The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1902-05-14
TRUTH OF HISTORY.
Senator Vest, of Missouri, Speaks for
the Confederacy.
HE DENIES A FAMILIAR STORY
About the Hampton Roads Confer
encc, Which Was Quoted by
Senator II. X. Tillman
Of this State.
Of this State.

Senator IL. X. TilIman
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 i'm
Justice both 10 the living and the dead.
Ihat 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-
terence in Hampton Roads in 1864 be-
tween President Lincoln, VIM. III.
seward, secretary Of state: Alexander
III. stevens. vice president of the Con-
federate States: IL. NJ. II. Hunter. for
mer United States senator, and John
a. Campbell, formerly Justice of the
United States supreme court: Presi-
dent Lincoln wrote upon a piece of
paper save the union," then handing
it to Stephens, said, Alex, take this
paper and till up for yourselves the
conditions of peace between the two
countries -
Mr.. Vest said the story had been de-
MED by John ii. 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 ''If true"
said he, lit 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
nope OF the most extreme partisanS OF
that cause if they would only return
to the union"
1 AM TIE ONLY SURVIVOR"
y deep silence had fallen upon the
chamber and every member on the
floor listened TO him with rapt atten-
tion. With great deliberateness he
continues: 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-
federatc." From the lips OF Stephens
and Hunter had come to him, he said,
the details of what took place. IJpon
repOrU as Mr.. be..igan h,.---rv,-!1e h 80
ing member OF the cabinet and HIM
self member of the Confederate sen
ate. Il am today the only surviving
member of the 26 gentlemen who acted
rs 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, desire
TO know whether your powers and in
structionS from the Richmond govern
ment," avoiding, said Mr.. Vest, as
Mr.. 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,
the interview may as well terminate
now, for | 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 great
mistake. Your government is failure
and when the crash comes, as it Soor
: must come, there will be chaos anG
! disaster which we cannot now foresee
. which must come to your people"
q This account of that interview,
! continued Mr.. Vest, substantially
. and almost word for word as l have
given it came TO me from Mr.. Stephen!
o and Mr.. Hunter"
:, THE TRUTH OF HISTORY.
. MI Vest said that he considered i
;. his duty to make this statement il
order that the men who were said Il
y have refused this offer at the hands o
~ President Lincoln, should not be mad
=, to sin in their graves, adding, for
- they had refused what was said T.
:. have been rendered to them by tn
: president they would have been acces
N SOrieS to the murder OF every man VIII
fell from that time in defense OF tn
Confederate cause, and they shoul
have given the lie to the intention
which they profcsSed when they riSE
- ed everything, everything that is hel
- dear amongst men i'm defense of tn
~ Confederate cause
- \ SOLEMN DENIAL.
y While the deep silence still reigne
, In the chamber as he spoke and wit
~ every eye directed towards him, Nj
~ Vest concluded as follows: 1T ma
~ ~ be but a very short time till ] Sha
~ Join the - colleagues | had i'm IL
:" Confederate senate, and did not wal
~ this statement to go into the record
,II a., this country without my statement
,'n these facts and my solemn denial tn;
there is no shadow of truth in this a
-" sertion which has been going Il
om rounds of the newspapers of the cou
try for the last few years"
Have You Lands?