New-York tribune., 1902-05-09
SOME CIVIL WAR HISTORY.
SENATOR VESTS STORY OF THE HAMP-
TON ROADS CONFERENCE.
LINCOLN DID NOT TELL STEPHENS TO
DRAW UP TERMS OF PEACE
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNRl

GBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNEl
Washington, May S.-Senator Vest. of Mis-
souri,, the last surviving member of the Confed-
crate Senate, weak and emacated from disease
which for several years has been remorselessly
sapping his vitality until he is scarcely able to
rise or stand unassisted. made interesting
contribution to-day to one Of the most contro-
~erted points of the unwritten history of the
great Civil War. His statement, Strengthening
out tangle occasioned a few years ago by what
Colonel Watterson claimed to be important
historical discovery. was occasioned by Mr.. Till
mans reteration yesterday OF the Watterson
claim touching unrecorded incident in the
famous conference at Hampton Roads between
President Lincoln and members of his Cabinet
and a special commission representing the Jer-
ferson Davis government. Although his phys
ical strength is low. Mr.. Vests mind Is still
clear and his voice musical in the days
when he wont to charm the Senate and the
country with his eloquence. To-day he spoke
with an earnestness that bore conviction 10 his
hearers and there were touches Of pathos in his
short speech that made tears spring TO the eyes
Of many persons in the galleries well as on
the floor of the Senate.
Mr.. Vest spoke as follows
Mr.. President: I do not rise for the purpr
of participating in the present debate. which /
am very sorry 10 say has degenerated some
ever. In The Congressional Record" Of this
morning. statement by my friend, the senior
Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Tillman).
made yesterday. which l feel compelled 10 no
tice in justice both TO the living and the dead
from South Carolina made the statement. which
has been found in the public press and heard
from the lecture platform for the last three
years. that at the historic conference In ha1np-
ton Roads during the year 1864. between Abra-
ham Lincoln and William H. Seward, President
and Secretary OF State OF the United States, and
Alexander H STEPHENS. Vice
Confederacy; X. NJ. T. Hunter. formerly
United States Senator and John A Campbell
formerly a justice OF the Supreme Court OF the
United States Mr.. Lincoln wrote upon a blank
sheet of paper the words, Save the Union" and
then handed the paper 10 stephens. saying TO
quote the language of the Senator from South
Carolina, "Aleck. take this paper and fill up for
yourself the conditions Of peace between the
two sections"
This remarkable assertion was called 10 my
attention some two years ago in a lecture de-
livered by that eloquent and very distinguished
gentleman, Colonel Henry Watterson, Of The
Louisville Courier-Journal' when he paid the
highest tribute to the life and public services OF
Abraham Lincoln Colonel Watterson. beyond
any question, believed the statement to be true,
and said that it came from neighbor of Alex
ander H. Stephens, who had the incident from
Mr.. Stephens's own lips. The Hon. John II.
Reagan. some few years ago. member Of this
body from the State Of Texas and the last sur
viving member of the Confederate Cabinet. haV
ing been Postmaster General for four years, in
an open letter to Colonel Watterson, denied the
truth of this statement upon information de-
rived from the commissioners Of the Confederate
States themselves
Mr.. President, know personally, without hav-
ing been present that celebrated interview.
that the incident is without the slightest founda-
ton. If true, ii would place the government
and officers of the Confederate States in the
category of criminals, because, If true, the Con
federacy offered all that II ever demanded
in the widest hopes OF the most extreme part-
sans of that war, IL they would only return TO
the Union. In other words, to show how absurd
the statement is upon analysis, IL would mean
that the ConfederaCy could have placed upon that
cEe % ndro hi lfCT
of slavery, the right of secession, the most ex-
treme demand that had ever taken locality even
in the dreams of any Confederate.
/ happen know from the lips Of two OF the
commissioners, Alexander H Stephens and
r. NJ. T Hunter, that no such incident ever oc-
Cured between the representatives of the United
States and of the Confederate States at Hamp-
ton Roads. Upon the return of the commits
sioners of the Confederacy heard their official
renort. as Mr. Reagan heard IT. he being a
member of the Cabinet. while I member
of the Confederate Senate. and am to-day the
only surviving member OF the twenty-six gen
temen who acted Confederate Senators
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.
What did happen at Hampton Roads beyond
question was this: When the commissioners II
l may so term the President and the Secretary
of State Of the United States met the commits
sioners Of the Confederacy Mr.. Lincoln. address
ing himself to r. NJ. T. Hunter. whom he knew
very well. said: 'In the first place gentlemen.
1 desire to know what your powers and in
structions from the Richmond Government
avoiding Mr. Hunter told me himself, the
words, Confederate States but terming the
government that of the Richmond Government
Mr. Hunter, to whom the inquiry was ad-
dressed said: Mr. President, are instructed
to consider proposition that does not involve
the independence of the Confederate States Of
America"
Then" said Mr.. Lincoln, the interview had
as we'll terminate now for l must say TO you.
gentlemen, frankly and honestly, that nothing
will be accepted from the government at Rich
mond except absolute and unconditional sur
render. ! may add" he said. "as the Chief Ex-
ecutive of the United States. in addition to this
that if you lay down your arms and submit to
the authority of my government I will exercise
the largest executive clemency to the leaders
and generals of the government at Richmond"
This terminated the interview and as the
Commissioners of the Confederacy retired from
the chamber, Mr.. Lincoln, addressing Stephens
who the last go out of the room said:
Stephens. you making a great mistake
Your government is a failure and when the
crash comes as ii soon must come there will be
chaos, and disasters which we cannot now fore
see must come to your people"
This account of that interview, substant
and almost word for word as l have given il
NJ. T. Hunter. Vice-Presdent of the Com
federate Government and the other president
pro tempore of the Confederate Senate
But in addition to putting this matter beyond
all sort of dispute, Judge Campbell than whom
a more honest and frank and trustworthy man
never lived, took down in pencil at that inter
view. word for word, what passed between the
commissioners heard of the existence of that
1