The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-07-23

900 600 to pay for the slaves.
\ letter was published in The Houston
Post Of the 10th inst. a leading daily OF
this State. by Mr. X. G. La,ting. Jr., IN
which, referring 10 tho discussion OF this
question. he says:
Il have seen o statement from Mr.. Ste
phens on this subject over his own sigma
ture. In the year 1869, while living In the
State OF Mississippi, some OF my young
men associates and myself, when discussing
this very subject. decided that we would
get at the facts by writing to the Hon
Alexander II. Stephens in reference TO II,
The letter wac written asking him u MT
Lincoln had at any time said that II the
South would lay down her arms and return
10 the Union she would receive pay FOR her
elaves. Mr. Stephens replied that II Mr..
Lincoln had ever made proposition OF
that kind he had never heard Of IT,
also quote the following from "A letter
written BY the Hon. Frank II, Sexton in
March. 1898. and published in the news
papers at that time, In which he says
'On the day after the return Of the COM
miseioners from the Fortress Monroe con-
ference. ! was told by senator James L.
Orr. a close friend Of and certainly In the
confidence of Mr.. Stephens, that Mr.. Ste
pheps had told him the night before and
Just after the return OF the commission
ers. that the conference was utterly fruit
less that Mr. Lincoln offered the Confed-
crate States nothing but unconditional sub
but resist to the est or surrender at dis
erection.
ION February s, 1855 II am able to give
THE date from an entry in my diary kept
mt the tmcl, which was two days after the
return of the commissioners Hr. Stephens.
In conversation with Hon Clifford Ander
son Of Georgia and myself In the chamber
OF representatives Of the Confederate
states said that Mr.. Lincoln offered the
southern states nothing but unconditional
Lea fes tt,a.
TO effect any peaceful negotiations with
him; the he offered the Confederate States
10 teriis at all but laying down our arms
and trusting entirely to his rlcmency, and
!. that Of the United States. Mr. Anderson
and | both said Wa could only reach those
terms in any event, AND we saw nothing to
he accomplished hy anticipating them.
MIR stephens did not dissent from our ex
pressons,
II was told that Mr.. stephens had pre-
yious To his conversation SAID. We now
only needed stout hearts and strong arms
dil not hear him cay this It was told me
al breakfast on sunday morning February
o. ia65. My diary does not show who told
r'c think it also came from Senator
Orr
Some time after the war between 1866
and 1870. a somewhat heated controversy
arose between two gentlemen In San Au-
Sustine county, where then lived, as to
the paragraphs above quoted from colonel
| | NnticrSoNS address,. bne CT ihtfu HNtITtu
in the most urqualFed terms that the ai p
ministration and congress OF the confeder-
ate States we're aione-to blame for the loss
Of the ns gr0es as slaves. because Mir. Lin
coin offered $500 900 600 for them at the
Monroe conference and his offer was fatty
refused. The other as warmly contradlcted
this averment. The latter waa my life
long friend Colonel s w plount, one OF
the slGners Of thu declaration of independ-
, ence OF Texas. deceased only few years
since. He appealed 10 me for information
4 as 20 fact. | told him that the statement
made by his adversary was completely I'M
4 / true. But the other gentleman insisted
r that | was mistaken. Colonel Blount who
4 In his boyhood had been a echoolmate OF
o. | Mr.. Stephens. wrote 10 him on the subject
o MIR. stephens promptly replied that ii was
+ not true that Mr.. Lincoln had ever offered
n 10 nay any sum for the negroes of the
= South, and added. ] think las | now
Q state from memory that the only element
II OF truth in the reference TO the slaves II
a the South was so much mixed up and in
~ fused with faisehood an TO make the entire
" assertion false Colonel Blount showed
4, me MIR Stephens letter and 1t was pub
- lished at his request in the Texas iepuh-
', lean at Marshall and several other Texas
newspapers.
= Colonel Blounts adversary, still moi
- satisfied with the denial of Mr.. stephens
10 addressed a letter 10 Hon. John II. Reagan
stating that he Qieagan) being a membe
OF President Davis cabinet, must know al
about the facts, and telling him that IL wa
W his duty 10 state them for the information
~ " the Southern people and especially OF tn
he people of Texas.
Judge Reagan replied to him Mt con
T. siderable length. and in the plair
r. and vigorous English, which gen
rs orally characteriles the writin
t. of that venerable gentleman. he said di
roctly and positively that no oncr had eve
s. been made nor was any such offer reporte
at to Mr.. Davis or his cabinet either in writ
In ing or verbally, by the commissioners. who
Id "a he said, stated orally 10 Mr. Davis al
he that occurred"
T. 1t is proper TO state that Colonel sextoi
ly was n member OF the Confederate congress
er that he has ever since been a prominen
OF lawyer in this state, and that he is MAJ
1T OF the highest social. moral and profes
he slona standing whose word no one VIII
knows him would question.
e. do not make these quotations to SHOW
a. conflict between them and other state
tn ments attributed to Mr.. STEPHENS, Tho
u may all be true and stll there il no con
en- iiict between them. These statements show
he what Mr. Stephens book and the otho
at evidence shows, that no such offer wa
70. made, The other statements show that 4
We certain private conversations between Nj
lr. Lincoln and MIR. Stephens some such mat
n ter was talked OF We may understan
TO that both sets OF statements being true
and relating to different questions ther
yer IS no conflict between them,
&c Mr. Watterson says: IL regret that Judg
'rs Reagan has seen at to recur to questlo
ny thought was settled" lnnoncont Nj
lte Wattersou, When settled, and how | al
en now contributing my part toward the set
ny Element of this question as truth and Jus
ed tlco demands that II should be settled Nj
W Watterson assumes to advise me that
ms was untmely and nngraclous TO discus
op this question at the Confederate reunlo
mt at Nashville. | chose to discuss. II bctor
,ut the brave and true men, who. having lo'
m the cause for which they fought, have a
I interest in seeing that history shall ne
ich he perverted to the dishonor az that caus
IN and OF the men who represented II
It'll Mr., Wat,erson also says that II hay
hat no personal motive. AS Judge Reagan hs
for making any sneolal plea In favor OF an