, 1889-12-05
LINCOLN AND THE SOUTH,


LINCOLN AND THE SOUTH.
An Interesting and Heretofore I'm
published Chapter OF Secret His
tory.
From the Lincoln life now approach.
ing conclusion in the November Century
we quote tho following piece of secret
history: "Wo have seen what effect the
Hampton roads conference produced up
on Jefferson Davis, and to what intern
perate and wrnthful utterance IL pro-
yokcd him. Its effect upon Preside mt
LINCOLN was almost directly tho reverse.
His interview with the rebel commits
sioners doubtless strengthened his former
convictions that the rebellion was wan
ing In enthusiasm and resources,
and that the Union cause must
triumph at no distant day.
Secure in his renewal Of
four years personal leadership, and
hopefully inspirited by every sign Of
early victory in the war, his only
thought was to shorten, by generous
conciliation, the period Of the dreadful
conflict. :" Filled with such
thoughts and purposes, he spen, the day
after his return from Ha npton Roads in
considering and periesting anew new pro
posal, designed as peace.offering to
the states IN the rebellion. The evening
of February S, 1855, he called his cabinet
| together and read to them the following
draft of message and proclamation
which he had written during the day,
and upon which he invited their opinion
and adyice:l
Fcliow-citizen ofthc senate and house
of Representatives: respectfully recon-
mend that u joint resolution, substan-
tally MS follows, be adopted as soon rs
practicable by your honorable bodies:
"Kesolved, by the senate. and house of
repr reoentatives of the United States OF
America in congress assembled, That
hereby empowered, in his discretion, to
pay four hundred millions of dollars to
| tile states of Alabama, Arkansas, Della
ware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Mis-
souri,, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas Virginia and wes,
on fshia tie conditions felIo%ins %I%S, '%a to.
wit; The payment to be made in
per cent government bonds, and to
be distributed among said states pro rata
on heir respective slave populations as
shown by the census of lS6O, and no
part Of said sum TO be paid unless all re.
sistance to the national authority shall
be abandoned and cease on vi before the
list day of April next; and upon such
abandonment and ceasing OF resistance
one IT of said sum to be paid, In man.
neraforesaid, and the remaining hall to
he paid only upon the amendment of
the national constitution recently pro-
posed by congress becoming valid law,
on or before the ist day of July next, by
the action of the requisite number OF
! states.h
The adoption of such resolution is
sought with view to embody II, with
other propositions, in a proclamation
looking to peace and reunion.
| Whereas, A joint resolution has been
adopted by congress, In the words fol-
lowing-to-w
Now, therefore, !, Abraham Lincoln,
president of the United States, do pro-
claim, declare and make known, that on
the conditions herein stated, the power
conferred ON the executive In and by
said joint resolution will be exercised;
duced to a basis of peace; that all polti-
col oiienses will be pardoned thut all
property, except slaves, liable to confis--
cation or forfeiture, will be released
theretrOtn, except IN cases of interven-
ing interests of third parties; and that
liberality will be recommended to con-
grcss upon all points not lying within
executive control.
"It may be said with truth that this
was going to the verge of magnanimity
towards foe already in the throes and
helpiessncss of overwhelming defeat.
ut turned out that he was more hui
manc than his constitutional advisors.
The Endorsement of his own handwrit-
ing on the manuscript draft of his pro-
posed message records the result of his
appeal and suggestion:
Feb. 5, ls65.--To.d day these papers.
which explain themselves, were drawn
up and submitted to the cabinet and
unanimously disapproved by them.
A. LINCOLN
1T would appear that there was but
little discussion of the proposition, The
presidents evident earnestness on the
one side and the unanimous dissent of
the cabinet OH the other probably Gre
atcd an awkward situation, which could
be best relieved by silence on each hand.
The diary OF Secretary Welles gives only
n brief mention of the important Incl
dent, but it reflects the feeling which
peryadcd the cabinet chamber:
MoNpAy, Feb g, 1885. There was n
cabinet meeting last evening. The
president had matured scheme which
he hoped would be successful in pro.
noting peace. Ii was a proposition for
paying the expenses of the war for 30
days, or S40O, 00O, 900 to the rebel states
to be for the extinguishment Of slavery
or for such purpose as the states were
disposed. This, in few words was the
scheme. IL did not meet with favor
but was dropped. Tho earnest desire OF
the president to conciliatc and effect
peace was manifest, but there may hc
such a thing ns so OVERRIDING us to cause
distrust or adverse feeling. In the
present temper of congress the proposed
measure, IL a wise one, could not bc car.
ricd through successfully; do not
think the scheme could accomplish any
good results. The rebels would mis-
construe II if the offer were made. II
attempted and defeated IT would do
harm.
THE statement OF Secretary Usher,
written many years afterwards from
memory. also records the deep feeling
with which the president received the
non.concurrence OF his executive coun-
ell;
"The members OF the cabinet were all
opposed He seemed somewhat sur
prised at that, and asked. How long
viii the war last? No one answered.
but lac soon said; A hundred days. We
arc Spending now in carrying on tho
war 81 100000 day, which will amount
to all this money, besides all the lives.
With deep sigh he added, But you
arc all opposed to me and will not
send this message
Tho entry made by Secretary Wellcs
in his diary the morning after the cabinet
meeting us 10 the amount and time is
as IL does, with the presidents manu-
script. But the discrepancy in tho
figures OF the two witnesses Is of little
moment. Both accounts show us that
tho proposal was not based on sentiment
nIe,ric INIT upou n iractical nrit N mot ito |