The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-05-14
TRUTH OF HISTORY.
Senator Vest, Of Missouri, Speaks for
the Confederacy.
BE DENIES A FAMILIAR STORY
About the Hampton Roads Confer
ence, Which Was Quoted by
Senator 3. r. Tillman
Of this State.
ence, Which
of this State.

| of this State.
In the United States Senate on
Thursday Senator Vest called atten-
tion to the statement of Senator Till
man made Wednesday, which he said
he was compelled to take notice Of in
justice both to the living and the dead.
That statement, which had been
found in the public press and upon the
lecture platform for the last three
years, was that at the historic con-
ference in Hampton Roads in 1864 be-
tween President Lincoln, VIM. II.
Seward, secretary Of state; Alexander
H. Stevens, vice president Of the Con-
federate States: r. NJ. T. Hunter, for
mer United States senator, and John
A. Campbell, formerly justice of the
United States supreme court: PreSi-
dent Lincoln wrote upon piece Of
paper save the union," then handing
it to Stephens, said, Alex, take this
paper and fill up for yourselves the
conditions Of peace between the two
countries
Mr.. Vest said the story had been de-
MED by John Il. Reagan Of Texas, who
was the last surviving member Of the
Confederate cabinet. He knew per-
sonally, said Mr.. Vest, without hay
ing been present at that combined in
terview that the incident was without
the slightest foundation. II true"
said he, it would place the govern
ment and officers of the Confederate
States in the category Of criminals, be-
cause it offered the Confederacy all
that it ever demanded in the widest
hope Of the most extreme partisans Of
that cause If they would only return
to the union"
Il AM THE ONLY SURVIVOR"
A deep silence had fallen upon the
chamber and every member on the
floor listened to him with rapt atten-
tion. With great deliberateness he.
continued: If true, it would mean
that the ConfederateS could have
placed on that sheet Of paper the per-
petual establishment Of slavery and
the right Of secession, the most eX-
treme demand that had ever taken
locally even in the dreams, Of any Con-
federate." From the lips Of Stephens
and Hunter had come to him, he said,
the details of what took place. Upon
the return of the commissioners OF
the Confederacy he heard their official
report as Mr.. Reagan heard it, he be-
ing a member of the cabinet and him
self member Of the Confederate SEN
ate. 81 am today the only surviving
member of the 26 gentlemen who acted
as Confederate senator's" he said.
WHAT LINCOLN SAID.
Mr.. Vest then stated that what did
happen at Hampton Roads beyond
question was this: That when the
president and Secretary Seward met
the commissioners of the Confederacy,
Mr.. Lincoln, addressing himself to Mr..
Hunter, whom he know well, said
In the first place, gentlemen, I desire
to know whether your powers and in
structions from the Richmond govern
ment," avoiding, said Mr.. Vest, as
MI. Hunter told him himself, the
words Confederate States"
Mr.. Hunter, to whom the inquiry
was addressed, said: ''Mr. President,
we are instructed to consider no propo-
sition that does not involve the indie
pendence of the Confederate States Of
America" ''Then," said Mr.. Lincoln,
1.-THE interview may as well terminate
now, for I must say to you gentlemen,
frankly and honestly, that nothing
will be accepted from the government
at Richmond except absolute and un-
conditional surrender
Mr.. Vest then said that this ter
minated the interview and as the Con-
federate commissioners retired, Presi-
dent Lincoln, addressing Stephens,
who was the last to go out, said:
stephens, you are making a great
mistake. Your government is failure
and when the crash comes, as it soon
must come. there will be chaos and
disaster which we cannot now foresee
which must come to your people"
This account Of that interview"
continued Mr.. Vest, substantially
and almost word for word as have
given it came to me from Mr.. Stephens
and Mr.. Hunter"
THE rR1-T5 OF HISTORY.
Mr.. Vest said that he considered it
his duty to make this statement in
order that the men who were said to
have refused this offer at the hands OF
President Lincoln, should not be made
to sin in their graves, adding, for If
they had refused what was said to
have been rendered to them by the
president they would have been acces-
sories to the murder of every man who
fell from that time in defense of the
Confederate cause, and they should
have given the lie to the Intentions
which they profeSSed when they risk
ed everything, everything that is held
dear amongst men in defense OF the
Confederate cause"
A SOLEMN DENIAL.
While the deep silence still reigned
in the chamber as he spoke and with
every eye directed towards him, Mr..
Vest concluded as follows: 1T may
be but very Short time till I shall
join the 25 colleagues / had in the
Confederate senate, and did not want
this statement to go into the record of
this country without my statement of
these facts and my solemn denial that
there is no shadow of truth in this as
sertion which has been going the
rounds of the newspapers of the coun-
try for the last few years."
A Hard-Hearted Husband.
Mrs. Carl Wiessner, Of Hoboken, n.
J., some days ago applied for war
rant for the arrest of her husband on
IL. W.