The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-09
WHAT LINCOLN SAID
DID NOT MAKE STEPHENS OFFER
TO "SAVE THE UNION"
Mr.. VEST GOES ON RECORD.
UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER"
WAS LINCOLN'S DEMAND.

day-Last Surviving Member of
Confederate Senate Makes Positive
Denial of Common Report of what
Occurred at Hampton Peace Con-
ference-His Information Was Di-
rect From Alexander II. stephens
and r.. Nj. It. Hunter-RepOrt Was
Also Recently Denied by John ii.
Reagan.
Washington, May SIN the Senate
to- day Mr.. Vest of Missouri called at
tention to the statement of Mr.. Tillman
made yesterday, which he said he was
compelled to take notice of in justice
both to the living and the dead. That
statement which has been found in the
public press and upon the lecture plat
form for the last three years was that
at the historic conference in Hampton
Roads in 1854 between President Lin
coin, William H. Seward, Secretary of
State; Alexander H. Stephens, vice
president of the Confederate States;
R. NJ. T. Hunter, former United States
senator, and John A Campbell, former
justice of the United States Supreme
Court, President Licoln wrote upon a
piece of paper, Save the Union"
then handing it to Stephens said,
Alex, take this paper and fill up for
yourselves the conditions of peace be-
tween the two countries"
Mr.. Vest said the STORY had been
denied by John H. Reagan of Texas,
who was the last surviving member
of the Confederate cabinet.
He knew personally. said Mr.. Vest,
without having been present at that
celebrated interview, that the incident
was without the slightest foundation.
IF true" he said, ''it would place the
government and officers of the Con-
federate States 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 if they would
only return to the union
Vests Thrilling story.
A deep silence had fallen upon the
chamber and every senator on the
floor listened to him with rapt atten-
ton With great deliberateness he
| continued:
IF true, it would mean that the Con-
federates could have placed in that
sheet of paper the perpetual establish
ment of slavery and the right of Sc
cession, the most extreme demand that
had taken locality even in the dream
of any Confederate" From the lips
of Stephens and Hunter had come to
him, he said, the details of what took
place. Upon the reurn of the commits
/ e~s<
their official report, as Mr.. Reagan
heard it, he being a member of the
cabinet and himself "a member of the
! Confederate Senate. 81 am to-day the
only surviving member of the twenty
! six gentlemen who acted as Confeder-
ate senator's he said.
What actually Happened.
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 knew well, said:
I'm the first place, gentlemen, 1 de-
sire to know what are your powers and
instructions from the Richmond gov
eminent" 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 proposition that does not
involve the independence of the Con-
federate States of America"
Then" said Mr.. Lincoln, the in
terview had as well terminate now, for
l must say to you, gentlemen, frankly
and honestly, that nothing will be ac
cepted from the government at Rich
mond, except absolute and uncondi-
tional surrender"
LincOIn's Word to stephens.
Mr. Vest then said that this termi-
mated the interview, and as the Con-
federate commissioners retired Presi-
dent Lincoln, addressing Mr.. Stephens,
who was the last to go out, said:
stephens, you are making a great
mistake. Your government is fail
ure, and when the crash comes, as it
soon must come, there will be chaos
and disasters which we cannot now
foresee which must come to your peo-
pie"
This account of that interview"
continued Mr.. Vest, substantially and
almost word for word as 1 have given
it, came to me from Mr.. Stephens and
Mr. Hunter"
Mr.. Vest said that he considered it
his duty TO make LnlS statement III Or
der that history may not be falsified;
in order that the men who were said
| to have refused this offer at the hands
of President Lincoln should not be
made to sin in their graves, adding:
For if they had refused what is said
to have been rendered to them by the
President they would have been access
| SORES to the murder of every man
who fell from that time in defense Of
! the Confederate cause. and they should
! have given the lie to the intentions
which they professed. when they risked
everything, everything that is held dear
amongst men, in defense of the Confed-
| crate cause"
MIR. Vests solemn Conclusion.
While the deep silence still reigned
in the chamber as he spoke and with
| every eye directed toward him, Sena-
| tor Vest concluded as follows:
1T may be but a very short time
! till l shall join the twenty-five col
| leagues 1 had in the Confederate Sen
| ate. and I did not want this state
ment to go into the record of this
/ country without my statement of these
| facts and my solemn denial that there
! is a shadow of truth in this assertion
which has been going the rounds of
the newspapers of the country for the
| last few years"
Lighthouse for Diamond Shoals.