New Britain herald., 1915-12-11
NEW MATERIAL 0N
 LIFE OF LINCOLN
Brought Out in Address By ". B.
 Stevens Of St. Louis

Columbia Mo-, Dec. 11.-New ma-
 terial on the life of Abraham Lincoln
 was brought out last night in an
 address before the State Historical Society of Missouri by Walter B. Stevens of St. Louis, former Washing | ton correspondent of the St. Louis l Globe-Democrat, and later secretary
 of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition MT. Stevens theme was "Lincoln and Missouri and he made public, possibly for the first time, letter which President Lincoln sent to Gen.
 eral Steele, whose military district in- cluded the State of Arkansas. The
 letter is dated January 20, 1864, and,
 said MT. Stevens in his address, "is
 an answer to the historical contro-
 versy as to the course MT. Lincoln
 would have pursued had he lived out his second term"
 Original Letter
 The original of the letter is now in the collection of w. K. Bixby Of St. Louis.
 ''In his letter." said MT. Stevens, "the president authorized the organ ization of a state government by ah election on the condition that it De assumed at said election, and thence forward, that the constitution rc laws of the state. as before the repel- lion, are in full force, excepting that there shall be neither slavery nor ln- voluntary servitude, except in the punishment of crime whereof the par tvs hall 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 te consistent, as temporary arrange ment, with their present condition as laboring, landless and homeless class"
 Language As to Freedom.
 '"The language as to freedom" said MT. Stevens, "is the same as was incorporated in the thirteenth amend ment to the constitution of the United States nearly two years after this letter was written by MT. Lincoln. General Steele was ordered to pro- ceed with the election, allowing all to vote who would take the oath of al legiance prescribed in the presidents proclamation of December 8, 1863. Polls were to be opened and the elec- ton on this change in the constitu- tion and for governor was to be con- ducted in accordance with the laws of Arkansas. General Steele was in structed to have the votes counted and to recognize the new governor and to declare the constitution amended in full effect.
 'In his own words, written by him. self, the president expressed his pur- pose to make the way for the con- 'ederate states to get back into the Union simple and expeditions. Noth- ng was said about negro suffrage. MT. lincoln pledged himself to accept 'ary provisions which may be adopted cy any state government in relation to the freed people of such state which shall recognize and declare their per freedom, provide for their and which may yet be con- sistent as a temporary arrangement with their present condition as lab bring, landless and homeless class .
 Begins With Conference.
 The address of MT. Stevens last night began with the conference be- tween Lincoln and Frances P. Blair, of St. Louis at Springfield, Ill.,, in April, 1857, and closed with the mes sage Lincoln sent through Blair to General Joseph c. Shelby and the Confederates, a few weeks before the surrender of Lee. In the letter to General Shelby, said Mr. Stevens, Lincoln offered the aid of the Federal government to the Confed- crates west of the Mississippi river to march to Mexico and join Jaurez who was fighting the French under 
 "The relationship between Lincoln and Missouri was continuous from the conference with Blair in 1857 to the message sent Shelby in 1865" said Mr. Stevens. "It was intimate T. had a deciding influence upon na. tional politics. It had no small part in the fortunes of the Civil war.
 'In the spring of 1860 came fruit ion of the Lincoln and Missouri re- Following at once upon the defeat of Lincoln in 1858 for the sen- atorship, the organization to control the presidential nomination was starI- ed Into the movement entered a personality not publicly conspicuous at the time but of great force under cover.
 Blair in Forefront.
 "Blair and the younger men were in the forefront carrying the ban- ners of free soil free democracy gradual emancipation, white labor and the like.
 Tn the background was Edward Bates, counseling and encouraging. He had seen the Whig party go to pieces. He was in sympathy with the work of new party construction which Lin coin was doing in Illinois. He was not openly active in the Lincoln move ment. He was the wise adviser When the time came to send a dele- gation from Missouri to the repub1i- can nominating convention at Chi cago, MT. Bates permitted his name to be used as the ostensible candi-