
about il, lest some over sensitive people should
ina CINE there was a degree of leyity in the inter
course between US" he then went on 10 relate
the circumstance which called it out. " GU
see" said he, -" we had reached and were discus
sing the slavery question. Mr. Stephens said.
substantially, that the slaves always accustomed
| to an oVerseer, and to work upon compulsion.
suddenly freed, az they would be If the South
should consent 70 peace on the basis Of the En-
ancipation Proclamation. would precipitate not
only themselves but the entire Southern society
| into irremediable ruin No work would be
/ done nothing would be cultivated and both
blacks and whites would starue| Said the
| President, - ! waited FOR Seward to answer
/ that argument, but as he was silent, |
a. length said: Mr. Stephens, you ought TO
know great deal better about this matter than
| l. for you have always lived under the slave sys-
TEN. ] cap only say in reply to your statement
of the case, that il reminds NE OF a man out in
Illinois, by the name of Case, who undertook, a
few years ago, to raise large herd of hogs.
1t was great trouble to feed them, and how to
| &c. around this puzzle 10 him. AT length
he bit on the plan of planting an immense held
| of potatoes, and, when they we're sufficiently
/ grown, he turned the whole herd into the field,
and let them have full swing. thus saving not
only the labor of feeding the hogs, but also that
| of digging the potatoes! Charmed with his sa
| gacty, he stood one day leaning against the
fence counting his hogs. when a neighbor came
along. well, well. . said he, Mr.. Case, this is
all very fine. Your hogs are doing very well
/ just now, but you know out here in Illinois the
frost comes early, and the ground freezes q
| foot deep Then what are they going to dol"
| This a view of the matter Mr.. Case had not
taken into account. Butchering time for hogs
was way off in December or january He
scratched his head and at length stammered,
"Well, it may come pretty hard on their shouts,
! but don't see but that il will be "roOt hog or
die" He did not tell me that either of the
"Comm issioners" made any reply to this way of
putting things" Ii is very evident that there
was little more argument necessary on one side
Of the question at least
In this connection we will state another cir
cumstance that occurred at the Hampton Roads
Conference, which exhibited the great, anxiety Of
Mr.. LISooLS to restore the Union by peaceful
agencies and in that harmony which character
lied the better days of the Republic. During
the interview Mr. HUNTER. addressing Mr.. LIN
coin. remarked: Mr. President-then hesitatng
q moment-he continued, | will call you such,
and hope this conference may result that
all the Southern people may soon address YOU
By that title. we are willing to lay down our
arms and return to our allegiance to the old Gov
eminent, upon the single condition that we shall
be guaranteed the rights OF citizenship The
countenance of Mr.. LINCOLN frightened at this
proposal, and Shaping Mr.. HUNTER's knee most
vigorously with his broad hand, he said empha-
tically. HUNTER. | will do it," Mr.. SEWARD
then spoke and informed the President that it
was out of his power TO make such an arrange
ment. He called the attention Of the President
TO the Conhscation and other laws of the last
Congress. which would prevent reconciliation
upon the terms proposed by Mr.. HUNTER. The
President, exhibiting great depression of spirit.
replied that they had escaped his memory. and
he seemed to feel sad that peace, which al
most within reach, could not be consummated
upon the conditions that he was willing to grant,
II the terms OF peace and reconciliation had been
left Discretionary with the President it would
have been accomplished at the Hampton Roads
interview, with slavery abolished and a complete
reconciliation of the rebellious States