The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-12
AN OLD LIE NAILED.
Mr.. WattersOn knocks Out an I'm
pertinent Critic i'm One Round and
Two Quotations.

pertinent Critic in One Round and
Two Quotations.
From the Washington Post.
In YOUR issue of Sunday you print a
contribution equally discourteous in tone
and Impairment in character. in which,
among many disparaging remarks, the
following appears:
"Natterson lacks a great deal
Of being a reliable historian. A few
wears ago he exploited in public lecture
in the North-an intimation that Presi-
dent Lincoln offered to Jefferson Davis an
opportunity to close the war with libarel
nav for the Southern slaves If the Confed-
eracy would come back into the Union. In
a reply published in a score of leading
papers. l placed upon the witness stand
every member of the Confederate cabinet,
living and dead, in positive and en-
phatic refutation of the statement But
the editor-lecturer never confessed his
mistake"
Bv whose authority this writer placed
upon the witness stand every member of
the Confederate cabinet, living and dead
does not appear nor does it concern me;
but surely no man holds a commission to
utter a false accusation against me.
made no such statement as that ascribed
TO me- In an address delivered upon the
occasion of a Lincoln anniversary in Chi
cago and subsequently repeated as a lee
ture in the South, as well as in the North,
! said:
After that famous Hampton Roads con-
ference when the Confederate commits
sioners, stephens, Campbell and Hunter,
had traversed the field of official routine
with Mr.. Lincoln, the President, and Mr..
Seward, the Secretary of State, Lincoln,
the friend, still the old Wing colleague,
though one was now President of the
United States and the other Vice Presi-
dent of the Southern Confederacy took
the slim, pale-faced, consumptive man
aside and, pointing to a sheet of paper
he held in his hand, said Stephens, let
me write Union" at the top of that
page, and you may write below it what
ever else you please.
IN the preceding conversation Mr.. Lin
coin had intima ted that payment for the
slaves was not outside a possible agree
ment for reunion and peace. He based
that intimation upon a plan he already
had in hand, to appropriate $500 100000 ITO
this purpose.
There are those who have put them
selves to the pains of challenging this
statement of mine. 1t admits of no pos
sible equivocation. Mr.. Lincoln prepared
two documents that still stand in his own
handwriting; one of them joint resolu-
ton to be passed by the two houses OF
Congress appropriating the four hundred
millions, the other a proclamation to be
issued by himself, as President, when the
joint resolution had been passed. These
formed no part of the discussion at
Hampton Roads, because Mr.. Stephens
told Mr.. Lincoln they were limited to
fs-,rr Is H. xx,s
ton of the Confederacy, and to all intents
and purposes the conference died before
1T was actually born. But Mr.. Lincoln
was filled with the idea that next
day, when he returned to Washington, he
submitted the two documents to the mem
bers of his cabinet. Excepting Mr. Sew
ard, they were all against him. He said
Why gentlemen, how long is the wal
gong to last? II is not going to end
this side Of hundred days, is it? 1t is
costing us four millions day. There are
the four hundred millions, not counting
the loss of life and property in the mean
time. But you are ala against me, and
will not press the matter upon you"
have not cited this fact of history to at
tack or even to criticise, the policy OF
the Confederate government, but simply tC
Illustrate the wise magnanimity and JUS
tce of the character of Abraham Lincoln
For my part 1 rejoice that the war did
not end at Fort Monroe-or any other con-
1erence-but that it was fought out tc
its bitter and logical conclusion at APP
pomattox."
The incident as to Mr.. Stephens and
Mr. Lincoln was often related by Mr.
stephens to his friends, myself among
me number, and when challenged was
corroborated by DIR. Green, Mr.. Steph-
ems pastor; by Mr.. Felix G. de Fontaine
with whom Mr.. Stephens passed the night
Immediately on his return from Fort Mon
roe by the Hon. Evan p. Howell of At
ANA and by many others. 1t is further
corroDorated by the following extract from
Mr stephens printed account OF the Fort
Monroe conferences;
He (Mr. Lincoln) went on to say that
ne would be willing to be taxed to re-
muneratei the Southern people for theil
saves. He believed the people of the
NoIlh We're as responsible for slavery
Us the people of the South: and If the
war should then cease with the volun.
tary abolition of slavery by the states
ne should be in favor, individually, OF
tne government paying a fair indemni-
LOT the loss to the owners. He knew
some who were in favor of an appro-
p1allon as high as $40O,0O0,O00 for this
pul pose / could mention persons,
SAD he whose names would astonisf
you. who are willing to do this If the
"'' snail now cease without further ex-
pe'-o, and with the abolition of slavery
@. s'htes.' Stephens War Between the
SIles, Vol. II, PIP. 61O, Gil.
J." Nicolay and Hays Life of Abra-
r,n Lincoln" Vol. X. chap. vii, PIP. 1873
io'-ld6 Will be found the joint resolution
ana proposed proclamation referred to ir
"r Ioregoing extract from my address.
a HaFs Of, a..
"''l no other warrant than their own
@D'o'tation. undertook to gainsay the
.0facy OF my history as here given
MA perhaps your correspondent among
ig rest; but needing no meretrlcious ad-
rising, ! declined controversy about a
, ,i. so indisputable, and contented myself
publishing the foregoing citations
a. 'hey appeared in many scores of lead
r- papers 1t is odd that your CORE
do,' 'eut ola not see them. Perhaps he
'''S not read the papers.
Henry Watterson