The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-09
CONVULSED LAUGHTER
IN SENATE CHAMBER
Debate Bitter, Sarcastic and
Yet od-Natured.
AN HISTORIC STATEMENT
MT. Vest corrects Impression as
to Hampton Roads Conference.
FUNSTON is DENOUNCED
FUNSTON is DENOUNCED
MIR. Carnnack Accused Him of DELHI
crate and Premedtated Lie-Ready
10 Meet Every Slanderer Of the
South; Wherever He Comes
from-senator Deliver
Replied to Him.
nr Associated rfess.l


WASHINGTON. D. c.. May S.-Discus-
t:cl: of the Philippine bill in the Senate
today. while it scarcely abated in bit
1asrcss. took on an amusing phase In
breezy speech Mr.. DolllTer, OF iowa
anadc such a good-natured and yet such
@ sarcastic Arrangement CT Mr.. Carmack'
OF Tennessee. that Senators and occu-
parts of the thronsed galleries were con-
.fyised with laughter. While seemingly,
considerable temper was aroused by the
debate good feeling was shown by the
-.ctlye participants in the war of words
Mr. Deliver and Mr.. Car1nack-who cor
.Iislly Shook hands and laughed over the
encounter.
Mr.. Burton. of Kansas, concluded the
t5teech which he Began yesterday. He re-
reI,cd as instances Of atrocious cruelty,
&c the battle of Wounded Knee. to the
rlcuntain Meadow massacre and 10 the
1>:assacre Of Union negro soldiers at + orr
1aIlow. and contended that The action OF
tsn7erican troops in the Philippines was
III most instances entirely within the reg
hiiaiions of civil warfare
Continuing Mr. Burton referred 10 the
Remarkable speech" delivered in the
senate yesterday by Mr.. Tillman, OF
South Carolina lie paid a tribute TO the
work being done by Booker WASHINGTON
for the coored race, and suggested mat
Nice they would be successful
VESTS STATEMENT.
Mr.. Vest. CT Missouri called attention
no the statement of Mr.. Tilman. made
yesterday, which, he said, he was COM
n,alied to take notice Of in justice both
to the living and the dead. That state
nnent. which has been found in the pub
lie press and upon the lecture platform
dor the last three years, was that at the
historic conference in Hampton Roads
in 1854 between President Lincoln, VIII
1iarm II. Seward. Secretary of state; Al
eHanGer stephens. Nice-President of the
confederate States; r. NJ. T. Hunter. for
1ner United States Senator, and John A.
Campbell, formerly justice Of the United
states Supreme Court. President Lincoln
wrCtc upon a. piece Of paper, save the
TIIon.'' 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 denied
by John n Reagan. Of Texas, who was
the last surviving member of the ConIed-
crate Cabinet.
he knew personally, said Mr.. Vest
without having been present at that ceie-
ihrated interview. that The incident was
without the slightest foundation. If
true said he, 1T would place the Gov
ernmen: and officers Of the Confederate
States in the category of criminals. be-
cause it offered the Confederacy all it
ever demanded in the widest hope of the
most extreme partisans of that cause IL
they would only return to the Union
A deep silence mad fallen upon the
chamber and every Senator on the floor
listened to hin, with rapt attention Win
,r,ar deliberateness he continued: II
,rna II would mean that the Confederates
could have placed in that sheet OF paper
+bo nerpetual establishment of slavery
and the right of secession, the most eN-
,reme demand that had ever taken iocah-
eyen in the dream Of any Confede-
rate
From the lips of Stephens and Hunter
had come to him, he said the details OF
what took place. Upon the return Oh Tue
commissioners of the Confederacy he
heard their official report as Mr.. Reagan
baard it he being a member of the Caol-
rot and himself a member of the Con-
tolerate Senate. Il am to-day the only
surviving man of the twenty-six gentle
mon who acted as Confederate Senators,
he said
WHAT DID HAPPEN.
Mr.. Vest then stated that what oid
happen at Hampton i'eaus' "es oiio f's'
,;on was this:
..rrhat when tie President and Score
tary Seward met the commissioners OF
Tho -onfederacy. Mr. Lincoln. addressing
himself to Mr.. Hunter. whom he knew
wcll said: In the first place, gentlemen
desire 10 know what are your powers
md instructions from the Richmond COY
rT.nmcnt' avoiding, as MI hunter toio
him himself the words Confederate
States.
A,r Harris TO whom the inquiry was
,5drassed, said. "Mr. President, we are
instructed 10 consider no proposition
,,,at does not involve the independence OF
the Confederate States Of America
..Then." said Mr. Lincoln the inter-
view had as well terminate now ioi
,nust saw to YOU gentlemen, frankly anu
honestly that nothing will be accepted
from the government at Richmond eN-
cent absolute and unconditional sur
render.
MIR. Yes: then said that this termnatce
the interview, and as the ootiteuela .e
commissioners retired, President Lincoln
sdressi-1p, Stenhens. who was the last
IN go out said: stephens. You are max
tnr a great mistake. your government Is
a failure and when the crash comes. as
81 soon must come, there VIII De c.iaos
and disasters which we cannot no" lore
soc which must come to your people.
This account of that interview con-
t,nne6 AIR. Vest, substantially almost
word for word as ] have given, came ~
me from Mr.. Stephens and Mr.. Aunter-
CONSIDERED ITS DUTY.
Mr. Vest said that he CONSIDERED !. iiis
duty to make this statement IN otosi
,ha+ history may not be falsified: IN or
dor that the men who were said to have
refused this offer at the hands of Presi-
dent lincoln should not be made TO SIN
IN their graves. adding: For IL they had
refused what was said to have been ten
dered TO them by the President, they
would have been accessories 10 the 'i ie'
der of every man who fell from that time
In defense of the Confederate cause, and
they should have given the lie TO the in
1entions which they professed when they
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