The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-05

with the South as In any sense party
The South was told to submit uncondi-
,ionallv and trust 10 "cleme ncy." I'VE
promise you nothing" This was clearly
brought out by the questions ana sue-
gestions OF Mr.. Hunter anu Judge camp
bell. In this connection II Is slSnihcant
that AIR. Stephens says (NCl. ?, page
6o0): "Mr Seward said. II is UNDERSTOOD.
gentlemen. that this f. to be an Informal
conference. There IS 20 be no clerk or
Fecretary. no writing or record OF any
thing that is said. All f. 20 be verbal
This was assented TO by the Confederate
commissioners. They could not do other
wise. What higher evidence could De
produced 10 show that the President ana
Secretary OF State Of the United States
did not intend TO make any offer or do
any act which would bind ihemY'
! might quote still further ID more
deliberately from the published works
and letters of Alexander Stephens on
these Tfints ] m!sht qG0te refutauon
as definite and convincing from the Of
fetal statement Of Jefferson Davis, who,
in his great work. 1.-The Rise and Fall Of
the Confederate Government furnishes
facts and proof equally as conclusive
in contradiction OF the story.
But the record, as It stands, seems am
pie for this purpose and ] desire now
to eliminate the testimony in rebuttal by
putting upon the stand a living witness
the last official representative Of the con-
fedoratc recommendation II. Reagan
the Postmaster General-nOw living III
Texas. at the head Of the railroad COM
mission OF that State. fun Of years and
hOnors and in fun possession OF ms re-
markedly vigorous faculties. Immediate
~ upon reading the published report OF
Mr.. WattersOn's lecture ] mailed copy
Of IL to judge Reagan at his ONCE in
Austin, and requested from HIM state
mcnt as 10 the truth or falsity Of the
pars grsph which have reproduced.
Judge Reagan has refused for num-
Der Of years TO enter into any pubic
Cisct lsiOn OF questions relating 10 the
war. but feeling in this instance the
gravity Of he allegations and me MN
responsibility Of the author. he imme-
diat-ly fCrWa rded 10 me the following re-
ply, which in its clear and visorous eio-
qucnce viii serve az once as d climax
10 the argument and peroralon 10 the
sentiment Of the controversy.
JUDGE sEAGAS's LITTER.
Austin. Tex. March . 1925.
John Temple Graves. ESQ., Manchester
Ga:
Dear sir-I am in receipt Of your letter
of the 10Th inst, written at Fort Moith'
Tex. ia which you enclose slip cut from
the Atlanta Constitution. and YOU request
Il short statement from me concerning
the contents of this ncNspaper slip.
In this slip it is said that I'm March,
1862. MI Lincoln sent a mcstEe 10 Con
arcss suggesting joint resolution plcdl-
ms TIE government TO give pccuniary aid
to any state which would gradually dpoi-
ism slavery" / have no information
which enables me 90 say whether this DIS
a correct statement or not However
this may bo. no such information was
ever given TO the Confederate govern
mcnt
1t is also sli1 in this slip that as late
as FchruarylS,5. he president LincolW
submitted TO his Cabinet ID joint rcsoiu-
ton proposing the appropriation of SOD
OjOOD tO ho paid Co The States of Alabama,
Arkansas. Delaware. Florida, Georgia.
Kentucky. Louisiana. Maryland, Mis-
sissippi. Missouri North Carolina. Ien-
nessec. Texas. Virginia, and West Viz
eiuia The payment was 90 be made in
per cent government bonds 10 Doe dis-
tiibuied 10 said states pro sata ON their
slave populations ass shown by the census
Of 1860. the consideration being that all
resistance of the Federal Government
should cease on or before the first day
Of April, lsf5." i am not informed
whether President Lincoln did or did not
submit such a. resolution 10 his Cabinet or
whether this Information az that time or
others than his Cabinet officers, f amy
such thing did occur. II IS certain that
no such information was given 10 the Con-
fcdcratc government or 10 the authorities
Of any state in the C0nfcdcracy
This statement Is made 10 say that, 'ln
his conference with the Confederate CONF
missioncrs at Fortress Monroe he again
repeated his proposition. and said 20 Mr
Stephens, Write Union al the top OF
this page and you may write under 1T
whatever YOU please The President OF
course meant that De would accept any
reasonable proposition short of the cone
tinuancc Of slavery" This is but the ice
yamping of am utterly false statement
which has from time 60 tifnc made its APP
pearance for several years past. The of
fetal report Of our commissioners to that
conference, Mcssrs. Stephens, Hunter and
Campbell. which was published at The
time, and which has been copied into
many historic publications since, makes
no mention OF any proposition 10 pay
500 ODo 900 for the slaves Or of e state
mcnt 10y President Lincoln 10 Mr., Step
hens that If be would write tho word
"Union" at The top OF the page De- might
write under 30 whatever hc pleased Be
sides being present when the report OF
this conference was read 10 the Gone
fegerate Cabinet. / touvcrs,l with caeh
Of our com ulssioucrs separately about
what occurred in that conference. and no
mention was made 10y either OF them of
either of these incidents. but the state
mont was made by each of Them that uO
terms were offered or proposed by Mr.
Lincoln but that the armies of the C0ufed-
cracy should bc abandoned. tho COME lcr-
ate govcrnm nt Boo dissolved and for the
people 10 elect their representatives. to Con
gross. I'm answer TO this. their statements
were that Mr. Hunter said that would
he simply unconditional surrender. and
followed this statement by the interroga-
ton as 10 whether our people were not IN
a better condition with arms in their
hands than 10 be disarmed in the face
OF hostile enemy. They said the only
reply Mr.. Lincoln made 10 this was that
under the Constitution be possessed the
pardonng power. without SAYING when
or hoy that power would be- employed
They also added that he said 20 them
the political questions would have to be
left TO Congress.
II YOU Will turn 10 President Davis
History of the Rise and Fall of the Con
fcderacy' you viii there find am unan-
sWerablc rcfutation of this story about
The offer of Mr. Lincoln TO lay for tho
slaves.
nave not seen the address Of Mr.. Wat
terson. but he is represented 10 have de-
scrbcd scene. supposed 20 have been
enacted AT the Hampton Roads confer
cncc, IN which President Lincoln put
his arm around MIR stephens and said
20 lir ''M rite L rufDu' an tho MINOR fti