The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-06-05
MILLIONS FOR SLAVES.
Col. McCIure's Recollectlons Of Lincoln
on the Question.

There has recently been considera-
BILE discussion by leading orators and
journalists as to the attitude of Presi-
dent Lincoln on the question of COM
pensated emancipation at the Hamp-
ton Roads conference, where Mr..
Lincoln and Mr.. Seward met Mr..
Stephens, Mr.. Hunter and Mr.. Camp
bell, who had been appointed by
President Davis, of the Confederacy,
to confer on the subject of peace.
This controversy has resulted in
clearing the atmosphere Of doubt, and
it will greatly aid the truth Of history.
The controversy started by state
ment made by Col. Watterson in re-
cent lectures that at the conference
President Lincoln presented a blank
paper to Mr.. Stephens. saying {:
'sWrite Union on one side and what
you please on the other" and adding
that Lincoln had in hand the PROPOSE
tion to pay $4OO, 100000 as compensa-
tion for the slaves of the South, if
war could thus be ended and the
Union fully restored. This has been
disputed by Mr.. Graves, connected
with the Atlanta Constitution, and
has brought out also letter from Mr..
Howell Of the same paper, reporting
an interview with Mr.. Stephens some
time after the Hampton Roads con-
| ference.
The two important points Of denial
developed by this controversy are as
follows: First, it is denied that Mr..
Lincoln made any such proposition to
the Southern commissioners and,
second, it is denied that Mr.. Lincoln
favored the payment Of s400,000,00O
as compensation to the South for the
surrender of slaves. To these may be
added the emphatic statement of the
Chicago Tribune that, even had Mr.
Lincoln such settlement Of the war,
it would have been rejected by the
Government and the people Of the
North.
The undisputed records prove that
Mr.. Lincoln did favor the payment Of
$400,000,0O0 as compensation to the
South for the surrender of slavery and
| the restoration Of the Union and it
is conclusiyely shown, also, from Mr..
Lincoln's action and from the records,
| that he did not propose payment for
| slaves to the Southern commissioners
| because they were not at liberty to
| negotiate on any other basis than
| recognition of the Southern Confed-
eracy.
Mr.. Lincoln favored compensated
emancipation from the beginning Of
the war down to the 5th of February,
| 1895, and he believed in it no less
thereafter until the day he died, but
he did not press it upon Congress or
upon the country. He exhibited to
the writer hereof in August, 1864, a
written proposition for the payment of
$4OO, 900, 1000 to the South as compen-
sation for slaves if it would end the
war and restore the authority of the
Union throughout the entire country.
he favored it not only because he be-
lieved that it would save more than
$4OO,OOO,OOO of the expenditure, but
also because he believed it would
bring the South back to the Union in
much more friendly relations to the
Government than they could be re-
turned by the sword. He believed
| also that in no other way could the
Southern armies be returned to peace
full pursuits and the South saved from
anarchy after the military power Of
the Confederacy had been broken.
He informed the editor Of this jour-
| nal after his return from the Hampton
Roads conference that he would have
proposed the payment Of s4OO, 100000
for Southern slaves as basis of peace
| had he not been precluded at the
| outset by Mr.. Stephens frankly stat
| ing to him that he was instructed by
| President Davis to entertain no prop.
| osition that did not recognize the per
petuity of the Confederacy. This
| statement is confirmed by Mr.. Ste
| phens's interview with Mr.. Howell
and also by an interview the editor Of
this journal had with Jefferson Davis
some fifteen years after the war.
Stephens stated to Mr.. Howell, as Mr..
Davis stated to Mr.. Mcclure, that Mr..
Davis had instructed the commission.
| ers not to entertain any negotiations
that did recognize the perpetuity OF
the Confederacy. Mr.. McClure's in.
terview with Mr.. Davis was published
in these columns and republished
throughout the entire country and has
never been disputed. Mr.. Davis lived
for nearly ten years thereafter and
gave special contributions to this
journal during that period.
Mr.. Lincoln s attitude on the ques'
tion is entirely beyond dispute. He
met the Southern commissioners al
Hampton Roads the Sd of February,
| 1865, and had protracted conference
with them on board the River Queen
then lying at anchor near Fortress
Monroe. That conference was entirely
fruitless because Of Mr.. StepheDs's
frank statement at the outset that his
| instructions we're not to entertain any
proposition that did not recognize the
Confederacy. AS President Lincolr
could not discuss thas question at all
the conversation was entirely desul
tory and necessarily accomplished
nothing.
President Lincoln returned from the
Hampton Roads conference and two
days thereafter, February 5, 1865, ht
summoned his Cabiuet and read tx
the members the draft of message
and proclamation which he had writ
ten that day. In the message he pro
posed to Congress that authority b(
given him to attain peace by the pay
ment of s4OO, 100000 as compensation
for slaves. The message and procla
nation to follow the approval Of Con
gress were submitted to the Cabinet
at which there was doubtless full
discussion of what had transpired a
Fortress Monroe. The Cabinet off
GERS, therefore, understood that Presi
dent Davis would consider no PROPOSE
ton that did not recognize the per
petuity Of the Gonfederacy, and tn
result was the unanimous disapprova
Of President Lincoln's proposed mes
| ,.no o,d novmont for o1auaa On thi