Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-11-16

nut lhe coHCluslNc ucterHllnutlOll
Of the question you have asked me
does not depend upon these facts
ana this reasoning,
On the night of the End Of Feb
ruary Mr.. Lincoln himself reached
Hampton Roads, and uniting with
Mr.. Seward participated in the con
ference of the next day, On the sth
of February, 1865, the House OF
Representatives by resolution call
ed on President Lincoln for intorma-
tion in relation to the conference nj
Hampton Roads. On the 10th OF
the same month he communicated
to them this information. And in
closing his message he says, "On
our part the whole substance Of the
instructions TO the Secretary ofState
hereinbefore recited, was stated and
insisted upon, and nothing was said
inconsistent herewith" The in
structions to the Secretary of State
here referred to are those heretofore
copied in this paper. And this is
all Mr.. Lincoln says, ns 10 PROPOSE
tions on the part Of the United
States in that conference; and is his
testimony to the want of truth in
the charge that the Confederate au-
thorities rejected proposition for a
continuance ofslaverv for six years,
and I'm offer Of four hundred mil
lions of dollars for emancipation.
On the 7th of February 1865 Mr..
Seward, Secretary of State, address
ed dispatch to Mr.. Adams, United
States Minister at the court of Great
Britain, giving an account of this
conference, in the course of which
he said, after referring to whatseem-
cd to be the plan of the Confederate
Commissioners. "This suggestion,
though deliberately considered, was
nevertheless regarded by the Presi-
dent as one of armistice or truce,
and he announced that we can agree
to no cessation or suspension Of hos
tilities, except on the basis of the
disbandment of the insurgent forces
and the restoration of the national
authority throughout all the States
in the Union. Collaterally, and in
subordination to the proposition
which was thus announced, the an
ti-slavery policy of the United States
was reviewed in all its bearings, and
the President announced that he
must not be expected to depart from
the position he had heretofore as
sumedin his proclamations Of eman-
cipation and other documents, as
these positions were reiterated in
his last annual message. 1t was
further declared by the President
that the complete restoration of the
national authority everywhere was
an indispensable condition to any
assent on our part to whatever form
of peace might be proposed. The
President assured the other party
that while ho must adhere TO these
positions, he would be prepared, so
far as power is lodged with the ex-
ecutive, to exercise liberality."
This is Mr.. Stewards testimony
and it shows that the only terms Of
fered by Mr.. Lincoln, at that con-
ference, were that the Confederates
should accept the abolition of slave
ry, lay down their arms, and aban-
don their cause, and accept the COM
plete restoration of the rational all
thority everywhere, as conditions
precedent to the liberal exercise of
the pardoning power of the Presi-
dent. He makes no allusion to a
proposition for the continuance of
slavery for six years, and to the pay
ment of four hundred millions of
dollars for emancipation.
On the 9TH of February 1865,
Messrs. Stephens, Hu ter and
Campbell reported the result of their
conference at Hampton Roads to
President Davis. In that report,
referring to their meeting with
Messrs. Lincoln and Seward, they
say: ave learned from them that
the message of President Lincoln
to the Congress of the United States
in December last explains clearly
and distinctly his sentiments as to
the terms, conditions and method
of proceeding by which peace can
be secured to the people, and we
were not informed that they would
be modified or altered to obtain that
end. We understand by them that
no terms or proposal of any treaty
or agreement looking to an ultimate
settlement would be entertained or
made by him with the Confederate
States, because that would be a re-
cognition of their existence as Sc
perate power, which, under no cir
cumstances, would be done and for
like reasons that no such terms
would be entertained by him from
the States separately; that no ex-
tended truce or armistice Gas atpres-
ent advised) would be granted, with
out q satisfactory assurance in ad-
vance of a complete restoration OF
the authority of the United States
over all places within the States Of
the Confederacy.
"That whatever consequences may
follow from the re-establisbmcnt Of
that authority must beacceptedj but
that individuals subject to pains and
penalties under the laws Of the Uni
ted States might rely upon very
liberal use of the power confdcd to
him TO remit those pains and penal
ties if peace be restored"
This was all that was said by the
Confederate Commissioners as TO
any terms offered by President Lin
coin on that occasion. And surely
if so important a proposal as that
of extending slavery for six years,
and giving four hundred millions OF
dollars for emancipation, by Mr..
Lincoln, on condition that the Con-
] 20 their IL