Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-27
TRUTH OF HISTORY.
JUDGE REAGAN ON THE HAMPTON
ROADS CONFERENCE.
A REPLY 10 WArTERSON
No oGer Made 60 Pay for the slaves
The Testimony of President DAVIS
yicc-Prcsidcnt step"ens' IN"
Others.
Austin. Tex. July 20. 1891


10 tho Editor OF the Dispatch:
In the address delivered BY me at the
ANIMAL reunion OF Confederate veterans
Al Nashville. Tenn. on the Zd OF june
discussing the question as to why the war
was not brought TO an end sooner Una"
Il was by "A compromise. u became IL
,.ossarv for me TO refer 10 story often
,a,d that President Lincoln. al the Hamp-
ton Roads conference, February s. 100
orered 10 pay s0oooO,oOo for the saves
NJ the South TO secure peace and res'o-
ration OF the Union. This statement mas
been often made for the purpose OF snow
ING that the southern people might nave
heen paid that sum for their slaves ana
that the war might have been terminated
and its sacrifices avoided. II President
Davis and the Confederate authorizes
had accepted this offer from Presioen'
Lincoln. I felt that II was due to inc
Confederate authorities, due 70 truth anu
necesssrv "a a historic fact, that shouiu
declare on that great occaSloh'
no such offer In any form was niaue'
The Nashville American newspaper ol
the 2gth Of June. 1891, published ooni
nunication from Mr.. X. ii. BAKER, "a
Watertown, Tenn, under inc hceu M
Judge Reagan in Error, IN "n'on ~
TOOK issue with me on That question:
tberebv necessarily assuming that Presi-
dent LINCOLN had made such an oner'
,rhe day on which Mr.. Bakers article
xvns p,;blished / sent a note TO the Amerl-
can. stating that on my return nome
would send 20 that paper "a stateSleh'
OF the authorities on which / mace the
denial that any such oner ha2 peen
made. go.
purn1apt 10 that promise, on the 'h
day OF July 1897. / sent my letter OF tn"'
date 10 the American, giving some OF the
authorities on which J based my oehi"
that President Lincoln had Onered WV
oOOOo to pay FOR the loss Of the slaves.
I quoted what was said by the five mem
hers of the Hampton Roads conference
the only persons who were present ana
knew what was said IN that conference
and by them showed that no such oher
was made. and that 10 terms were OF
fered the Confcderates but unconditional
submission 10 Federal authority. j VIII
not 20 over that presentation OF iacts
again. but will add TO II two more state
ments-one by President Davis and one
by President Lincoln.
PRESIDENT DAVIS'S STATEMENT.
In submitting 10 tho Confederate Con-
gross the report OF our commissioners 10
the Hampton Roads conference, fIe3-
dent Davis said:
81 herewith transmit. for the inforna-
lion Of Congress, the report OF the emil
nent citizens above named stephens
Hunter. and Campbell. showing that the
enemy refused 10 enter into negotiations
with the Confederate States. or any one
OF them separately, or to give 10 our peo-
ple any other terms or guarantees IMAM
those which the conqueror may grant
or TO permit US TO have peace on any
other basis than our unconditional SUD
mission 10 their rule coupled with the
acceptance OF their recent legislation on
the subject OF the relations between the
white and black populations Of each state
such IS. as | understand IT. the effect of
the amendment 20 the Constitution when
has been adopted by the Congress of the
United States"
In response TO a resolution adopted by
the Congress OF ,thA United States Ga the
Sth Of FCbrunry 1855, requesting informa-
ton from President Lincoln ia relation
TO what occurred IN the conference held
al Hampton Roads. Mr.. Lincoln said.
"On my part the whole substance OF
the Instructions TO the Secretary OF state
herelnbefore recited. was stated and IN
sisted upon. and nothing was said incon-
sisient herewith
In the above reference IS made to the
instructions given by President Lincoln
to secretary-of-State Seward on the 3lst
OF January. 1866. as TO what he was au-
thorized 70 do In the conference with the
Confederate commissioners. Mr. Lincoln
said:
you will make known 10 them that
three things are ndlspcnslble-to wit;
First. the restoration OF the national au-
thority throughout all the States; second,
no receding by the Executive OF the
United States on the slavery question
from the position assumed thereon IN the
late annual message 10 Congress and the
preceding documents; third no cessation
OF hostiliues short OF an end Of the war
and the disbanding OF all the forces nos
tile 10 the government
The reference in the second OF the
above propositions was 10 Mr.. Lincoln's
annual message 10 Congress ot Decem-
Der. 1854. and his reference TO documents
is 20 his emancipation proclamaions OF
September % 1862. and of January /, 1865.
IL was the policy indicated in these
proclamations and in this message which
he informed the Confederate commission
ers he would not recede from.
CONCLUSIVE PROOF.
And are not these two authorities con-
elusive proof Independently Of all the
other proofs presented In my letter OF
July 9TH. that no proposition was made
by Mr. Lincoln to the Confederate COM
missioners to pay Ao0eo,oO0 for the
,laves 20 secure peace and union?
Now | will add that OF AL the persons
who met in that conference. no one of
them has ever said that such an offer
ii q a. OH faae
,f facts absolutely inconsistent with the
making OF such an offer Hencefor-
ward. any one who may assume that
such an offer was made must do so In
tho face of. and in defiance Of. all the
facts connected with that conference.
The only interest / feel IN this matter
Is 10 see 10 il that the historic facts
connected with that conference shall not
be perverted and misrepresented so ss
10 throw on President Davis and the
Confederate authorities the response
buiiy Of having rejected such pro-
position.
Tho Hon. Henry Watterson, editor Of
the Courier-Journal. gave 10 the public
in that paper. on the 18th Of July. under
the display heading The Truth OF His
tory" over four columns criticism ana
reply TO my letter of the eth OF July.
cannot descend from the considera-
ton OF an important historical question
to a reply 10 what ne save about my
'vehemence' and 'Noiubihty." and
number OF other merely ill-natured ana
ungracions personal fings At me. am
only concerned In the settlement OF the
historical question.
Replying to my denial that President
I.incoln. at the Hampton Roads con-
ference. offered 10 the Confederate com
missioners <Ra00olo to pay for the
slaves TO secure peace. and the return OF
the Southern states 20 tho Union, Alr.
Watterson says
''Since no one u.at We have ever heard
OF has intlmated that Mr.. Lincoln did.
IA is difficult TO understand lust WHY