The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-06-04

ment made by Col. Wattcrson, the
following article by Col. Watterson
appeared in the louisville Courier
Journal on Sunday:
"Assuredly Mr.. Lincoln indicated
willingness on his part to enter into
some kind Of obligation as the price
Of the restoration of the Union. Two
months later, when by force of arms,
Gen. Lee was compelled to surrender
to Gen. Grant, the terms Of this 'un-
conditional surrender were made most
generous. Is it stretching the argu-
ment to assume that, if MIR. Stephens
and his colleagues had been cmpow-
cred to treat, Mr.. Lincoln was not
prepared to go even farther and to be
even more generous?
''In the general conversation had
between Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Seward
on the one hand and the Confederate
commissioners on the other, Mr.. Lin
coin intimatcd that payment for the
slaves might enter into an agreement
for Union and peace. We quote the
following from Mr.. Stephens pub
lished statement:
Z" He went on to say that he would
be willing to be taxed to remunerate
the Southern people for their slaves.
He believed the people of the North
were as responsible for slavery as the
people Of the South, and if the war
e'nnld then cease, with the voluntary
c'"lltion Of slavery by the States, he
.ld be in favor, Individually, Of
g.. Government paying fair indem
nifty for tho loss Of the owners. He
said he believed this feeling had an
extensive existence at the North. He
knew some who were in favor Of an
appropriation as high as 800 900 900
for this purpose. L could mention
persons said be, whose names would
astonish you, who are willing to do
this if the war shall now cease with
out further expense and with the
abolition Of slavery, as stated But
on this subject, he said, he could give
no ossurance-entcr into no stipula-
ton. He barely expressed his own
feelings and views, and what he be-
lieved to be the views Of others upon
the subject
'"rhe point is whether Mr.. Lincoln
did or did not contemplate payment
for the slaves. In the foregoing cx-
tract from Mr.. Stephens it is plain
that he did. But the evidence does
not rest there. The day after this
Fortress Monroe Conference, when
Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Seward had re-
turned to Washington, Cabinet
meeting was held at this Cabinet
meeting Mr.. Lincoln submitted in the
form Of : proposed message to Con-
sress the two documents above re-
ferred to. One was joint resolution
to be passed by the two Houses of
Congress appropriating the S400,000,-
O00. The other was a proclaim ton,
to be issued by himself as President
when the joint resolution had been
passed by Congress.
Here is the message, with the
joint resolution:
"'Fellow Citizens of the Senate and
House of Representatives: I respect
fully recommend that joint resolu.
tion, substantially as follows, be
adopted, so soon as practicable, by
your honorable bodies Resolved, BY
the Senate and House of Representa-
tivcs of the United States of America
IN Congress assembled, That the Pres.
ident Of the United States is hereby
empowered in his discretion to pay
;S400, ,0O0, 900 to the States OF Ala
bama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, kentucky, Louisiana, Mary
land, Mississippi, Missouri North
. Carolina, South Carolina tennessee,
Ie1as, Virginia and West Virginia in
the lame: and on the coaditions fol-
lowing, :o-wi.: The payment to be
made III per cent Government bonds
and to be distributed among said
States pro rata on their respective
slave populations, as shown By the
:. census * 1860, ard no part Of said
>'snA to be paid Unless all resistance to
the national authority shall be aban-
doncd and cease on or before April
Dext; and upon such abandonment and
ceasing of resistance onc-half of said
sun to be paid in manner. aforesaid
and the remaining half to be paid only
upon the amendment Of the National
Constitution recently proposed by
Congress becoming valid law on or be-
fore July next by the action thereon