The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-13
UNWRITTEN HISTORY.
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS REpLIRs TO rHuRLow
WEED.


WEED.
LIrsRrY HALL,
CRAwFoRDvILLE. Ga, June Q, 1876.
To THE EDrroR HERALD:-
have noticed, in late ISSUE OF your paper. an ar
tcle by Hon. Thurlow Weed, entitled can Unwrtton
Chapter OF History" in which Mr. Weed gives
narrative Of hoW The HERALp's influence .cos obtained
for President Lincoin's administration" After
latng the incidents which preceded arrival At Mr.
Benefits mansion tho Heights, the following SEN
fences occur:-
eve then walked for halt an hour around the
grounds, when servant came and announced
dinner. Tho dinner was frugal one, dur
ing which, until tho fruit WAS served, wc
held general conversation then frankly informed
him OF the object Of my visit closing with tho remark
that Mr. Lincoln deemed II more important to secure
the HERALD's support than to obtain victory in tho
fold. Mr.. Bennett replied that tho aboon.sts aided
BY whig members OF Congress, had provoked war; Of
the danger OF which no had been warning the country
for years, and that now whom they rcapng what
they had sown, they had right call upon him
hep them out Of difficulty that they had deliberately
brought upon themselves
II listened without interruption for ten minutes to .
bitter Remuneration OF Greeley Garrison Seward Sum
nor, GIddngs, Philips and myself having, by rri-
tat,ng and exaspcrating the South, brought the
or attempting to explain any OF his positions stated
the whole question from our standpoint l informed
MIN Of facts and circumstances within my
knowledge showing conclusively the deliberate
design Of severing the Union to prevent California
from coming into tho Union as FREQ
State. garc him the then Hnkno,rn particulars Of
interveU Of Acssrs Toonsbs, Stephens and CIngman,
members Of Congress from Georgia and North Carolina
Nth General Taylor. The object Of that interre,o
to induce General Taylor, Southern man and sidre-
holder TO reto the bill permitting California to enter the
Union free State II Was stormy interview ,ctA
threats Of disunion hand and Of hanging on the
other. The facts communicated to Senator Hamlin
Of Maine and myself wiAin ten minutes after the inter.
viey closed"
put the last part OF this extract In italics. Is the
only matter in this "chaptor Of history that wish
at this time to notice; and the only notice wish to
take OF is TO assure Mr. Weed and all your readers
that such interview of Messrs. Toombs, Clingman
and myself took place with General Taylor How
he and Mr. Hamlin could have been informed within
ten minutes after of the particulars Of interview
which occurred do not know but do know
asked General Taylor TO veto any bill whatever
during his administration. l know also, and
the records show it, that the bill permitting California
to enter the Union free State did pass Congress
until after General Tayor's death; 1 do moreover,
know that and my colleague, Mr.. Toombs, favored
the admission OF California free State under her
then constitution during the whole OF that stormy
sion. This the records will also show. We never
raised objection to the admission Of California on
account OF her antisavery constitution In of the
stormcs debates ever heard in the House Of Repre-
scntativcs my colleague, Mr. Toombs said:-"wc
do oppose California account of the anti slavery
clause in her constitution. II was her right, and
am not prepared to say that she acted unwiscy in
its exercise; that is her business" What no and
maintained that the rights which the FREQ
people OF California had exercised for themselves in
forming their constitution should be equally secured
the free people Of other Territories OF the United States
when they came to form their constitutions
How far this portion Of Mr.. Weeds narrative may
have Influenced the course Of the HERALD toward Mr.
Lincolns administration know not, but do most SOL
emily protest against its being received correct
item in the history Of this country.
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS