The New York herald., 1876-10-02
THE WEED-STEPHENS CONTROVERSY.

PLEASANToN'S RECoLLECT!oNs.
To EDITOR HxnALD:-
Much to my surprise the Hon Alexander H. stephens
reappears in the HERALn should pe quite willing 10
Jet him have the last word he had the rst In this
controversy, the truth OF history would permit 1t.
Mr. Stephens has been enabled 10 proract this
sion by taking advantage OF an incomplete sentence In
my first letter. While my statement, that the ques-
ton admitting California q free State occasioncd
tie "stormy interview OF Messrs Stcph--- snd
Toombs with General Taylor was trne, yet IL sRA>aot
the whole truth. When 1T became apparent that free
California could not be kept out OF the Union eight
members Of Congress, Mr. stephens himself sayi
uncluding Messrs. stephens and Toombs), mot .nd
loaded down tue California State Admission bill with
bills extending slavery into free territory, paying the
Texas debt and cnacng stringent and vndicve Fugi
tive Slave law These known tho sCom.
promisen or "Omnibus" scheme, to which President
Taylor naexibly opposed. Mr. stephens apd Gen.
cral Toombs both admit that they cndcavorcd to
change tho Presidents views, but deny that in thp
crvicw referred to thero hrcats Of disuni,n
one side and OF hanging oh the other. Ny distinct
recollcctions OF that interview have been fully and
specifically confirmed and corroboratcd by letter from
ex-vice President Hamin, who those gentlemen
pass out OF Executive apartment two three min
utes before met them passing from the White House
to Pennsylva avenue
Ine last lettcr oil Mr. Stcpnen5 scarcely nave
called for reply but Tor the following paragraph
talk write loosely utterly upset
II their Srea,Sns Of fancy BY single ',s tact l. T.
Hsr Ss "n w Tas 10
most brilliant conversations In this The
S the e So~ Mr.
@ si he ad told As1 @
stspaens that they 70 carry ,aer threats into
ana the leaders taken rebellion would DO hung with
This certainly highly wrought patriotic ens
the go seons bubble =" i Is hers produced eannot stand
character and that is that General Taylor in MS whole
blood except in The heat Of battle.
Not less fortunately Tor than unfortunately fos
Mr.. Stephens enabled 10 confirm and corrobo-
that part or my letter which Mr Stephens has
dcrtaken TO discrcdit The letter OF Mr.. Stephens
attracted the attention OF General Plcasonton highly
Intelligent ohccr, who served with distinction botn
the Mexican war and In the Union army during the
rebellion. His letter, which follows, IS SO full and
clear to require further preface comment:--
GENERAL rLEAsssroS's LETTER.
NEW YORK, Sept %, 1875
Hon. THURLow WEED, New York city -
DEAR siR--l have jasl read IN the New York HEaALs
of September 10 letter OF tho Hon. Alexander H.
stephens. OF Georgia, in reply. be states, 10 Mr.
Wec'i's last communication upon his unwrtten chapter
OF history which appeared In the HERALD OF the 2ls
OF August Inst.
Mr.. stephens In this letter attempts to show thai
you mistaken in tho report OF your interview
with General Taylor, in which he quotes you 10 the
following language viz :--He says that General Tay
lor informed him that he fraylor had told them
Messrs Toombs and Stophons) ihat il they attempted
10 carry their threats into execution he would per-
sonaIIy tako command OF tho army aud that tho
leaders taken rebellion would DO hung with less
hesitation than he hung spies and traitors In Mexico"
Permit mo in support OF your statement 10 present
some facts coming within my own personal knowledge
tho time, which confirm your evidence that General
Taylor did regard the Southern leaders tbcn in Con
grcss encouraging and promoting disunon and thai
such conduct he looked upon reasonable. served
In the army in Mexico under General Taylor and knew
HIM wei. On moro than ono occasion he conddcd to
me important and responsible duties, and he always
treated me with Kindness shall never forget A.
