The Portland daily press., 1900-02-16

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$ W nd for some time ON the theory OF
Stats Sovereignty, which the former had
! so speosously pre5eEtsd. The dialectios
OF t lsse two philosophers, who much RS
sam led each other In their intellectual
ma e-up, did not int rest the President,
who soon broke in with q mors decided
sc teinent of his views, saying that hs
could not enter into any treaty, oonven-
ton, stipulation or arreen ent with the
Confederate States. jointly or singly,
while they were resisting national au-
thority; that aftsr four years OF war,
during which he had c0pftantly contend
ed for this point, be was not to abandon
bis contention and give even a quasi
recognition 70 states still in rebellion;
that By SO oing. he would te virtually
granting what they hal endeag0rsd with
all the diplomatic skill they could employ
| 10 Induce tire nations Of kCrOTe to con-
cede. MIR. Stephens suggested In reply
that the point made by TIE Prssi lent Of
the reoognit Of the Independence of
the Confederate States by entering into
any agreement with taem might be-
avoided by a militia convention, wStoh
be. as commandments. undoubtedly
had n constitutional right t3 enter npon.
Mr.. Lincoln, while agreeing With him ns
| to bis Legal rigbt to take such course
btisny reassertsd his position, and this
attack at this point was abandoned.
Judge Campbell now inquired OF the
PRECEDENT Whist bis plan was fer the RS
toration of the Union IL this Confedsrate
States would agree to &c. simply dis
band your armies, and permit Federal
officers to resume their fun stions," re.
plisd Mr.. Lincoln. lin stating a single
condition of peaoe, mean simply to say
| that the wer Will cease on tho part OF the
government whenever IL shall have cessad
on the part OF those who began IT." He
said he would rstraos nothing of what he
had said In regard to slavery; the sman-
oipHtion proclamation must stand; those
who are free under 1t must remain free
as far a. any aoS Of his was concerned.
| AS to the Questions whioh should arise rs
a result Of the war, he assured them that
| he should, as far rs the power to deal
with them lay with him, use the utmost
| lfber2lity -paius and penalties would be
folly reIaitted, the paTdoning power lib
orally exercised. In regard to property
rights which had been affected by ooufis-
cation acts TIE courts must decide, and
Congress might indemnify. In answer to
a question by MIR. Spehens as 60 what the
status Of the slave population would bs,
which had not then become free under
the terms Of the Emancipation proolams
ton, MIR. Lincoln said THAT must lie
judicially determined. His opinion, how
ever, was that as that was adopted as .
war measure, IL was operative only while
the war h sted. The rebel commissioners at
this point were informed, what they had
bad only q few days before, January 3lst.
proposed a constitutional amendment,
the Kill, fo- sbollsbing slavery through
out the United States. Mr.. Seward
adroitly suggested that as this vas war
measure. II the vsr should cease, it might
fail OF ratification by three-fourths OF the
states then In tae Union, NJ d II the secsd-
ing stGtss could IeBume their positions In
the Union, they could prevent Its raCin-
cation. This news about the action OF
Congress must have been n severe blow to
the hoIes OF the rsbel comm listeners
| sspt cially 20 MIR. Stephens, who saw the
cornerstone which he tai laid fos his
| political edifloa suddenly removed. MIR.
Stephens asked, "nhat would be the rs
lation of the seced led states TO the Union
II they were to abandon the war Would
they bs entitled to rspIesentBtiong' MIR.
Lincoln In reply sketched his plan OF re-
construction ana expressed the opinion,
| that when the states ceased war and sub
mitted to national authority the SEN
stors and representatives, chosen by them
ought to be admitted TO Congress. When
| pressed to ooms to some agreement on
this point MIR. Lincoln again urged that
| he could enter into no agreement with
thoee In arms against the government
Mr.. Hunter sndeavored to show Mr.. Lin
coin that he might with propriety enter
| into treaty relations With his rebell!ous
people, and cited several historical pre-
csdsnts In support OF his contention, in
standing among others those between
Charles L. and his subjsots in arms
! against him. MIR, Lincoln with an OK
pressive look and twinkle in his eye said
that he was not familiar with history
that on ell such matters. he turned TO
Seward. He did, however, distinctly
reoollect that in the end Charles l. lost
mis- head. Thsrsupon silence fell on the
| company. and the point was not further
pressed. Mr.. Stephsnsssdoss not seem to
Anv rRh linn sod ygt "a
dignity Of cur great President. for he re-
marked that he addressed both himself
| and MIR. Seward in verg familiar man
ner as stephens" and Seward" No
progress being made In coming to any
agreement upon the fundamental points
of the controversy, the conversation drift
| ed into q discussion Of collateral and far
away topics. Mr.. Lincoln gave state
ment OF mia views in regard to slavery
and the power of the government to con-
troll and regulate 1t. MIR. Seward en-
tered into a long history of the growth OF
anli-slavsry sentiment In the country,
and believed that the ''irreprsssible CON-
dict" would end much sooner than he
had onoe thought. MIR. Hunter inquired
as to the status OF West VTginiR-woulu
she be deprived Of separRte statehood
and again brought under the jurisdiction
of the old state of Virginia! Mr.. Lin
| coin Was very decidedly of tbs opinion
| that she would continue a separate state.
| 1t having become apparent 20 all that
ere was no possibility OF liking basis
upon which terns OF pfaos eould be made
to rest, the discussion ceased, but MIR.
Hunter briefly went over tie points that
had been cons idsTsd, ard with much
warmth said the result OF the conference
could be summed W in few wCr lss
That peace could only be had by the IN
conditional submission of the South;
| that the terms we're sloh as the oorqEer-
sra give the vanguished. MIR. Seward
oil acted to, tie, Ia qsh -coaclasian To SaAIsn
be mad arrived and submitted that there
was nothing IN the discussion that war
rant I'D such EXPRESSIONS as "unoonoi-
tional submission," 1.-THE coBqueror, -
1.-The vanq isied." Mr. Hunter still
| maintsiuei that his conclusion wers the
logical results OF the proposition which
had been made by ths other side. ana
were expressed in lifting language. Mr..
Seward emphasized the Presidents Iosi
ton, that the conditions of peace were:
cessation of resistance too established au-
thoPity; the re-essabllshment OF the func-
ka al ant