The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-05-15
Correct Version Of a Civil War
Incident bv the Senator.
The MiSsOurian Said That at the Cen
ference in Hampton Roads in 1901
Mr.. Lincoln Offered to Accept
Only Surrender.

terness, took On nm amusing phase
In a breezy speech, Mr. Dolliver, %
Iowa. made such good natured and
vet such n sarcastic arraignment o
Mr. Carmack, OF Tennessee, that sena
tors and occupants Of the crowded
galleries were convulsed with laugh
ter While. seemingly considerable,
temper was aroused by the debate
good feeling was shown by theactiv,
participants in the war of words
Mr.. Dolliver and Mr., Carmack cordi
ally shock hands and laughed over
the encounter.
Mr.. Vest, of Missouri called atten.
ton to the statement OF Mr.. Tillman
that at the historic conference in
Hampton Roads in 1861, between
President Lincoln, William II. Sew
ard, Secretary Of State; Alexander
II, stephens, Nice-President Of the
Confederate states; r. NJ. 7. Hunter,
eX.Cnited States senator, and John
4 Campbell, formerly Justice OF the
United States supreme court, Presi
dent Lincoln wrote upon a piece oi
paper Save the Unien, - then, hand.
ingit to Stephens, said: Alexander,
take this paper and fill up for your
selves the conditions of peace be-
tween the two countries"
Mr. Vest said the story had been
denied 10y John H. Reagan, ofTexas,
who was the last surviving member
OF the Confederate cabinet, eknew
D6TsoN0IIY, said Mr., Vest, without
having been present at that celebrat-
al interview, that the incident was
without the slightest foundation. III
true said he, lit would place the
Government and officers of the Con-
Ge&eEde state in the category OF
criminals, because it offered the Con-
federacy all that it ever demanded in
the widest hope Of the most extreme
partisans of that cause il they would
only return to the Union"
HEARD EVERY WORD VEST SAID.
\ deep silence had fallen upon the
chamber and every senator on the
floor listened to him with close at
tention. Mr. Vest continued:
IF true, it would mean that the
Confederates could have placed on
p that sheet Of paper the perpetual es-
Establishment of slavery and the right
OF secession, the most extreme de-
Vnand that had ever taken locality
ever in the dream of any Confeder-
ate 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 Coniederacy he heard their Off
cial report, as Mr.. Reagan heard it.,
the latter being n member OF the cab.
met and the speaker (Mr. Vest) a
&c tha r,nf,lnpn IN 70
81 am to-day the only surviving
member Of the twenty-siX gentlemen
who acted as Confederate senator's"
ne 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 Confeder-
acy, Mr.. Lincoln, addressing himself
to Mr.. Hunter, whom he knew well,
said: in the first place, gentlemen,
/ desire to know what are your pow
ers and instructions from The Rich
mond government" avoiding, said
Mr.. Vest, as Mr.. Hunter told him
himself, t e words, Confederate
State"
Mr.. Hunter, to whom the inquiry
was addressed. said: "Mr. President,
we are instructed to consider no
proposition that does not involve
the Independence Of the Confederate
States of America y
"Then," said r. Lincoln, ''the in
tOerview had as well terminate now,
for | must say to you, gentlemen,
frankly and honestly, that nothing
will be accepted from thegovernment
at Richmond except absolute and un.
conditional surrender"
LINcoLN's WARNING TO STEPHENS.
Mr.. Vest said that this terminate d
the interview and as the Confederate
commissioner retired President Lin.
coin, addressing Stephens, who was
at last to go out, said: stephens,
you are making ? great mistake
Your government is a failure, and
when the crash comes, as 1t soon