New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-10

Hampton Roads conference. Nothing hap
poned there which changed the irreconcilabl'
attitude of the combatants Their agents
indeed. argued from opposite premises the
restoration Of the Union the sine qua non Of
the one side, the recognition Of the Confed
eracy the utimatum of the other.
Neither, indeed, possessed the power &c
come to terms. Mr. Davis had no right tC
dissolve the Confcdcracy and disband its ar
mics, Mr.. Lincoln none 20 commit his gov
eminent to any definite treaty. 1t is a fact
however. that the Federal President was pre-
pared with plan then and there to end tho
war. which, could it have been adopted, would
have saved two months bloody fighting and
spared the South the humiliation Of the final
collapse and surrender.
Though this has been denied. it admits OF
10 dispute The historic issue rests upon
two imperfect and apparently conflicting mar
ratiyes the official and formal report Of the
Confederate commissioners and the subse-
quent oral and personal statement OF Mr..
Stephens. The disagreement, however, is
easily explained, having, with its attendan,
controversy. arisen because what Mr.. Ste
phcns said was assumed to be an attack upon
Mr. Davis. II was never so intended either
by Mr. Stephens or by the use Of it which
long after was made in these columns, the
aim being solely TO throw light upon the
character and purposes of Mr. Lincoln
II should be borne in mind in this connec-
ton that Mr.. Stephens and Mr.. Lincoln were
personal friends old Wing colleagues in Con-
grcss Lincoln warm adm.rer of stephens,
whom he wanted TO ask 20 become a member
Of his Cabinet when he was elected President.
In the little cabin Of the river steamer where
the conference was being held the two had
drawn apart from the rest stephens" said
Lincoln. as Mr. Stephens related the CONVEX
sation TO many Of his friends, you know |
am fair man and / know you TO be one.
both Of US understand the situation Let mo
write Union at the top Of this page and you
may write below it whatever else you please.
am sure you will write nothing which can
not agree to-" Mr.. Stephens replied that the
commissioners were limited to treating upon
the basis of the recognition of the indepen-
dence Of the Confederacy. "Then, Stephens"
eaid Lincoln. my hands are clean of every
drop of blood spilled from this time onward"
In the general rather desultory and, in the
end, wholly abortiyc, talk between the three
Confederate Commissioners and Mr.. Lincoln
and Mr.. Seward, Mr.. Lincoln, recurring to
slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation,
declared that he would be willing to be taxed
to pay the Southern people fair valuation
tor their slaves. 1t is a matter Of fact that he
had already prepared joint resolution to be
recommended 10 the two houses Of Congress
appropriating sl00,OoO0OO to this purpose, and
proclamation TO be issued by himself as
President when this had been adopted.
On his return TO Washington he laid these
two papers before his Cabinet Inevitably
there was opposition. why, gentlemen" he
said, show long is the war going TO last? Il
is not going to end in one hundred DAYS. is
it? Il is costing Us 100000 "A day. There
you have the $500 O00,O 900. not counting the in
tervening loss of lives and property. But.
YOU are all against me, and / will say no
more about it." Both papers still stand in his
own handwriting
The death Of Lincoln removed from tho
head of affairs the best, if not the only.