Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-07-17
Atisfellaneuas gsading.
. HAMPTON ROADS CONFERENCE.

HAMPTON ROADS CONFERENCE.
John n. Reagan on Lincoln's Alleged Of
fer For Southern Slaves.
Special Dispatch to The Globe-Democrat.
AUSTIN, TEXAS, July 9.-Judge
John H. Reagan, sole survivor of the
Davis cabinet, furnishes statement
regarding the report 80 generally cur.
rent that President Lincoln prososed
to Vice Stephens, one of the Con-
federate commissioners at the Hamp.
ton Roads conference, that the United
States would pay $4OO,000,000 for
the southern slaves if the Confed.
crates would abandon the war and
return to the Union.
Judge Reagan recites that in his ad-
dress at the late reunion of -Confed-
crates at Nashville he asserted most
positively that no such offer in any
form was ever made. The Nashville
american" of June 25 publishes a
friendly criticism by R. II. Baker OF
the statement, in an article headed
"Judge Reagan in Error" To show
that such an offer was made, Baker
quotes what purports to be conver.
sation between President Lincoln and
Vice President Stephens, in which Mr..
Stephens quotes President Lincoln as
HE iMr. Lincoln went on to say
that, he would be willing to be taxed
to remunerate southern people for
their slaves. He believes the people
of the north were as responsible for
slavery as the people of the south, and
if the war should then cease with a
voluntary abolition of slavery by the
states he would bein favor, indidually,
of the government paying fair in
demnity for the loss to the owners.
He said he believed this feeling had an
extensive existence in the north. He
knew some who were in favor Of an
appropriation as high as $400, 600, 900
for this purpose. I could mention per-
sons,' said he, whose names would
astonish you who are willing to do
this if the war should now cease with
out further expense and with the abo-
lition of slavery as stated But on
this subject be said he could give no
assurance and enter into no stipula-
tions. He barely expressed his own
feelings and views and what he be-
lieved Tn he the views of others on the
subject.
ITO put it plainly, his suggestion
was for the Confederacy to abandon
their cause and free the slaves as con-
ditior precedent and trust to con-
gress for compensation. Accepting
as true all that Mr.. Stephens re-
ports President Lincoln to have said,
it in no wise conflicts with my declara-
ton that no such offer was made. Mr..
Lincoln merely expressed his private,
personal views, and his opinion as to
the views of Others"
Judge Reagan quotes in support of
his conclusions from vol. 2, pages 602,
6OS and 600, of Stephens history, and
other authorities, and adds:
These quotations showed that with
these views Mr.. Lincoln could not have
offered 100000, 900 to secure peace,
and that he could not have said to Mr..
Stephens, as has also been stated !:
"Allow me to write union at che bottom
of sheet of paper, and you may write
whatever terms you please above it."
Mr.. Stephens never said such an offer
was made, and is given as authority
for statements in direct conflict with
what he says did occur in the Hampton
Roads conference, in which it was un-
derstood as. coming from President
Lincoln that the only terms which
could be allowed was the uncondition-
al surrender of the Confederacy and
that whatever consequences may follow
restoration of authority must be &C.
cepted."
Judge Reagan concludes:
"The foolish and false statements
which l have here controverted had
their origin soon after the Hampton
Roads conference among the unpatri-
otic malcontents in the CoEfederacy
who were great patriots while the
Confederate cause had chance of
success, but who, as misfortune and
disuster fell upon the Confederacy,
busted themselves in denouncing the
Confederate president and authorities
for not making an impossible treaty of
peace. The statements, if believed,
could have no other effect than to dis
credit President Davis and his advis-
ers, and were no doubt invented, and,
for the most part, circulated for that
purpose. No northern man who had
any respect for the memory of Presi-
dent Lincoln ever made any such
statement, or believed them when
repeated by southern men,"
BLOODY BATTLEs.-At Jena, in 1906,
the Prussian loss was 81 900 out of a
total of 1O5, 900, and the French $4,000
out of total of 90,000-that is to say,
1000 casualties out of $4,000 en-