Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-05-10
LINCOLN'S PROPOSITION.
Take What You Will; But Preserve the
Union.

Take What You Will; But Preserve the
Union.
There has been a good deal of con-
troversy lately as to what occurred be-
tween Alexander H. Stephens and
President Lincoln at the famous Hamp-
ton Roads conference during the latter
part of the war. The general under
standing is that Lincoln proposed to
Stephens that the government would
paw S4O0,O0O,00O for the Southern
Slaves and peace would be declared
on that basis. In last Sundays Allan
ia Constitution, John Temple Graves
stated that no proposition was made,
and in confederation of the statement,
quotes the reports of various commits
siopers to the conference.
Captain Evan P. Howell has come
forward with some heretofore unpub-
lished information on the subject un-
der discussion. He says that he got
his information direct from Alexander
H. Stephens, short time before the
death of that statesman. 1t was in
Difference to Mr.. Stephens's wishes
that Captain Howell failed to make
the information public. Now, how
ever, that the matter has become the
subject of a heated newspaper contro-
versy, Captain Howell thinks that he
should remain silent no longer.
According to Captain Howell, Mr..
Stephens told ofwhat occurred between
himself and Lincoln about as follows:
"Before there was any formal discus
sion of the matter under consideration,
Mr.. Lincoln took me apart from the
others to table on which there was
some writing material, and said Il ain
GLAD this conference has been called,
and l believe you and can settle this
matter. I know you and you know
me. I have confidence in your integ-
rity and 1 believe you have in mine.
do not think you would ask me to do
anything improper, and I would not
require your consent to do anything /
believe to be unjust Then picking
up a piece of paper and pushing it
toward me, he continued: 4 will
write one word at the top of this sheet
of paper, and that word will be
Union and with that as basis, you
NAV write out the terms of settle
ment, and on that will I use all my
influence to have congress settle as we
agree"
II then told Mr.. Lincoln that Presi-
dent Davis had instructed us to agree
to no terms of settlement that did not
recognize the independence of the
Confederacy. At this intelligence, a
cloud came over Mr.. Lincoln's face,
his chin dropped to his breast, and for
several minutes he did not say word.
After q pause he raised out of his seat
and said to me with hands uplifted,
Then I am not responsible for any
further bloodshed had hoped that
the war would end with this confer
ence; but with the instructions by
which you are bound, it is impossible
to make any settlement. l trust that
you will consider confident what has
occurred between US
eff we had been empowered to nego-
tiate settlement with the preservation
of the Union as basis, the South would
have been paid for our slaves and
we would have got just, an honor
able and reasonable recognition at the
hands of Mr.. Lincoln. Of course our
instructions binding US to recognize
only the independence of the South,
prevented our accomplishing anything,
for at the threshold of Mr.. Lincoln's
desire for peace, was his determination
that it must be based upon Union"