The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-05-16
THE NPTON ROADS CONFED-
ERENCE
Norfolk Tirganidn.

NOrJ0tE bTg1HadH
Quite an interesting controversy Is
being carried on between Henry Wat
terson, Of the Louisville C0ur5er-Jour'a-
al, and John Temple Graves relative to
the Hampton Roads conference, which
occurred early III 1863 between Pre-l-
dent Lincoln and Secretary Seward, on
the Union side. and Vice President
Stephens. r. VI. T. Hunter and Judge
Campbell, on the side Of the Southern
Confederacy. The conference was
held with view OF adopting some plan
by which hostilities between the North
and South could be stopped, and 1t is
upon what occurred between President
Lincoln and Vice President Stephens
on that occasion which are the grounds
Of the controversy. Mr.. Watterson
says that during the conference
President Lincoln presented blank
sheet Of paper to Nice-President Ste
phens and sad Write the word Tn
ion on one side and what you please on
the other and he added that Mr. LIN
coin based that statement upon the
| proposal held in bis hand TO apprOpll-
ate 500, 600, 900 as compensation for
slaves"
This statement is disputed by Mr..
Graves in an elaborate letter published
in the Atlanta Constitution. Mr.. Graves
denies that President Lincoln made any
such proposition and quotes from rec
ords left by Vice President Stephens
and Messrs. Hunter and Campbell,
which it appears, makes no mention OF
the incident. Mr.. Watterson, howev-
er, received his information direct from
Vice President Stephens whom lie
states also told Gen. John B. Gordon
and one Or two others.
In further supply OF his statement
Mr.. Watterson publishes long letter
from Col. Evan A. Howell, of the At
lanta Constitution, in which that gen.
tle1nan sustains him in what he has
said about the occurrence. Col How
ell saws that, Gin 1882, soon after Mr.
} Stephens was inaugurated governor OF
Georgia he spent day at my residence
at West End in this city" meaning
Atlanta, and on that occasion Stephens
said that President Lincoln took up a
piece OF paper saying Il Will write
, one word at the top of this sheet Of pa
per and that word will be union and
with this as basis you may write out
the terms Of settlement, and on that
will use all my influence to have Con
gress settle as we agree"
Col. Howell says:
Il asked Mr.. Stephens that time tC
permit me to publish the conversation
but he expressed bis preference to have
nothing said about it, as the confer
ence was a matter OF unwritten history
and he did not feel even then author
lied to make 1t public. Since, howev
er, the matter has come up for newspa-
per discussion. | think it but just te
all concerned that the public be giver
the benefit of this statement from one
OF the most important characters il
| that noted conference.
, Col. Howell gives graphic accoun
of his conversation with Mr.. Stephens
on the subject under discussion, and
! as the Savannah NeWs remarks, because
2 no mention is made of the incident il
, Mr. Stephens ''own book" Or any othe
t book on the civil war, it doesn't follow
that it isn't true. The reason it doesn'
appear in Mr.. Stephens book, or an,
other book, is apparent in Col Howell
story. At MIR. Lincoln's request Nh
7 Stephens agreed to keep the incident
a secret. He appears to have done so un
q til long after there was any necesst
l. for secrecy in respect to it. He woul,
not even consent to allow Col. Howell
to publish 1t at the time he told it t.
! him Mr.. Lincoln had no reason TO
t making it public, and, as far as known
O did not do so,