The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-04-05
tBY HON. JOHN 4. ReAeAN)


Joint resolution 10 abolish slavery through
out the United states No compensation.
ON the 10Th of February, 1865. Presl.
dent Lincoln, In response 10 resolution
adopted BY the house of representatives,
calling fof Information about the Hampton
n "5 coaierenSe spcoeiH1Gl tor himself
ION our part the whole substance OF
| the Instructions 10 the secretary OF state,
hcreinbeforc reclted, was stated aud In.
sisted upon. aud nothing was said incon-
sistent herewith"
IN giving those Instructions to Secretary
seward, 10 govern MN n thc ii,amnton
1860. President Lincoln among other
| things, said:
! the United States, on the slavery qucs-
| ton from the position assumed thereon IN
| lhc late annual message 10 congress, AID
| In preceding documents"
! You have seen wfat he said In that
| nessAge ana IN his two emancipation proc
| ldHaticns, In the face OF The foregoing
| facts could President Lincoln have used
! the Language attributed TO him In DR..
| Mpsscy's pnpcry
| The Confederate commissioners at the
! llapmton Roads conference, making thcr
| Of February, 1863. as TO what occurred Ina
| that conference. suld Nv part, M follows;
we learned from them ilresldGnt LIN
coin aud Secretary Sewurdl that the mes
| sHgc of President Lincoln to The congress
OF The United states in December last, ex-
| plains clearly and distinctly his sentiments
| rs 10 terms, conditions and methods OF
| proceeding by which peace can be secured
! TO the people, and we were not Informed
I that they would he modified or altered to
obtain that end We understand from him
| thal no terms or proposals Of any treaty
on agreement looking 10 an ultimate settle
him with tue Confederate states, because
that would be recognition Of their OK
isiehcc uB separate power, which under
FOR Ike reasons that no suoh terms would
be entertained hy him from The states
separately: that no extended truce or
arnistlee las AZ present advised would be
granted without q satisfactory assurance
lt advance Of the complete restoration Of
the authority ~ the United states ov,r
gu places within the states Of the Con
fcderacy
"Tlpt whatever consequences may follow
IRON the re'cstnhllshnrnt OF that authorl-
~ must be accepted, but that individuals
laws Of the United states might roly anon
a very llbcrl uSc of the power contdcd
10 nm to remit those pains and penalties
u Veaco be restored.
During the conference the proposed
aiEnhducu 10 the constitution OF the
United Stntca. adopted us congress on the
5lft u'imo. was brought 10 our notice
This amendment declares that neither
slRHcF nor Involuntary scryitudc, except
i9r crimes, should cxigt Within the Omitted
states or any place within their iurisdic.
tlon' 1ud that congress should have power
70 enforce this amendment by appropriate
legislation"
This report was signed by vice Prcsl.
dent stephens, along with Hon. II. NJ T.
hnnlW md Judge Campbell.
On February @, 1865, President Davis ~
communicating that report to The Confcd.
