Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-27


asking him If Mr. Lincoln hau lay
time said that II the South W." r-n,on
down her arms and return ~ 'n staves
she would receive pay TOT ~ ~ I'm
Mr.. Stephens replied tha' L., - that
coin had ever made q propos,",o,,
k,nd he had never heard oil II. lot
- aiso o,o,e the following from ~
.or ,.r,,,cn Ia the Hon Frank y. SeA'vn'
~ March 1855. and published "a ~
naysnaners at that time, In VIM"
! says: .,r, NJ the
.o,,,,,ssIonors from the Fort Mo''l
oonference I was todd by Senator jan, '',,-
or close friend Of, and cer'a'"l,
q, ,he confidence Of Mr.. StephehS' -,
Nfr s.euhens had told him the 81
rafore and Just after the return Vi
oo,,rotssiorers. that the conference
,.,.orIv frultless; that Mr.. Lincoln
81 ,ba confederate States nothing pnl
,,,condl,ional submission; that W -.
had nothing TO do but resist 10 tne '"9'
or surrender at discretion ohia IN
no, robr-iary &. 1856 u am a"'v
H. mt aste from an entry in my u'"'s
bon, az the time. which was W. -
~. ,ho return Of the comm'ssioli''''
e.a,hors in conversation WIN iio"'
|,se,ard Anderson. of Georgia anu my
satf in the Chamber OF Represent, -
~ the Confederate states. sali .nae ~. -
lincoln offered the Southern otao''
thing but unconditional subfnissIo' 10,
q was utterly impossible 10 en- ~
neaceful negotiations with h'"'' - -.
offered the Confederate STATES ho -,
M all but laying down our arm a.
trusting entirely TO mis- cleine"0 -
that Of the United States. MI -,
son and / both said we couid on'y -.
those terms in any event, anu '.to,rat-
notbine 10 be accomplished by anucipa'-
ing them. Mr.. Stephens uiu HV'
from our expressions. Aa
81 was told that Mr.. stephens 10
preylous 70 this conversation ss'iu
now only needed stout hearts anu s.lo's
arms dld not hear him say ms; II
was told me at breakfast on Sunuay
morning. February 5. 1855. Ny diaty
does not show who told me. thihh "
also came from Senator Orr.
MIR. STEPHENS. AGAIN
Some time after the war. between
1895 and 1870. a somewhat heated con-
troversv arose between two gentlemen
IN san Augustine county, where l then
lived. as TO the paragraphs above quotea
from Colonel WatteTsOns address one
of them averred I'm the most unqualined
terms that the administration ana con-
eress Of the Confederate States were
alone TO blame for the loss OF the ne
e,roes "a slaves, because Mr.. Lincoln
ofered s4OOO0OOO0 for them at the Mon
roe conference and his offer was ha'iy
refused The other as warmly contra
dicted this avorment. The latter was
ma, lifelong friend. Colonel s. W. Blount
enc Of the signers OF the Declaration OF
Tndonendence Of Texas, deceased only
few years since He appealed to me
for Information as to fact j told MN
that the statement made by his adVer-
sary was completely untrue. but INC
other gentleman insisted that / was mis-
taken. Colonel Blount, who IN MS boy
hood had been a schoolmate OF MI
stephens. wrote 70 him on the subject.
Mr. Stephens promptly replied that IL
was not true that Mr.. Lincoln had ever
offered TO pay any sum Tor lhe ne
groos of the South. and added: thlhh
(as I now state from memory that the
only element Of truth in the reference
10 the slaves Of the South was so much
mixed M and infused with falsehood
as TO make the entire assertion lalse.
Colonel Blount showed me MI. Ste
phens's letter. and IL was published az
his request. in the Texas Republican AT
Marshall, and several other Texas news
papers.
colonel BlOunts adversary. stu not
sotisfed with the denial Of Mr.. Ste
phens. addressed a letter TO Hon. Johh
IT Reagan. stating that he Reagan)
being member OF President Davis's
Cabinet. must know all about the facts
and telling him that it was his duty TO
state them for the information OF the
southern people. and especially OF the
people OF Texas.
Judge Reagan replied to him at con
siderable length. and in the plain and
vigorous English which generally cha
racterizes the writing Of that venerable
gentleman. he said. directly and positive
w. that no offer had ever been made,
nor was any such offer reported 20 Mr..
Davis or his Cabinet, either I'm writing
or verbally. by the commissioners, who,
as he said. stated orally 10 Mr.. Davis
all that occurred"
II Is proper 10 state that Colonel Sex
ton was a member Of the Confederate
Congress; that he has ever since been
prominent lawyer in this State. and that
he Is a man of the highest social. moral.
and professional standing. whose word
no ono who knows him would question.
/ do not make these quotations 10 show
a conflict between them and other state
ments attributed TO Mr.. Stephens. They
may all be- true. and still there Is no
conflict between them. These state
ments show. what Mr. Stephens's book
and the other evidence shows. that no
such offer was made. The other state
mepts show that I'm certain private con-
ver<ations between Mr.. Lincoln and MIR
Stephens some such matter was talked
Of. We may understand that both sets
Of statements being true and relating
TO different questions, there is no con-
nict between them.
Mr.. WattorsOn says: II regret that
Judge Reagan has seen fit to recur 10
question I thought was settled" In
nocent Mr.. Watterson. When settled,
and how? l am now contributing my
part towards the settlement Of this ques-
ton as truth and justice demands that IL
should be settled. Mr.. Watterson as
sumes to advise me that It was untimely
and ungracious to discuss this question
at the Confederate reunion at Nashville.
chose TO discuss IL before the brave and
true men. who having lost the cause for
which they fought. have an interest In
seeing that history shall not be perverted
10 the dishOnor OF that cause, and OF the
men who represented IT,
Mr.. Watterson also says that II have
no personal motive. as Judge Reagan
has, for making any special plea in favor
OF any particular view" l DO not know
what personal motive Mr.. Watterson at
tributes 10 me; but l confess 10 having
a high and holy motive in this matter
1t is. that the truth OF history be estab-
lished in order that justice may be done
n. Twin nd Ia ln
coming generation shall not be taught 20
believe false statements as 10 That his
tory, tending TO dishonor the President
OF the late Confederacy, who. 1 think
was the bravest, truest. most virtuous
most self-sacrihcing. and the greatest
man / ever knew.
IL Mr.. Matterson does not want CON