The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-05-15
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN !
PRESIDENT LlNCOLN'S ONE CON-
DlTlON.

Roads Conference--Agreeing to Union
the Confederacy's Demands Would Have
Been Granted.
ATLANTA, May, 7.-Col. Evan P.
Howell, of the Atlanta Constitution,
adds an interesting chapter to the con-
troversy over what occurred at the
Hampton Roads conference between
President Lincoln and Hon. Alexan-
der Stephens, Vice President of the
Confederacy. It will be remembered
that Mr.. Watterson recently stated
that at that conference President Lin
coin presented a sheet of paper to Mr..
Stephens, saying, Il will write the
word union at the top and you may
write what you please on the other"
a statement which is taken as mean
ing that Mr.. Lincoln was ready and
willing to pay the South for the
slaves. In last Sundays Constitution
John Temple Graves endeavored to
Ishow that Mr.. Lincoln made no such
proposition and he quotes from Messrs.
Stephens, Reapon, Hunter and Camp
bell to sustain him in the issue thus
made. The Philadelphia Times, in an
editorial written presumably by Colo
mel Mcclure, throws additional light
on the subject claiming that Mr.. Lin
coin would have proposed to pay the
South S400, 900, 900 for her slaves, but
did not make the proposition simply
because MIR. Stephens had stated atthe
outset that he could not entertain any
proposition that did not embrace the
perpetuity of the Confederacy.
Col. Howell's letter gives the details
of conversation he had with Alexan-
der 81. Stephens on the subject under
discussion. Shortly after Mr.. Stephens
was inaugurated Governor of Georgia,
in the year 1882, he spent day as the
guest of Col. Howell at his home. At
ter dinner, the talk turned to the
Hampton Roads conference, and Mr..
Howell asked Mr.. Stephens if he ever
had any hope that the conference
would turn out differently from the
way it did, Mr.. Stephens said:
Il had great hope when the question
was first agitated about the conference.
I was always in favor of settling the
war and preventing further bloodshed
and when the conference was suggest
ed by Mr.. Blair and others, I took a
very active part in pushing it. There
was very bitter opposition to it on the
part of the friends of President Davis
in the Congress, but finally it was au
thorized and commissioners were Sc
lected to attend the conference. Much
to my regret these commissioners were
given specific instructions which pre-
vented them negotiating for peace on
Iany other basis than that which guar
Ianteed the independence and autono-
my of the Confederate States"
| Mr. Stephens went On to tell of his con-
| ference with Mr.. Davis, in which he
urged that the commission be not ham,,
pered with Instructions, but he got no
encouragement; on the other hand,
the day the commissioners left, they
were pointedly informed that no set
Itlement could be considered that did
not recognize the independence of the
lConfederate government Mr.. Steph-
ems told of the meeting with Mr.. Lin
Icoln and his associates and the cordi-
lality of Mr.. Lircoln's greeting of the
Representatives Of the Confederacy.
After we had returned to the saloon
of the steamer, ," continued Mr.. Steph-
lens, Mr.. Lincoln was very talkative
and pleasant with all of the commits
sioners. He seemed to be in splendid
Ihumor and was in excellent spirits.
After a while I joined him and we
went apart from the others and sat
down at small table where there was
writing material. This was before
any formal discussion had commenced.
Mr.. Lincoln broached the subject Of
the conference and expressed special
pleasure at the fact that I was one of
the commissioners. He said to me
with great earnestness: I believe
YOU and I can settle this matter. I
know you and you know me. I have
confdence in your integrity and be-
llievey you have in mine l donot think
YOU would ask me to do anything i'm
proper and I would not require your
consent to anything which I believe
unjust Picking up piece of paper
and pushing it toward me, he said: I
will write one word at the top of this
sheet of paper and that word will be
union, and with that as basis, you
may write out the terms of settlement
and on that will use all my influence
to have Congress settle as we agree.
II then told him what our instruc-
tons were from President Davis and
when I did a cloud came over his face,
his chin dropped to his breast and for
several minutes he did not say word.
After pause he raised out of his seat
land said to me with hands uplifted.
Then lam not responsible for any fur
ther bloodshed. had hoped the war
would end with this conference, but it
lis impossible to make any settlement
with the instructions by which you are
| bound. I trust you will consider
confidential what has occurred between
US.
"If we had been empowered to ne
eotiate settlement with the preserva-
ltion of the Union as basis, the South
would have been paid for our salves
land we would have got an just and
an honorable and reasonable recogni-
ton at the hands of Mr.. Lincoln. OF
coruse our instructions binding us to
recognize only the independence OF the
ISouth, prevented our accomplishing
|anything, for at the threshold of Mr..
lLincoln's desire for peace, was his de-
1 MOI no hocaI
| Union"
:.These are the words, as near as l
can remember, which Mr. Stephens
spoke at my residence" says Col.
i Howell. With the exception of my
family. the only person present was
the late Mark Johnston, an intimate
/ friend of Mr. Stephens since boyhood
and neighbor of mine, who I had in
! vited over to take dinner with me-.
Il asked Mr.. Stephens at that time