The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-15

slavery any person WHO 10 itc W Wv
terms of that proclamation or by an;
act of congress- If the people should
by whatever mode or means, make II al
executive duty to re-enslave such persons
another, and not /, must be their instru
ment to perform it,
These quotations showed that will
these views Mr.. Lincoln could not have
offered S4OO,O00.0O0 to secure peace
and that he could not have said to Mr.
Stephens: "Allow me to write Union a
the bottom of sheet Of paper and yol
may write whatever terms you please
above it,"
Besides, and what is equally as I'm
portant, Mr.. Stephens has never sale
such an offer, as either of those referred
to. was made. He is given as authority
for statements he never made, and which
would be in direct conflict with what he
says did occur in that conference.
Messrs. Stephens, Hunter and Camp
| bell. the confederate commissioners al
| the Hampton Roads conference, in their
report to President Davis of the result
| of that conference dated February D,
1865, among other things. said:
1--WE understood from him president
Lincoln) that no terms or proposals of
any treaty or agreement looking to an
ultimate settlement would be entertained
or made by him with the confederate
states, because that would be a recog-
milton Of their existence as Il separate
power. which, under no circumstances
would be done, and for the same reasons
that no such terms would be entertained
by him from the states separately; that
no extended truce or armistice las at
present advised would be granted with
out n satisfactory assurance of COM
plete restoration of the authority of the
United States over all places within the
states of the cOnfederacy."
In other words, the only terms which
could be allowed was the unconditional
surrender of the confederacy.
In that report the confederate COM
missiOners represent President Lincoln
as saying:
"That whatever consequences may fol-
low from the restoration Of that autbori-
ty must be accepted"
They also say that during the con-
ference the proposed amendment to the
constitution of the United States, adopted
by congress on the 31st ult., was brought
to our notice. This amendment declares
that neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude, except for crimes, shall exist
within the United States or any place
within their jurisdiction"
These commissioners also say that:
eve learned from them 0ncoln and
Seward that the message of President
Lincoln to the congress of the United
States, in December last 0S6H explains
clearly and distinctly his sentiments as
to the terms, conditions and method of
proceeding by which peace can be So
cured to the people, and we were not
informed that they would be modified or
altered TO obtain that end"
,c
sioncrs, quoted from above, is published
in full in the second volume of President
Davis book, entitled Rise and Fall of
the Confederate Government" pages
619-2O; and in McPhcrson's history of,
what he calls, ''rhe Rebellion" page 81,
to which attention is invited. Not one
word is said in that report about any
offer being made by President Lincoln of
S4O0, 100000 to pay for the slaves if the
confcderatcs would cease hostilities and
return to the Union; nor is anything said
in that report about II proposition by
President Lincoln to Mr.. Stephens. for
an agreement that if Mr.. Lincoln was
allowed to write the word Union" at
the bottom of sheet of paper Mr..
Stephens might write whatever terms of
adjustment he pleased above it. Our
commissioners were among the most dis
tinguished men of the confederacy. and
it can not be supposed that if any such
propositions had been made that they
would have omitted to state the fact in
their official report. of the result of that
conference, to President Davis.
Judge Campbell, one of the confeder-
ate commissioners. in II memorandum
submitted to President Davis. in rela-
ton TO what occurred at that confer
cncc, says:
I'm conclusion, Mr.. Iuntcr summed up
what seemed to be the result of this in
tcryicw; that there could he no arrange
ment by treaty between the confederate
states and the United States, or any
agreement between them; that there was
nothing left for them but unconditional
submission" Rise and Fall of the Con
federatc Government page $40. and Me
Pherson's History of the Rebellion, p p.
1918.
In the conference above referred to, mt
Hampton Roads, President Lincoln in
formed the confederate commissioners
that in his message to congress of the
preceding December he had explained
clearly and distinctly his sentiments as
to the terms, conditions and method of
proceeding by which peace could be Sc
cured to the people. And the commits
sioncrs add: I'VE were not informed
lIul lnpv WOUlu ne nlOulnpu or altered
to obtain that end
In that message of December >, 1864,
President Lincoln said:
AT the last session of congress pro-
posed amendment of the constitution of
the United States, abolishing slavery
throughout the United States, passed the
senate, but failed, for the lack of the re-
quired two-thirds vote, in the house of
representatives. Although the present
is the same congress, and nearly the
same members, and without questioning
the wisdom or patriotism of those who
stood in opposition, l venture to recon-
mend the reconsideration and passage of
the measure at the present session.
This was what President Lincoln told
the confederate commissioners he adj
hcrcd to, and does not agree with the
statement that he at that conference,
offered S40O0O0,0OO for the slaves.
In that message he also said that they
lthe confederates) can at any moment
have peace simply by laying down their
arms and submitting to the national au-
thority under the constitution" This
also was one of the things stated in that
message which he told the confederate
commissioners he adhered to-uncondi-
tional surrender. and not the purchase of
peace by paying S400,0O0,O00 for the
negroes.
The proclamations of President Lin
coin, which he told the confederate COM
miSSiOnerS he adhered to- are the one of