The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-29
about the appointment of that commits


sion.
Allowing that all these statements are
true, it does not controvert my state
ment that no such propositions were
made to the confederate commissioners,
or communicated to the confederate gov
eminent or rejected by it. This is the
only issue | have made, and Mr.. Waiter
son insists that no one ever said such an |
offer was made, and that in showing that |
no such offer was made he says | am
lighting Il man of straw So it |
would seem there is and can he no issue
between us. He admits that none such |
was made, and have never questioned
what was said in private interviews be-
tween Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Stephens, but
call attention to the fact that all, as far
as | know, of the gentlemen who keep up
the statements about what occurred be-
tween Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Stephens.
somehow manage to leave che impression
that President Davis failed of his duty
in not accepting the terms which were
never offered to him, and for not termi-
mating the war when he had no power
to terminate on any other terms than
unconditional surrender. And if he had
by that means ended the war | do not
doubt but that the very class of men who
have made war on him for not doing so
would have been equally lOud-mOuthed in
| charging him with being both coward
| and traitor.
| 1t may be proper for us to present some
testimony showing that Mr. Stephens
said that no offer was made by Mr.. Lin
coin. mt the Hampton Roads conference,
of S40O.00O.00O to pay for the slaves.
A letter was published in the Houston
Post of the 10Th instant II leading daily
of this state. by Mr. X. q. I.atting. Jr..
in which, referring to the discussion of
this question. he says:
| Il have seen IL statement from Mr..
Stephens on this subject over his own
signature. In the year 1869. while liv-
ing in the state of Mississippi. some of
my young men associates and myself
when discussing this very subject. de-
cided that we would get at the facts by
writing to the Hon. Alexander III. Ste
phens in reference to it. The letter was
written. asking him if Mr.. Lincoln had at
any time said that if the south would
lay down her arms and return to the
/ Union she would receive pay for her
slaves. Mr.. Stephens replied that If Mr..
| Lincoln had ever made Il proposition of
that kind he had never heard of it.
Il | also quote the following from Il let
ter written by the Hon. Frank b. Sexton.
in March, 1895. and published in the
newspapers ut that time. in which he
says:
''On the day after the return of the
commissioners from the Fortress Mon
roe conference i was told by Senator
James l.. Orr. close friend of, and GER
tainly in the confidence of Mr.. Stephens,
that Mr.. Stephens had told him the night
before. Just after the return of the com
missioners. that the conference was ut
terly fruitless: that Mr.. Lincoln offered
the confederate states nothing but I'M
conditional submissions: that we now had
| nothing IN Il m rnSist a tho In IT
render at discretion.
'On February 8. 1865 Il am able to
give this date from an entry in my diary
kept ut the tme), which was two days
after the return of the commissioners.
Mr.. Stephens, in conversation with Hon.
Clifford Anderson of Georgia and my
self. in the chamber of representatives
of the confederate states, said that MIR.
Lincoln offered the southern states moth
ing but unconditional submissiOn-that II
was utterly impossible to effect any
peaceful negotiations with him: that he
offered the confederate states no terms
at all but laying down our arms and
trusting entirely 10 his clemcncy. and
that of the United States. Mr.. Ander,-
son and both said we could only reach
those terms in any event ana we saw
nothing to be accomplished by antlclpat
ing them. Mr.. Stephens did not dissent
from our expressions.
Il was told that Mr.. Stephens had. pre-
vious to this conversation. SAID we now
only needed stout hearts and strong
arms did not hear him say this il
was told me at breakfast on Sunday
morning. February ). 1860. My, diary
does not show who told me. thlnk II
also came from Senator Orr.
"Somc time after the war. between
1866 and 1870, somewhat heated con
troycrSy arose between two gentlemen III
San Augustine county. where then
lived as 80 the paragraphs above quoted
from Col. Wattprson address. One OF
them averred in the most unqualified
terms that the administration and con
gress of the confederate states were
alone to blame for the loss of the negroes
rs slaves, because Mr.. Lincoln Offered
S4OO, OOO. 600 for them at the Monroe con
ference and his offer was fatty refused
The other as warmly cOntradicted this
averment The latter was my lifelong
friend. Col. S. w. Blount. one of. the
signers of the declaration of independ
encc of Texas, deceased only a few years
since. He appealed to me for lnforma
ton as to fact | told him that the
statement made by his adversary was
completely untrue. But the other gen
tleman insisted that | was mistaken. Col
Blount. who in his boyhOod had been q
schoolmate of Mr.. Stephens wrote to hin
on the subject. Mr.. Stephens promptly
replied that it was not true that
Mr.. Lincoln had ever offered to
nay any sum for the negroe,
of the south and added 81 think las !
now state from memory that the only
element of truth in the reference to the
slaves of the south was so much mixed
M and confused with falschood as to
make the entire assertion false. Col.
BIount showed me Mr.. Stephens letter
and it was published. at his request. in
the Texas Republican at Marshall and
several other Texas newspapers.
Sol. Bount's adversary. still not salts
fed with the denial of Mr. Stephens, adj
dressed letter to Hon. John ii. Reagan,
stating that he Reagan) being member
of President Davis cabinet. must know
all about the facts. and telling him that
it was his duty to state them for the in
formation of the southern people. and es-
pecially of the people of Texas.
Judge Reagan replied to him at con-
siderable length and in the plain and
vigorous English which generally char
acterizes the writing of that venerable
gentleman. he said directly and positively
that no offer had ever been made. nor
was any such offer reported to Mr.. Davis
or his cabinet either in writing or verb
ally. by the commissioners. who. as he
said. stated orally to Mr.. Davis all that
occurred
1t is proper TO state that Col. Sexton