the end OF the war moved with my command IN the
summer OF lS4S TO New Mexco that country having
been annexed to the United States by the treaty o
GuadaIoupe Hidaigo. l remained thcrs until the
spring OF Is49 whom ordered to California aud
crossing tho country arrived The latter part
OF tho summer returning TO the East in tue spring Of
1850, anu was in Washington in April OF that year
Shortly after my arrival Washington called pay
my respects 10 my old commandcr General Taylor
who was ,hsn President Ho received me very cor
daily, and when he discovered ! had visited both
New Mexico and California since the conclusion OF the
hc very dcsirous OF obtaining all ths nforma
ton could mpart concerning thcm and during my stay
in Washington had several lengthy interviews with
him reference TO both New Mexico and California, IN
incnt feature. the efforts Of tho South lcgisass
slavery into both Of these countries during General
Tayor's administration beng we'll known.
In tho latter part Of june $780, suddenly received
orders TO join my command in New Mexico aud called
upon General Taylor the 1s Of July only eight days
before no died. He was excellent health. very
glad me. and upon my mentioning my orders fol
New Mexico, he said ~ am glad you going 10 New
Mexico. want officers OF judgment and experience
there These southern men in Congress are trying u
bring civil war They arc now organizing military
force IN Texas for the purpose " ing possession Of
New Mexico and annexing IL TO Texas. and | have
ordered Tho troops Now Mexico TO be reinforced and
directed that armed force from Texas be permitted
to 30 o.that Territory. Tell Colonel Monroe (com-
manding Ia New Mexlco) hc has my entiro condolences,
and II he has not force enough will scnd whole
army there to support him, and then ,his features
assuming the rmost and determined cxpression
will bc with you myself, but Will be there before
those people shall so INTO that country or have ioo
OF that Territory. Tho whole business Is IN namous
must be put down.
This was my las, interview with General Taylor Mr.
Fillmore succeeded him President and hastcncd 10
countcrmand General Tayors orders regarding New
Mexico and yielded all the demands OF the Southern
leaders, who Immediately passed through Congress all
tnose measures which Mr. stephens declares were
necessary ITO conciiiate tho opposing sections and
noa 81 ana 20 aaa
by these measures, ms was shown In 1881 when they
declared war on The Union and tho government and
such their hatred OF tho Union they spurned the
Union flag and fought the rebellion flag repre-
senting disunion. Tho rcbelion created Tor DIS
and opposed by General Tayor were 81 .ndcd 10 pro-
ducc Il. General Taylor was Southcra man and =
large stakeholder but all no patriot IN the
largest sense, and tho South and lis csders
better than any man OF his timc.
Mr. stephens says that General Taylor could not
have addressed himself TO you represented, ms no
General Taylor) had stated IN letter from Baton
Rouge La, August s. is4s:-"Nos a drop Of
IN McKee, I nor that Of kessan o'ess sse.p, ' a
the heat OF battlc In this letter General Taylor ex
pressed himself as soldier. He meant that ho
had never, In an arbitrary manner ordered ArncrL
TO be shot But mon were shot In Mexico By sen.
ience OF court martial or military commlssions; for
was present myself at Camargo when eight OF oui
soldiers were shot at the time. General Taylor
never Intended 10 shoot Mcssrs Toombs aud StcpbcnI
by MS simple order; but In they were caught
tried and convicted Of be would order tho sen
iencc Of death 70 bc carried out and they need
pert any mercy from him.
General Taylor s NOS alone, as President In regards
ing OF tho Southern leaders has time as traitors
General Jackson, as President had similar troubles
with the southern leaders oil his time. and ne threat
encd TO hang Mr. Calhoun traitor Il south Carolina
persisted In her OF nulIrcasson Both these
Presidents were southern men, both declared the
leaders OF the South were working for disunou. and
both expressed the opinion, II they efccu-
ally squeched, they would eventually bring civil
war. Neither lived 10 the,r predictions verified.
Mr.. stephens 10 unduIy sensitive about that south
horse, Treason. Hc was iuly sixteen hands high,