Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-12
NEW MATERIAL ON LIFE
OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Brought Out by Walter q. Stevens in
Address Before Missouri
Historical Society.
TELLS Or LETTER TO STEELE
Expressed His Purpose to Make Way
for Confederate States to Get Bnck
Into Union Simple and Expedite
OuS-No Mention OF Suffrage

/ Noi!t MElA, MO, December ll.-New
material on the life of Abraham Lin
coin was brought out last night in an
address before the State Historical So
cicty of Missouri by Walter b. Stevens,
] OF st. Louis. former washington cor
respondent OF the st. Louis Globe
/ Democrat, and later secretary OF the
/ Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
/ Mr.. Stevcns's theme was Lincoln
and Missouri" and he made public
possibly for the first time. letter
which President Lincoln sent TO Cen
eral Steele whose military district in
cludcd the state Of Arkansas The
letter is dated January 20. 1864. and
said MIR. stevens i'm his address. lis an
answer to the historical controversy
as TO the course Mr.. Lincoln would
have pursued had he lived out his sec
| ond term"
The original OF the letter is now In
the collection of w X Bixby. OF st.
| Louis.
! I'm his letter. said Mr. Stevens. the
President authorized the organization
Of II state government by an election
! on the condition that ii he assumed
at said election, and thence forward
that the Constitution and laws of the
state. rs before the rebellion. arc in
/ full force, excepting that there shall
he neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude. except in the punishment OF
crime whereof the party shall have
been duly convicted; but the General
/ Assembly may make such provision for
! the freed people as shall recognize
and declare their permanent freedom,
provide for their education. and which
/ may yet be consistent. rs q temporary
arrangement. with their present con-
diiion as laborlnc. landlcss and
homeless class
The language as to freedom said
! MIR. stevens. lis the same as was in
4, corporatcd in the thirteenth amend
mcnt To the Constitution of the United
I States nearly two years after this let
| ter was written by MIR. Lincoln. GEN
cral steele was ordered to proceed
with the election. allowing all to vote
! Who would take the oath of allegiance
prescribed in the Presidents proclama-
ton Of December s, 1863. Polls were
| IT, he opened and the election on this
change in the Constitution and for
Governor was To he conducted In ac-
cordance with the laws OF Arkansas
General steele was instructed to have
| the votes counted and to recognize the
new Governor and to declare the Con-
stitution as amended in full effect.
ABOUT NEGRO SUFFRAGE
lin his own words. written by him
self. the President expressed his pur-
pose To make the way for the Con
fcderatc states To get back into the
Union simple and expeditions. Moth.
ing was said about negro suffrage.
Mr.. Lincoln pledged himself TO accent
any provisions which may be adopted
hy such State government in relation
to the freed people of such State which
shall recognize and declare their per-
inanent freedom. provide for their cdu-
cation. and which may yet he consis-
tent as Il temporary Arrangement with
their present condition as Il laboring,
! !andless and homeless class"
The address Of Mr.. stevens tonight
| began with the conference between
Lincoln and Francis T. Blair. OF st
| Louis. at Springfield. H.. in April.
1891. and closed Will, the message
Joseph G. Shelby and the Missouri
COnfcdcratcS. a few weeks before the
surrender OF Lee. In the letter to
/ General Shelby, said MIR. stevens. Lin
coin offered the aid Of the Federal
government to the conrcderatcs west
OF the Mississippi River 10 march 10
Mexico and join Juarez. who was
. lighting the French under MaXiruilian.
The relationship betwccn Lincoln
and Missouri was continuous from the
conference with Blair in tS5T TO the
message sent Shelby in 1868" said AIR.
stevens. 1T was intimate. |, had a
deciding influence upon national poll
ties |, had no small part in the for
tunes OF the Civil War.
In the spring Of 1860 came fruition
of tn" Lincoln aud Missouri relation
ship. Following at once upon the de-
feat Of Lincoln IN SIS for The Sem
atcrship. the organization to control
the presidential nomination was start
ell. Into the movement entered . per-
Sonality net publicly conspicuous a:
| tho time, but OF great force under
cover.
"Blair and the young men were in the
forefront carrying the banners OF free
SOL, Tree democracy, gradual emancipa-
ton. white labor, colonization and the
like.
"ln the background was ELw ard
lCont inuhl ON - pa % : -