The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-29

store 1T IL | had the power. | thing |
better for the black race that they are
free, and | am sure that it is better fo
the white race thaG there are no slaves
Some great Macaulay Of the future
will tell these grand truths to posteritN
better and more forcibly than | can il
this brief address, and will by reference
to history, to the sacred Scriptures and
to the constitution Of the United States
as made by our revolutionary fathers
vindicate the patriotism and the heroic
virtues and struggles of our people.
WHY THERE WAS NO COMPROMISE.
In later times those not familiar with
the facts to which am referring have
asked the question: Way was no,
this great question compr omised -
stating that it would have cost a fifth
OF the money to pay for and liberate
the slaves that the war cost, and that
in that way the tens of thousands OF
valuable lives OF good men might have
been saved, and all the attendant suf-
ierlng prevented.
The first answer to that question is,
that the slaves in the United states at
the beginning OF the war were estima-
ted to be OF the value of three thousand
million dollars, and If they were to be
| liberated common honesty required
that 1T should have been at the expense
| OF the nation, which was responsib BILE
for its existence. The Republicans
and the anti-slavery people were then
majority OF the white people and had
full poss' ssion of the Federal govern
ment, or were ready and authorized to
take possession Of it. And they de-
manded that the whole loss to arise
from the freeing of the slaves should
fal! on their owners and on the South
ern States. They never proposed and
would not have consented for the Fed
eral government and the Northern peo-
pie to pay any part OF the cost OF free
ing the slaves. Their patriotism was
not of the kind which would cause them
to assume part Of the burden Of cor
recting what they claimed to be u great
national wrong. And that, too, q
wrong, II 1T was wrong, which we in
herlted frou other and older ma
tions, and which was incorporated in
our social and industrial systems. and
sanctioned by our institutions, State
and Federal, in the organization of the
governments. The agitators were
willing and anxious to be patriotic and
just at the expense OF other people
The second answer to 1t is, that the
industrial and social systems of the
Southern States were SO interviewer
with the interest Of slavery that the
people then believed the freedom Of the
slaves, without compensation, meant
the bankruptcy of the people and
States whore it existed, to be followed
probably by a war of races. | am speak
ing OF what they then believed AS an
evidence that our own people, in the
earlier years of the Republic, recog-
n'Zed the necessity OF acquiescing in
the social and Industrial conditions
which had grown out Of African slave
ry, history tells us that Gen. George
Washington, who was an extensive
stakeholder, was made commander in
chief OF our revolutionary armies. He
was the president of the convention
which formed the constitution of the
United States, and was elected as the
first president Of the Upited States, and
was reelected to that position. Mr..
Jefferson, Mr.. Madison, Mr. Monroe,
Gen. jackson, MIR. Polk and Gen Tay-
lor were each elected president of the
United States, and all of them were
the owners OF slaves. They, like the
trainers of the constitution, recognized
that this country had inherited u con-
dition OF things in this respect in
which 1T became necessary to acquiesce.
do not assume to know whether, If a
proposition to pay for the slaves had
been made, 1T would have been accept
ed.
Such q sacrifice as that which was
demanded of tho Southern people, has
not in the worlds history been submit
ted to by any people without an ap-
peal to the last dread arbitrament Of
war. And ours were a chivalric, intel
llgent proud and liberty loving people,
and ii they he'd submitted to this sacri-
flee without struggle they would have
proven themselves unworthy to be free
men, and unworthy of the proud title
Gf being Americans. And | say now,
with deliberation and sincerity, in
view of all the calamities of the
war, If the same condition of things
could again occur, | would rather ac-
cept those calamities than belong to a
race of towards and surrender the most
sacred rights OF self government to the
clamor OF majority overriding the
constitution and demanding terms SO
revolving to our sense of Justice.
THE HAMPTON ROADS CONFERENCE.
In this connection [ desire to saw
that it has been frequently asserted
OF late years that at the conference be-
tween President Lincoln and Secretary
Seward Of the Federal side, aud Messrs.
Stephens, Hunter and Campbell Of the
Confederate side, at Hampton Roads
on the Sd of January, 1865, that Presi-
dent Lincoln offered the Confederates
$40O, ,OOO,0 900 for the slaves il thcy
would abandon the war and return to
the union. This story has assumed
various forms to suit the the rhetoric
OF the speakers and writer's who have
given 1T currency | wish to assert
most sOlemnly that no such offer in any
form was made. All the papers relat
ing to the Hampton Roads Conference
are given in McPherson's History OF
the Rebellion" as he calls it. They
show that the joint resolution for
amending the constitution of the
United States was passed by Congress
submitting to the States the question
OF abolishing slavery in the United
States, two or three days before the
date of the conference. The report OF
the commissioners on the part of the
Confederacy, which was published at
the time, shows that no such offer was
made or referred to In that conference.
The statement OF President ID WIS and
that OF President Lincoln and OF Sec
retary Seward show that no such offer
was made or talked OF at that confer.
ence. This false statement has been
often made. 1t is dispr0ven by every
man who was there, and by every pa
per which has been written by or for
the men who were there. Neither
President Lincoln nor any other man
! on the Federal side would have dared
to mako such an offe" at that time
IT was stated at the dime, and | believe
the statement to he vrue, that the Con