Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-19
HAMPTON ROADS.

From q summary OF X, ID. 1. Hunters
speech at Winchester, Va, last week, writ
ten by correspondent of the New York
Tribune, we are disposed to believe that the
ex-senator from Virginia has been misin-
terpreted. After detailing Mr.. Lincoln's
suggestion at the Hampton Roads Confer
epce about compensation for slaves, and
saying the United States co1ld even now
90 something to that end, he concludes If
this is not done the South will have to
work out its own salvation, under
great difficulties, and exclaims: Sand
shall we not do itP Energy, hope, skill, and
self-denial can accomplish miracles, aud /
believe our people possess all these quail
ties." His picture of the South Immediately
after the war is thus given:
"The whole country was nearly stripped
of its cattle and stock, and negroes emanci-
pated without cent of compensation, and
whole system of labor disorgsnized, the
capital of the country lost, and nothing left
but debts and the naked land. Scarcely a
dollar was TO be borrowed abroad, for there
was no security to offer but land of little
value. No aid could be obtained from the
State, itself poor and 10 debt. The Federal
Government which emancipated the slaves,
offered no compensation, as other govern
ments had done when trying the expert
ment."
After showing how peculiar taxation in
creased these difficulties, especially the tax
on tobacco and cotton-Virginia being
drained of S9O,000,000 on the former arti-
Gle, Mr.. Hunter gives some incidents of
the Hsmpt N Roads Conference, the revi-
val of which liz perhaps moro readable than
profitable:
"Fellow. citizens, well recoIlect that In
the interview at Old Point Comfort between
Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Seward on the one
Rand, and Commissioners of the Confeds-
rate States (of whom was one) on the
other, that this subject of compensat on for
the emancipated slaves was introduced By
Mr.. Lincoln himself. He Uincoln) said
that prominent citizen ofthe North whose
name, if given, would probably surprise us,
had written to him to say that if the slaves
were emancipated, the sum of $400, 100000
ough TO be distributed among their former
owners by way of compensation. The
money, as we'll as l remember, was propos-
ed to be given to the States in proportion to
the number of negroes freed within their
borders, and by them to be distributed
among the individual owners. That this
would have been very inadequate CON-
pensation for 100000 slaves is evident
to all. But who can estimate the
relief which it would have
afiorde d 10 the despoiled and stricken South.
If cistribated smobg them just after the
war, q it would shave been OF ineStimable
value. Mr.. lincoln said he had no euthof-a
ity to speak for any one but himself, bnt he
himself was in favor Of it. Upon this, Mr..
Seward expressed some impatience, saying
thht the Government paid enough in the
exc enses of the war, which suppose be
Sit to have been wsged for negro emancis
eakion.la poor excuse to be made in regard
toItbe elsims Of any0f the States, but nons,,
certsiniy!s IN the cases of 6eptuely, Mis-,
souri,, Maryland and Delaware, which never
seeded, ana were never even called rebelI,,
iOes ngi To this Mr.. Lincoln replied with
eq1al earnestness: @I--kaow You all say
that it was sinful 10 hold slsyes, and, as
there was no right to do so, there is no JUS
tice in the claims for compensation. Now"
said be, eff sit Was 4 sin m therS6lth to
hold slaves, It was sin inithe North to
sch them, which thsy did to q very great e1s'
tent, as veal know.n 'stlj s,lulad 7ynh I'D
i'Fhere was no point of view in which we
could be considered as deprivediof the claim
to Compensation. live were still citizens,
and States within the Union. the spoliatlon /
was Unconstitutional and we were certain
ly entitled to some compensation for dam.
age sustained II we were separate and
-Asa u NnSrM -azi!iAstfg ~ 81 iliu : sip Il
sa..s.- o.. q. iI...... :. .t.l.. l---s.-lI