Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-05-21
WHAT LINCOLN SAID TO STEPHENS
At the Hampton Roads Conference-Vest, oi
Missouri, Recites Correct Record.

Missouri, Recites Correct Record.
Discussion of the Philippine bill
in the Senate recently took on an
amusing phase.
Mr.. Vest (Mo.) called attention to
the statement of Mr.. Tillman made
recently, 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 leo
ture platform for the last three years
was that at the historic conference
in Hampton Roads in 1864 between
President Lincoln, William H..
Seward, Secretary of State Alex H.
Stephens, Vice. President of the
Confederate States; r. M. Il. Hun
ter, former United States Senator,
and John A. Campbell, formerly
Justice of the United States Supreme
Court. President Lincoln 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 between 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 Incl
dent was without the slightest foun-
dation. eff true," said he, cit would
place the government and officers of
the Confederate States in the cate
CORY of criminals, because it offered
the Confederacy all that it ever de-
manded in the widest hope of the
most extreme partisans of that cause
if they would only return to the
Union"
A deep silence had fallen upon the
chamber and every Senator on the
floor listened to him with rapt atten-
tion. With great deliberateness he
continued eff true. it would mean
that the Confederates could have
placed in that sheet of paper the
perpetual establishment of slavery
and the right of secession, the most
extreme demand that had ever 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 return of the Com
missioners of the Confederates, he
heard their official report as Mr..
Reagan heard it, he being a member
of the cabinet and himself member
of the Confederate Senate.
81 am to-day the only surviving
member of the twenty-six gentlemen
who acted as Confederate Senators"
he said.
Mr.. Vest then stated that what
did happen at Hampton Roads be-
yond question was this:
That when the President and Secre-
tary Seward met the Commissioners
of the Confederacy, Mr.. Lincoln,
addressing himself to Mr.. Hunter,
whom he knew well, said "In the
first place, gentlemen, l desire to
know whether your powers and in
structions are from the Richmond
government" avoiding, said Mr..
Vest. as Mr.. Hunter told him him
self, the "Confederate States.''
Mr.. Hunter, to whom the inquiry
was addressed, said: "Mr. Presi-
dent, we are instructed to consider
no 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 must say to you, gentlemen,
frankly and honestly, that. nothing
will be accepted from the govern
ment at Richmond except absolute
and unconditional surrender"
Mr.. Vest then said that this termi-
mated the interview, and as the Con-
federate Commissioners retired Presi
dent Lincoln, addressing Stephens,
who was the last to go out, said !:
"Stephens, you are making 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
people,"