The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-08-10
UNWRITTEN HISTORY
UN w III 1 ITN II1D1Vn
CONC RNING THE HAMPTON
ROADS PEACE COMMISSION.
When Geo. E. Badger was Secretary of
the Navy he Made the Officers Shave
OFF their Whiskers and MOustacheS.

When Geo. E. Badger was Secretary of
the Navy he Made the Officers Shave
OFF their Whiskers and MOustacheS.
Especial Cor. STATE CHRONICLE.l
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. Z, 1898.
The true history of the Confederate side
Of the Peace Commission which met in
Hampton Roads towards the close of the
Civil War has never been written. The
proofs of all that occurred during and i'm
mediately after the meeting of that Com.
are in the hands of distinguished South
ern gentleman, whose friendship for JEFF
ferson Davis has so far prevented their
publcat ion. From two authentic sources
| have secured 2 few facts which will con
vince al impartial reader that the intense
Selfishness of Mr.. Davis was the main
cause of the utter futility of the meeting
Of that Commission. The bill that Peace
Commission should be formed, was first
introduced into the Confederate Senate by
the Hon. William \. Graham, an Old
Line Whig of strong Union procl;vities, an
! eX-Secretary of the Navy and a distin-
guished Governor whose name is a house
hold word in North Carolina. Governor
Graham used all his personal influence
| both with Mr.. Davis and the Confederate
Senate to have the measure introduced by
I
Mr.. Davis sent for Governor Graham and
said: ''As the originator Of this measure
it is right that you should be appointed
Chairman of the Commission. But Mr..
Stephens, as President of the Con-
federacy, should be offered the chairman
ship as matter of courtesy. His health,
however, will make it impossible for him
to accept and ] shall expect you to serve
IN that capacity.
Mr.. Stephens, however, whose will pow
er. as everyb-d -dy in Washington knows,
was stronger than his chronic ailments,
readily accepted the Craftsmanship of the
Commission lnis Was IL isappointment
TO many who hoped for substantial results
from the meeting of the Commission.
Some Of the proceedings of the Commits
sion are matters of history. President
Lincoln gave tie Confederate Government
his pledge that he was willing for the
South to return TO the Union I'm statu
quo anti bei!um. When this assurance
was carried TO Mr.. Davis he asked WAS
/ any provision made for me during this
discussion. "Iour name was not men
/ toned At all, Mr.. President" was the
answer Then, said Mr. Davis, 1.-The
terms Will never he accepted.
The mental anxiety Of General Robert
I Z Lee at this crisis and his willingness TO
+
| flow of blood which he then knew to be
useless and to secure for the South some
terms more favorable than those he thought
/ would be given under circumstances of
absolute defeat, are truths which the I'M
/ partial writer of the history of the great
struggle will some day bring 10 hight.
! From my earliest childhood have never
/ heard any but words of praise spoken of
! the Hon George +. Badger. Few states
/ men have been so universally admired
throughout all North Carolina Last week
heard hlm criticised for the first time in
my life. \ distinguished Admiral of the
| Navy tells me that Mr.. Badger was poor
executive officer and was anything but a
I success as Secretary of the Navy one OF
/ his first regulations was that all naval of
ticer> should Immediately shave off their
boards and mouStaches. This Is still known
! III the Navy as the Badger law. Such
au absurd rule was not at first Obeyed and
a number of officers were court -martlaed
for not shaving their faces clean lmmedl
ately after the PRONUNCIATION ot Mr. Bad
gers singular command This same Ad
mra, however, admitted the rare states
i manship, culture and ability of tie dis
tinguished North Carolinian.
| Mr.. Cleveland returned from his brief
fishing trip in good time to sign the most
| important bills awaiting him. In spite Of
his promptness and his deserved reputa-
| ton as a hard working President, the New
| York Tribune abused him numerically,
and a good many of the provincial follow
erS of the Republican organ in New York,
saw fit to follow suit No harm 5 done,
| however. for they might as well call the
sun black. as to accuse Grover Cleveland
of any neglect of duty. The people, whom
he has served for the last three years with
such untiring energy and ability will have
no faith in the mlsstatement of the prelu-
diced organs of a despairing party Mrs.
! Cleveland returned from her visit to the
family Of the editor of the Century a few
| DAYS later Both are now at Oak View
| and il i fortunate for them that they
! have 4 cool country place in which to
spend The hot days when the thermometer
on PENNSYLVANIA Avenue registers 100
degrees.
There is no telling when Congress will
adjourn. Senator Vance says he would
not be greatly surprised if the adjourn
ment did not occur before October. have
even heard some talk of keeping straight
on until almost time for the re-assembling
of the me'nbers for the short term. If the
! tariff debate in the Senate should be
! greatly prolonged | would not be greatly
surprised if this should not be the case.
There is no telling, however, the hot
weather. the camors of constituents and
the need Of an active canvass IL some OF
the districts may cause them TO hurry mat
ters up and 90 home during the month OF
September
The Senate has decided not 10 take any
action in recovering any part of the prop
erty once owned by the Confederacy The
subject, however, will again be referred tc
as too much money is involved to ignore il
altogether The routine work of the House
and Senate during the past week contains
nothing of especial interest to your read
ers. Next week Senator Vance is expected
to make a speech.
Senator Harris has returned from /;
brief visit to Tennessee. A distinguished
Tenne5sean tells me that his chances oi
re election are unusually good, and thai
Commissioner Atkins, who has been work
ing hard to supersede him, does not stand
he ghost of q chance. Senator Harris
will have been in the Senate "a conSecu
tive wears next March. He is one of tn,
best parliamentarians in this country.
Mr. Duncan Rose. of Fayetteville, N
c., was last week appointed Special Ex
aminer at the Pension office at d salary O
81, 400. He is the brother Of the Hon