The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-27

ThlS was succeeded by the rendering
of THE Bonnie Blue Flag" and songs
of ante-bellum days by Mrs. Holdings
worth Watkins, formerly of Louisiana.
In response to the toast ITO the
Memory of Abraham Lincoln" Mr..
Henry Watterson spoke in substance
| as follows:
Jefferson Davis, than whom there
never lived, in this or in any land, a
nobler gentleman and a knightlier SOL
dier-Jefferson Davis, who, whatever
may be thought of his opinions and
actions, said always what he meant
and meant always what he said-Jef-
ferson Davis declared that next after
the surrender at Appomattox, the
murder of Abraham Lincoln made the
| darkest day in the calendar for the
South. Why? Because Mr.. Davis had
come to knowledge of the magnani-
mlty of Mr.. Lincoln's heart and the
generosity of his intentions.
If Lincoln had lived there would
have been no era of reconstruction,
with its repressive agencies and OPP
pressive legislation. If Lincoln had
lived there would have been wanting
to the extremism of the time the
! bloody cue of his taking off to mount
the steeds and spur the TANKS of VEN
geance. For Lincoln entertained,
with respect to the rehabilitation of the
Union, the single wish that the South
ern states-to use his homely phrase
ology-"should come back home and
behave themselves" and, if he had
lived he would have made this wish
effectual as he made everything effec-
tual to which he seriously addressed
himself.
His was the genius of common sense.
OF perfect intellectual aplomb, he
t. nd
was born in Kentucky. He knew all
about the South, it's institutions, its
traditions and its peculiarities. He
was an old-line Wing of the school of
Henry Clay, with strong emancipation
leaning, never an Abolitionist. If
slavery be not wrong he said, moth
ing is wrong" but he also said, and
reiterated it time and again, Il have
no prejudice against the Southern peo-
pie. They are just what we would be
in their situation. If slavery did not
now exist among them they would not
introduce it. If it did now exist among
US, we would not instantly give it up
A Friend to the South.
From first to last throughout the an
cry debates preceding the war, amid
all the passions of the war itself, not
one vindictive, proscriptiVe word fell
from his tongue, or pen, whilst during
it's progress there was scarcely day
when he did not project his great per-
sonality between some Southern man
or woman and danger. Yet the South
does not know, except as a kind Of
hearsay, that this big-brained, big
souled man was a friend, friend at
court, when friends were most in need,
having the will and the power to res
cue it from the wolves of brutality
and rapine whom the history of all
wars tells US the lust of victory, the
very smell of battle, lures from their
hiding to prey upon the helpless, the
dying and the dead. But, perusing
the after-story of those dread days,
jefferson Davis knew this and died
doing full justice to the character Of
Abraham Lincoln.
Considerable discussion has been
heard latterly touching what did and
did not happen upon the occasion Of
a famous historic episode known as
the Hampton Roads Conference. That
| Mr.. Lincoln met and conferred with
the official representatives of the Con-
federate government, led by the Vice
President of the Confederate States,
when it must have been known to him
| that the Confederacy was nearing the
| end of its resources, is sufhcient PROOF
of the breadth both of his humanity
|
Fortress Monroe prepared not only to
make whatever concessions toward
| the restoration of Union and Peace ne
had the lawful authority to make out
| to offer some concessions when coula
| in the nature of the case go no 1ur-
Their at that time than his personal as
surance. His constitutional powers
were limited. But he was in himselr
| the embodiment OF great moral power
Payment for the slaves.
The story that he offered payment
for the slaves-so often affirmed ana
| denied-is in either case but qulpole
with the actual facts. He could not
| have made such an offer except ten
| +ot;veIv lacking the means to carry 1t
| ont He was not given the opportun-
ity to make it, because the Confeder-
| ate Commissioners were under instruc-
| tions to treat solely on the basis OF
| the recognition of the independence OF
the Confederacy. The conference came
| to nought. 1t ended where 1t began.
| But there is ample evidence that ne
went to Hampton Roads resolved TO
| commit himself to that proposltlon. ne
| did according to the official reports,
refer to it in specific terms, having al
| ready formulated a plan OF procedure.
| This plan requires no verihcatlon. IL
exists and may be seen in his own
| handwriting. 1t embraced a JOINT res
| oIution to be submitted by the Presl-
dent to the two houses of Congress ap-
propriating $500, 100000 to be distrip-
uted among the Southern states on
the basis of the slave population OF
each. according to the census of 1851
and a proclamation to be issued by
himself. as President, when this joint
resolution had been passed by Con-
| gress. .u
There can be no posibl e contro-
versy among honest students OF his
| torv on this point That Mr.. Lincoln
said to Mr.. Stephens, Let me write
Union at the top of this page and
Won may write below it whatever else
yo,1 nlease." is referable to. Mr.. Ste
nhens' statement made to many friends
and attested by a number of reliable
persons still living. But, that he medi-
| tated the most liberal terms, includ-
ing payment for the slaves. rests
neither upon conjecture nor averment,
hut on indisputable documentary sup
port. 1t may be argued that he could