cratc congress, Snld
81 herewith transmit for the Information
OF congress, the report OF the eminent citi
HcnS above named showing thut the enemy
refused To cutter into negotiations with the |
ohlruciNtc states, or any ono OF tbCm
separately or 10 give to our people any
olH'f terms or guarantees than those which |
! ne c"npheror may grant or permit Ms 10
nave peace ON amy other hnsls than our
u9,ohdl Lon9l submission TO their rule"
IN me an of February 1865. four dny IS |
hiter the Hampton Ro0ds meeting, Mr. Sc
ward, secretary NJ state OF inc Inlted
slnies wrote to Hon. Charles Francis All
nlus the United SWtcs minister 10 Urnat |
l'rtain, giving q detailed account of what |
TOOK place. ut mat conferences In that M |
per. . among other Things. he said:
t, IhlS SUGGESTION, though deliberately oOn |
Nuetcd' was nevertheless regarded by the |
president as one Of armlstlcc or truce, ana |
ne nruunccd that we can ngrpe ta no COS |
' na''4h or suspension Of hostllitles. except |
on me haalS of the disbaudmcnt Of the |
inSurgcnt forces, and the restoration OF INC |
NAilohhl authority throughout Oil the states |
m me nlon. CollitomllN aud In sunorol
mutton 10 the proposition which was thus |
ahRuuhrcd the nntl-slaycry poucy OF the
nll'l states was reviewed In All lis hear
,nss, ana the president announced that he
hUSt not ne expected to depart from the
positions he had heretofore assumed ia MS
proclamation of emancipation nnd ntnrr
loeumchls rs these positions were rctr,
ltcl IN his lHsi annual message n ,yns
further declared by tho president that tho
complete restoration Of the National lu-
'nulhl( everywhere was an Indispensable
condition OF any assent on our pnrt 70
WWihaleVer FORM OF peace might hn proposed
lhc president assured The other marry tnnt |
Mhu" ne must adhere to these positions he
MT3uu 1G prepared SO far ms power Is
oHgtd WIN the executive, TO exercise lih
'fhllN Ills power. however, Is limited Iv
'n' cons'iution, and when peace snou,d
wy u3ut' congress- must necessarily Act u
.tRhru 10 appropriations uf money and 10
ne admission OF representatives, from tho
hslrrectionnry States Tho NIrhnouIi
party was then Informed thar congress nat
'n me blSi nltimu, adopted hy couStl-
Iuu"nol majority joint resolution submit.
ing TO The several Statcs the propnsitlon
81 onoulsh slavery throughout the United
states. ana that there Is every reason 10
.Nreet that Il Will be soon accented 6y
'hrvrfoWths Of he states 30 as to Ne
zone m' q part Of the National organic law
'On any reasonable person believe II To hn
poSslhlc that President Lincoln made surh
y s,atemcqt to Vice President stephens as
inat attributed Ia him in nr Massey
PAPER? The whole story must he m M
warranted assumption. Mr. lincoln yyomid
10y, ,ot IA ne face of his own record Of ihc
condition of uuhnc feelIng In thr rnito,
I,alos, have dared TO make such proposl'
AR; S,tepesenS. IN his book "Ihc War Be
49,. .
etnVS ~ account or what occurred in the
'n,npuh Roads conf rnnce. lie makes mn
'Nl Slniemeat ns that attributed Ia him
~ W, Massey hut, on ,hu contrary shows /
Mul the thniedcrates Conld got no terms
ut uhvpndiiloudl surrender. Can Il be he
NNca mat II such an ofier had been made ]
nc would, IN his historical account of ,vnnt
n,nrra have omitted Il. aud hayt In
suns tAhce, stated the opposite 10 ~ " {
suusr 'Amphell, another member os thc
ohleutratc commission In giving ms No.
GVunt OF WHAT occurred nt that con fcrencc
y a paper which was In tho moss, sslon ~ |
N.uhlted states Senator Fltgpatrlck 81 Az {
y nu; anu which was afterwards puhllshrd q
~ lhc Land We Love- magazine. makes
~ mpntson OF such an Incident ms thai ue (
'cllpel IN Dr. MnsSey's paper. hut an no \
-nhlfary he shows distinctly that noth,n.
NaA promised by either President JInco,n
lr Secfetnry seward; that no guarnntnas }
would nc given, but that the SomIh nnS,
'vNse hostiittles and trust 10 cscmeney I
pu the night OF the return ~ N1, stonh
ne 70 lichnlonl from that conference 4.
3 statNd on good authority that 10 tnid
, ,n, Inincs L orr Confederate senator
,plh south Carolina, that the uamWto,,
'Aoaus conference was "frutlsss nni non,'
esS heeahsc Mr. Lncoln offered IN Cnn
mssion'' "nu'''"nat SUD
Ia a letter which the late Hon + !, .
svNtol, representative In the Confederata
sS93ngtttss, wrote 10 me, he saws thar Mr. ,
pp.rpnehs, on his return from Ha,nptnn Z
oosnisn tpld him that Mr.. lincoln offered