Omaha daily bee., 1895-05-13
COMPENSATED EMANCIPATION.

From the historical point of view the
controversy over the question whether
President Lincoln proposed to certain
representatives of the confedcracy to
pay $40O,00O,O00 to the south as COM
pensatlon for slaves If the war could
be ended and the union fully restored
on that basis is interesting. In his lee
ture on Lincoln Mr.. Henry Watterson
stated that at the Hampton Roads con-
Secretary Seward on the union side
and Vice President Stephens, II. NJ. Il.
Hunter and Judge Campbell on the
southern side, early in 1865, such
a proposition was submitted to
the confederate representatives by
Mr.. Lincoln. Mr.. John Temple
Graves of the Atlanta Constitu-
ton takes issue with the bril-
liant editor of the Louisville Courier
Journal and denies that any such prop
osition was made by President Lincoln,
presenting statements in support of the
denial from records left by Stephens,
Hunter and Campbell.
The controversy thus raised has re-
ceiyed contributions from two other
distinguished sources-Colonel Nc
Clure, editor of the Philadelphia Times,
and Mr.. Charles A. Dana of the New
York Sun. Colonel Mcclure states that
in point of fact both Mr.. Watterson
and Mr.. Graves are in error and says:
"Mr. Lincoln made no such PROPOSE
ton at the Hampton Roads conference,
and this statement is made upon Mr..
Lincoln's own authority as given to
the writer hereof, He made no such
proposition because of Mr. Stephens
frank announcement at the opening of
the conference that he could not enter
tain any proposition that did not en-
brace the perpetuity of the confederacy.
1t was this fact, and this alone, that
made President Lincoln and Secretary
Seward offer no terms or. conditions
whatever for the termination of the
war, and it was for that reason, and
| that alone, that he made no PROPOSE
| ton for the payment of S400, 100000 to
| the south to emancipate the slaves
Colonel Mcclure further says that as
early as August, 1864. Mr.. Lincoln ex-
to pay $400 100000 to the south as com
pensation for slaves II the war could
| be ended and the union fully restored
ON that basis, but he did not make II
public because it would have defeated
his reelection and probably defeated
the full fruition of the cause for which
so much had been sacrificed He
would gladly have made the PROPOSE.
| tion to the southern commissioners al
Hampton Roads had opportunity been
given him to do So" says Colonel Me
Clure, but when the commissioners
were concluded against entertaining
any basis of peace but the acknowledg
ment of the confederacy the president
of the union had no terms to Offer
This testimony, together with that fur
nished by the records of the southern
commissioners, appears to cOnclusively
show that Mr.. WattersOn's statement
Is erroneous. There was undoubtedlS
talk at the Hampton Roads conference
as Mr. Dana says. about the possibility
of payment for the slaves and the sun
OF $4000O0,0O0 was mentioned by Mr.
Lincoln, but simply as an irresponsible,
expression of his personal views on the
subject ana in no sense an offer OF
terms to the cOnfederacy. There is Of
course no question that President Lin
coin favored compensated emancipa
ton. He proposed 1t early in the wal
and adhered to 1t to the end. but go
little support for the proposition from
the country.
1t will be interesting in this connec
ton to note that the idea OF payinl
for the slaves appears not to have beeI
original with Mr.. Lincoln. AccordnI
TO COoper's american Politics" til,
idea of compensated emancipation orig
mated with or was first formulated .,
James B. Mexican of New York. who a
the second session of the Thlrty-slxtl
congress, 1861. introduced resolution