Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-03-27
GRAVES REPLY TO WArrERsoa.
Continued from first pagc.)

| 'h"oIci 0eueTai AteaBan, OF the Cabl.
net II. MT. Hunter, secretary ! 81
ware was equally and as frequently
emphatioin denial and denunoiation
of the whole story. Jefferson Davis
in his "Rise and Fall of the Confede.
rate Government" offers logical
and unanswerable refutation of the
yellow tale.
TESTIMONY OF ,REAGAN.
OF all the great figures. of that
stormy and eventfnl period John III
Reagan, of Texas, is, on the other
side, the last official survivor-full OF
years and honors, at the age of 49,
the active chairman of the Texas
State Railroad Commission, Senator
of the United States for many years,
and between 1861 aud 1865 the hon.
ored and trusted Postmaster General
of Jefferson Davis Confederate Cab.
met. When Henry Watterson, five
years ago, used the words which !
have quoted from him above wrote
to this last official witness for his tes-
timony in the case. He addressed to
mo long, able and very eloquent let
ter, which was published in the leading
papers of the country. l regret that
| have not the letter by me to quote
from it directly. With fine and well
justified indignation the last of the
Confederate Cabinet-the last living
witness of these official negotiations
sternly repels the unmerited reflec-
tion upon his colleagues and his per-
ished government. One of his ex-
pressions recall.
BITTER WORDS OF CONDEMNATION.
"Genius and mendacity combined,' y
said he, "can reach no higher express
sion than in this story" Judge Rea-
gan declares he was present in the
cabinet when the report of the Con
federate commissioners was present.
cd, and afterward conversed with
each of the commissioners separately
as to the incidents of the conference,
and that nothing was said by any one
of them which could make a reason
able foundation for the idea of a
profitable or honorable settlement OF
the war by the Confederate authori-
ties.
Against these eminent official wit
nesses Mr.. Watterson, of Confede-
rate memories, brings forward few
private conversations and some
vague and indefinite hints of "private
memorabilia" to prove that such
terms were "really offered" the Con.
federate governments as wisdom would
have suggested to "accept." The
excellent and honorable gentlemen
whom he mentions are not to be
compared in weight of testimony
with the official witnesses who were
present and have testified from vari-
GUS standpoints as to the truth oil
history.
PERyERSION OF HISTORY.
confess that it kindles in me some
feeling of Indignation that so cminen,
a gentleman should persistcntly use
his position and popularity to perver,
history. He is old enough and wise
enough to know that history is no,
made by gossip and scraps of conver
sation, but by official records. Wha,
Mr.. Stephens, for instance, is re
ported to have said in private con
versation with individuals, however
reputable, can never be made te
refute Mr.. Stephens, now dead, ha.
deliberately set down in black and
white over his own signature.
If Mr.. Wattcrson desires to illus
trate the kindly and catholic spirit
Of Mr.. Lincoln in this story, he will
find no one to doubt and no one tc
cavil in the South, where l make
bold to say that Mr.. Lincoln is a,
much loved and honored as he is i,
Illinois. But he ought to know tn,
use Of words well enough to say thi.
without saying anything beyond it
and he ought, with his wide expert
cnce, to know clearly that with sucl
scant and unofficial and fragmentar,
evidence he cannot exploit outside o
clubs and banquet halls yarn which
is so easily and 80 officially discred
tied.
| FALLS BY IT'S OWN WEIGHT.
The story really falls by its owl
weight OF improbability. MIR. Lin
coin could not possibly have mad,
or matcrializcd a proposition to enc
the war upon such terms. His Cabi
net and his Congress and his section
would have overwhelmed him il
opposition. Mr.. Davis and the Con
fcdcratc government could not have
received such proposition formal,
or informally without official pub
licity.
| thinE tho ,oo1 frnrkl, -,