Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-11-19
STRANGE SECRET HISTORY.
President Llnoolu's Plan 20 Pay foe slaves.
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PMArg Post.
From the Lincoln life, now approaching
conclusion ia the November Century, ne
quote the following piece Of secret history:
Ga the evening Of February 8. 1865. Pres
ide { Lincoln called bis Cabinet together
and read to them the following draft of q
message and proclamation, which be had
written during the day, and upon which
be invited their opinion and advice
"Fellow citizens of the Senate and House
of Representative; respectfully recon-
mend that a jlint resolution, substantially
as follows, be adopted, az soon as pfao-
ticable, BY your honorable body:
Resoired, By the Senate and House Of
Representatives of the Unit d States OF
America in congress assembled, That the
President Of the United Stats is hereby
empowered, in bis discretion, to pay S4t0,
OOO. 600 to the States OF Alabama, Arkan-
eas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Ken
lucky. Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi,
Missouri, North Carolina, South CuOlina,
repgessee, Texas, Virginia aud Yves, Vir-
g,nia, in the manner ard on the conditions
following, to-wil: The payment to be made
10 per cent government bonds ard to be
distributed among said States pro rata on
their respective slave populations, as
shown by .he census Of 1860, and 10 part
Of said sum TO be paid uHless all resistance
to the national authority shall be aban-
doned and cease on or before the first day
Of April next; and upon such abandon
ment and ceasing o. resistance one half Of
said sum to be paid IN manner Aforesaid,
and the remaining half 10 be paid only
upon the amendment Of the national cOu-
stitution recently proposed by Congress
becoming valid law, on OF before the first
day of July next, by the action thereon Of
the requisite number Of States.
The adoption OF such resolution Is
sought with a view to embOdy it. with
other propositions, IN proclamation look
ID to peace and reunion.
Whereas a joint resolution has been
sdopted by Congress in the words follow
ing to Wit:
Nov, therefore, l. Abraham Lincoln,
PRECEDENT Of the United States, do pro
claim, declare, and make known, that on
the conditions therein stated, the power
conferred on the executive in and by said
Joint resolution will be fully exercised;
that war Will cease and armies be reduced
TO q basis of peace; that all political Of
lenses will be pNdoned; thst all property
except slaves, liable TO coniscatiOn or for
teiture. will be released therelrOm. except
M case Of intervening interests Of third
pa. .es. and that lberality will be recon-
meuded 20 Congress upon all points not
iyirg within executive conlrcl."
Ii may be SAID with truth that this was
going 10 the verge of maguanimity toward
foe alresdy in the throes and helpless
atss OF oyerght ning defeat.
Il turned cut that be was more human
than bis constitutional advisers The in
dOrsement OF his own handwrirg on the
manuscript draft Of his proposed message
records the result Of his sppeal and sug-
gestion.
FEBRUARY ., 1860. To-day these pa
pers, which explain themselves, were
drawn M and submitted &c soc cabinet and
unanimously disapproved by them.
"a. LINCOLN"
Il would appear that there was but little
discussion Of the proposition. The Pfesi-
dents evident earnestness on the one side
aud the unanimous dissent Of the cabinet
on the other, probably created sn awk-
ward situst On which could be best re-
heved By silence on each hand. The diary
Of Secretary Welles gives only a brief msu-
ZION Of the important incident, but il re
d-cts the feeling ahieh porvaded the csb
met chamber.
MONDAY, February 6, 1865.
"Thele was Cabinet meeting last
evening. The President matured scheme
which he hoped would De successful in
promoting peace 1t vas a proposition for
paving the expenses Of the war for 200
DAYS. OF 800. 600 600 to the rebel States,
to be for the extinguishment Of slavery or
for such purposes as the States were dis
pcsei. This, 10 few words, Was the
scheme. IL did no. meet with favor, bat
was dropped. The earnest desire Of the
President to conciliate and elicit peace
was manifest, but there may be such
thirg IS OVERRIDING as 10 cause distIust
or sdverse feeling. Ia the present temper
OF Congress the proposed measure, If a |
wise one, could have been carried through |
successfully; do net think the scheme |
could accomplish any good results. Toe
rebels would misconstrue it If the offer |
we're made. Ii ATTEMPTED and defeated it
would do harm
The statement Of Secretary Usher, writ
ten many years ago sfterwayd from menu
ory. also records the deep feeling with /
which the president received the non-eOn-
curIencs Of his executive council:
''rbe members of the cabinst we're all /
opposed. lie seemed somewhat surprised /
at that aud ssksd, How long will The war
'as'?' No ore answered, bat he soon said:
"A hundred days. We are sPsniieg nov
in carrying on the var three millions a
lay, which will amount to al this money, {