The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-23


"boldinE denouncing he usurpatlon or
the Washington authorities, opposing
the policy of subjugating the Southern
States. declaring the war.to be fall
ure in preserving the Union OF the
States as 1t was established under the
Constitution, and inviting general
convention of all the States for a prop
or adjustment of the relations between
them
On the Sth day of November fol-
lowing, Mr.. Lincoln was elected the
second time to the presidency, with
Andrew Johnson. of Tennessee, as
Vice President
MIR. Lincoln's Messenger.
Upon the settlement of the civil dis
cord by the ballot box. the Northern
people Immediately became extremely
solicitous for tho welfare Of Mexico,
and. on the 2sth day of December,
1864. n gentleman. who was major-
general In the Federal Army, and,
who had been q Congressman many
years prior to the war, and. at that
time one of the most influential char
acters in Washington, left Washing
ton, bearing the following card:
December %. 1864. Allow the bear
er. F. p. Blair, ST., to pass our lines.
go South, and return
A. LINCOLN"
The sudden and unexpected appear
ance OF this distinguished man in the
city of Richmond day or two after
wards was almost as startling as a
holt OF electricity out of the clear sky
Upon reaching Richmond, Mr.. Blair
Immediately asked for a private con-
ference with Mr.. Davis. In day or
two Mr. Blair returned to Washing
ton, and then in few days, for the
second time. as suddenly and as unex-
rectedly. he reappeared in Richmond,
and was Immediately closeted with Mr..
Davis. OF course great publicity was
given to Mr.. Blairs visits, and the
Southern people were led to hope that
their prayer for peace was about to
be answered.
Conference Agreed Upon.
AT the second visit of Mr.. Blair the
arrangements between Messrs. Davis
and Blair were made for the confer
ence, now known us the Hampton
Roads Conference Mr.. Blair's BUSH
ness with Mr. Davis was to head off
the French in Mexico and arrange for
a secret military convention, after
wards arranCe for the two armies,
North and South, to go down to Mexico
and whip the French off the American
continent, under the plea of carrying
cut the Monroe Doctrine. After the
troops had thus been made to frater-
nize, peace would be restored to the
States.
Before undertaking description Of
this conference, and the results there
from. 1t is we'll to note that there were
five distinguished men parties to the
conference. To enumerate: On the part
of the United States. Abraham Lincoln.
| the President, and William II. Seward,
| the Secretary of State, and represent
| ing the Confederacy, there were Alex
-
President Judge John a. Campbell. of
Alabama, who had been an associate
justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States, and at that time Assist
ant Secretary of War, and r. NJ 7.
| Hunter, of Virginia, Confederate States
Senator.
The Reports Agree.
| Three of these five men wrote re-
ports of this conference. Mr.. Lincoln
lin obedience to resolution of the
United States Congress, made report
4 to the Congress, which merely EN-.
braces tho correspondence OF the com.
missioners. and docs not give wha
was talked of at the conference. This
report by Mr.. Lincoln will be found
| in the Congressional Record of tina
year. Mr.. Stephens wrote a mos
elaborate account OF the conference
(which was published In the year 1856
lin the second volume OF his "IIistor.
1 of the War Between the States" Mr.
Stephens, besides being probably thu
.lbest constitutional lawyer that Amer
lica has ever produced, had very re-
markable powers OF reproduction, ant
ylof this Hampton Roads conference n
lhas given graphic description, en-
ltering fully into all details and min
utiae. and has devoted the entire TWEEN
ty- third chapter of the second yolum
LOT his book containing more than fift,
pages, to an account of the confer
ence In addition to Mr.. Stephens
great legal abilities, his writings sho,
him to have been keen observer 0
men and things. and his Judgment Q
men and power of analysis of charac
ter seem to have been almost infalliblt
The young people of the Soutl
should read Mr.. Stephens's descriptio
of General r. +. Lee as he appeare
before the Constitutional Conventlo
, Eof Virginia in April. 1861, when, by tn
> Governor of the State, he had been az
!, pointed commander-in-chief OF tn
) forces in Virginia. To the writer. TN
; account is the most beautiful thing J
g Southern history.
@ Judge Cnmpbelps Pamphlet.
0 Judge John A. Campbell wrote
!,
7 ana Documents Relating to the CIV
4 War;" which was published In I tn
!, year 1887. The pamphlet Is very sho
Q and meagre in details, and Is of bl
little value to the studetn OF histor,
I, The writer found this pamphlet, du
r ing the past winter in the Congre
= sional Library at Washington. AM
y after a thorough examination. was di
$, appointed to find that it contained
y little of the events as they had O
u Cured at the conference under col
&c sideration. II is proper to remark tn
y at the time this pamphlet was pu
= lshcd Judge Campbell was Il vel
q old man, having been horn in ISL
ID and was probably a feeble man at Il
e time of which we speak. and had 10
7, gotten much that had occurred mo
At than twenty years before.
I. In addition to the three aocoun
le mentioned, ii is we'll to notice that t
is EConfederate commissioners. after the
+ return to Richmond. Jointly made
IS report to Mr.. Davis as the President
IN the Confederacy, and. upon the rece
n ton of this report Mr.. Davis INN
dlatcly issued short special MESA
to the Confederate Congress. The
ct two documents can be seen In tho ca