The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-17

other day in the United States Senate,
when all the official documents Of the
| conference have been published and are
| In every library. In addition to this there
| Is the report of the Confederate Com
mission and accounts Of the meeting of
| the two chief participants. namely, Presi-
| dent Lincoln and MIR. Alexander H.
stephens. Notwithstanding the fact that
Senator Vest relied upon his memory
Of the event gathered in conversations
with Mr.. Stephens and MIR. r. M. +.
Hunter, the Interesting recital of the
story by him in the Senate seems to be
accurately correct. The popular under
standing Of the incident is always errone-
Gus and does gross injustice to Jefferson
Davis. A most interesting history OF the
conference appears in "A Constitutional
View Of the Late War Between tho
States" by Alexander H. Stephens. A
briefer and documentary account was
given by President Lincoln in a special
message to the House of Representatives
in February, 1865.
According to Mr.. Stephens, early In
January. 1865. Mr.. Francis P. Blair, ST..
whom Mr.. Stephens styles 'the master
spirit, the real Warwick of the party then
In power at Washington mysteriously
appeared in Richmond. His arrival Great
ed a sensation, but he came and went.
and came and went again, and no one
but the President of the Confederacy
knew the object Of the visit. Out Of this
visit the Hampton Roads Conference
originated. Mr.. Blair suggested to Mr..
Davis a course by which a suspension
Of hostilities could be reached. This was
to be done by secret military convention
between the North and South. embracing
another object, which was the mainte-
nance Of the Monroe Doctrine In the pre-
vention of the establishment. of the then
projected empire in Mexico by France.
Mr.. Blair's opinion was that at such a
convention an agreement between North
and South could be reached by which
the Union could be restored upon terms
satisfactory to the South After Mr..
Blair's departure from Richmond Mr..
Davis sent for Mr.. Stephens and con-
suited him. The latter was anxious for
Davis and Lincoln to have personal
conference but Mr.. Davis would not en-
terrain this. Instead ne sent three COM
missioners. A. H. Stephens R. NJ. T.
Hunter and Judge John A. Campbell. At
this time General Grants headquarters
were at City Point near Petersburg. On
January 20 the Commissioners went to
Petersburg. From there they wrote TO
General Grant asking permission to pass
his lines. Grant replied promptly. invit-
ing them to his headquarters to await in
structions from Washington. They had
to wait two days. and during that timc
they were Hospitality entertained on one
Of the dispatch boats. They were Inn
pressed with the anxiety Of General
Grant for peace Finally a reply came
from Mr. Lincoln fixing Hampton Roads
as the place for the conference, and the
Secretary of State. Mr.. Seward. was sent
down to meet the Commissioners. After
his departure Mr.. Stanton received a
dispatch from General Grant saying that
he regretted Mr.. Lincoln could not meet
the Commissioners in person. as their In
tentions are good and their desire sincere
to restore peace and union" This dis
patch changed Mr.. Lincoln's purpose and
he set out at once for Fort Monroe. and
on the night of February he reached
Hampton Roads. The next day he re-
ceived the Commissioners on his steamer.
Mr.. Lincoln informed them that to end
the war three things were indisnensa-
BILE:
First-The restoration Of the national
authority throughout all the States.
Second-No receding by the Executive
of the United States on the slavery aues-
ton from the position assumed thereon
in the late annual message to Congress.
and in the preceding documents
Third-No cessation Of hostilities short
of an end Of the war and the disbanding
of all the forces hostile to the govern
ment All propositions Of theirs. he in
formed the Commissioners, not inconsis-
tent with these would be considered and
passed upon in spirit Of sincere liberali-
ty
Mr.. Stephens limited at Mr.. Blair's plan
but Mr. Lincoln said that Mr.. Blair had
no authority for making any such sug-
gestion. The discussion lasted four hours.
but as the Commission understood that
Mr.. Lncolns ultimatum was for a prac-
tically unconditional surrender. and they
had no authority to treat upon such
terms, the conference ended without re-
suits. The account of Mr.. Stephens of
the whole discussion Is full and n,ost in
teresting. and the incident Is one of the
most notable and one of the most misun-
derstood of the Civil War.
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