The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-06-05

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coin Made Any Proposition to Appro
pirate s4O0. O00, 900 In Payment For the
6laves-An Interesting Story.
Colonel Henry Watterson has provoked
lively historical controversy by means
of the subjoined passage in a lecture W hich
he has been delivering In the west. Il i.
the description of dramatic and signif-
can't incident which Mr.. Watterson says
occurred at the meeting of Mr.. Lincoln
and Mr.. Seward with the Confederate
commissioners, Stephens, Hunter and
Campbell, as Hampton Roads, in January,
1865:
After the formal interview ct that famous
Hampton Roads conference Mr.. Lincoln, the
friend, still the old Wing colleague, though
one was now president of the United States
and the other vice president of tire Southern
Confederacy, took the "siim, pale faced, con-
sumptive little man. aside, and placing his
arm over his shoulder pointed to a sheet of pa
per he held in his other hand and said, 'Ste-
phens, write Union at the top of that page,
and you may write below it whatever you
please
In the preceding conversation Mr.. Lincoln
had intimated that payment for the slaves was
not outside CT a possible agreement for reun-
ion and peace. He based that statement upon
q proposal he had already in hand to appro-
pirate s400, 600 to this purpose. / am net
going to tell any tales out of school, / am not
here for controversy, but when we are dead
and gone the private memorabilia of those
who knew what terms were really offered the
Confederacy, within 90 days of its total coll
lapse, will show that in the individual judy
ment of all of them the wisdom Of the situa
ton said, "Accept!'
An elaborate reply to Mr.. Watterson has
been published by Mr.. John Temple Graves
of the Atlanta Constitution. Mr. Graves
says, in substance. that the story is old
and has been frequently exploded that it
is ridiculous and libel Oh the memory Of
the Confederate leaders because it repre-
sents them as preferring the continuance
Of a hopeless war to the acceptance Of
terms which it would have been folly to
reject; that the testimony of Mr.. Hunter.
Judge Campbell and Mr.. Stephens himself
disproves the assertion that Lincoln made
any such sweeping offer as is indicated by
the remark, "Write Union at the top of
that page, and you may write below it
whatever you please" Finally Mr.. Graves
produces an interesting letter which he
has received from Judge Reagan of Texas,
the only surviving member of Jefferson
Davis cabinet Judge Reagan expresses
surprise that Mr.. Watterson "should have
been misled by the false statements refer
red to-" Among other reasons for disbe-
leving the story he offers the following
statement:
The official report Of our commissioners to
that conference, Messrs. Stephens, Hunter
10 icI<
and which was copied into many historic pub
locations since, makes no mention Of any prop
osition to nay S4G1 000 600 for the slaves, or Of
a statement by President Lincoln to Mr.. Ste
phens that if he would write the word Union
al the top of the page he might write under it
whatever ne pleased. Besides being present
when the report of that conference was read
to the Confederate cabinet, ccnversed with
each of our commissioners separately about
what occurred in that conference, and no men
ton was made by either of them of either Of
these incidents
Carefully examined, Judge Reagan's
testimony on this point will be found TO
be negative merely and not so important
as it seems. There was undoubtedly talk
at the Hampton Roads conference about
the possibility of payment for the slaves,
and the sum of $500, 600, 900 was mention
ed by Mr.. Lincoln. Mr.. Stephens nara
tive in the second volume of his "War Be-
tween the States" leaves no doubt of this.
Mr.. Graves indeed quotes part of Mr.. Ste
phens' account, but only to show that the
slave payment proposition was an ire
sponsible expression of Mr.. Lincoln's per-
sonal views on the subject and in no sense
an offer of terms TO the COnfederacy.
As is well known, Stephens went into
that conference with the idea that a meth
cd of accommodation between the north
and the south might be found in Louis
Napoleon's Mexican enterprise: that an
armistice would permit both the United
States government and the Confederacy TO
turn their attention to the enforcement of
the Monroe doctrine. Mr.. Lincoln kept
recurring TO the thought uppermost in his
own mind-name,y, that the restoration
of the Union was the first and necessary
condition of any arrangement. Mr.. Ste
phens' account represents the presi lent as
stating this over and over agaiI. in one
form and another:
Mr. Lincoln SAID in substance, that there
was but one way he knew of, and that was for
those who We're resisting the laws of the I'm
ion to cease that resistance.-Page 600
Mr.. Lincoln said in substance, 1.-The resto-
ration of the Union is a sine qua non with me-"
Page col.
Mr. Lincoln replied with considerable ear
aestness that he could entertain no proposition
for ceasiEg active military operations which
was not based on pledge first given for the
ultimate restoration of the Union.-PaGe Coz.
He repeated that he could not entertain
proposition for ar armistice on any terms
while the great ard vital question of reunion
was undisposed Of. That was the first Ques-
ton TO be settied.-Page COS.
But when the conversation was nearing
its end, and Mr.. Hunter had commented
with some aipeFity of words and tone upon
the uncertainty of the future of the south
ern people in case of the unconditional SUBJ
mission which was demanded, Mr.. Lin
coin. as reported by Mr.. Stephens, replied
in these words:
Mr.. Lincoln said that, so far rs the confsca-
ton acts and other penal acts were concerned,
their enforcement was left entirely with him.
and on that point he was perfectly willing to
be fun and explicit, and on his assurance per
feet reliance might be placed. He should eX-
ercisa the power of the executive with the ut
moss liberalitv. He went on 10 say that he
should he willing to be taxed to remuncra1e
the southern people for their slaves. He be-
lieved the people Of the north were a reSnon-
sihls for slavery q the people of the south.
End If the Way should then cease, with the vol
untary ,s5olition Of slavery by the states. he
should b IL favor individually of the govern
nlent payirg a fair indemnity for the loss 70
the owners. He sal. h. believed this feeling
had IN extensive existence in the north. ne
knew some v no = ere IL favor Of al aPp7oprl-
alton rs high - Stl1,V91oI0 fer this purpose.
could mention persons, said ne, whose names
would aSto2ish you. who are willing 70 do
this if the var shsll now Geese without FUR
ther expense and ~ n The abolition of slavery
81 stated. But On th-a subject he said he could
give 70 assurance. inter into no stipulation.
He barely expressed has own feelings ard
views ans; what hs believed % b the views u
Others upon the sybiect.-P2ge o.,
T,ba,, n iffo orr,,haSiza NJ Tincolr1' ( ey-