Mr. Hunter enquired of
Mr. Lincoln what, according to his idea, would be the result of the restoration of the
Union as to
West Virginia.
Mr. Lincoln said he could only give his individual opinion, which was that
West Virginia would continue to be recognized as a separate State in the
Union.
Mr. Hunter then very forcibly summed up the conclusions which seemed to him to be logically deducible from the conference.
In his judgment, they amounted to nothing as a basis of peace but an unconditional surrender on the part of the
Confederate States, and their people.
Mr. Seward insisted that no words like unconditional surrender had been used or any importing or justly implying degradation or humiliation to people of the
Confederate States.
He did not think that yielding to the execution of the laws under the
Constitution of the United States, with all its guarantees and securities for personal and political rights as they might be declared by the courts, could be properly considered as unconditional submission to conquerors, or as having anything humiliating in it. After considerable discussion on that point between
Mr. Hunter and
Mr. Seward,
Mr. Lincoln said that so far as the
Confiscation Acts and other penal acts were concerned their enforcement would be left entirely to him, and he should exercise the power of the executive with the utmost liberality.
He said he would be willing to be taxed to remunerate the
Southern people for their slaves; that he believed the people of the
North were as responsible for slavery as the people of the
South; that if the war should then cease with the voluntary abolition of slavery by the States he should be in favor individually of the payment by the government of a fair indemnity for the loss to the owners; that he believed this feeling was very extensive at the
North, but on this subject he said he could give no assurance and enter into no stipulation.
The conference, after a session of about four hours, then terminated, and the parties took formal and friendly leave of each other.
Mr. Lincoln and
Mr. Seward returned to
Washington, and
Messrs. Stephens,
Hunter and
Campbell went back to
City Point under the escort of
Col. Babcock.
They there again met
General Grant and he was evidently disappointed that nothing had been accomplished in the effort to bring about a suspension of hostilities.
It is proper to say that the facts
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herein stated have been gathered from the report of the commissioners, bearing date February 5, 1865, from the message of
Mr. Davis to the Confederate Senate and House of Representatives, communicated on February 6, 1865, from the message of
Mr. Lincoln to the
United States House of Representatives, sent in answer to a resolution soon after his return from
Fortress Monroe, from conversations held with two of the commissioners and from the narrative of
Mr. Stephens published soon after the termination of the war.
The failure of the conference was a great disappointment, not only to the authorities at
Richmond, but to the people generally.
Mr. Davis1 in his message to the Confederate Senate and House of Representatives transmitting the report of the commissioners accepted the action of
President Lincoln and
Secretary Seward as showing that they refused to enter into negotiations with the
Confederate States, or any of them separately, or to give to our people any other terms or guarantees than those which the conqueror may grant, or to permit us to have peace on any other basis than our unconditional submission to their rule, coupled with the acceptance of their recent legislation on the subject of the relations between the
white and
black populations of past States.
In a public address delivered before a large audience at the African church, in
Richmond, soon after the return of the commissioners, he aroused the people to the highest pitch of enthusiasm, and incited them to renewed determination to continue the struggle and stake all upon the issue.
His speech was characterized by the boldest and most defiant tone, and was delivered in his loftiest and most captivating style: As a specimen of real oratory it has never been surpassed, not even by the fiery eloquence of
Rienzi, when he stirred the hearts of the Romans to their utmost depths, or by the burning words of
Demosthenes, when he moved the Athenians to cry out against Philip.
There
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were other speakers on the occasion referred to, and among them were
Gustavus A. Henry, the ‘Eagle Orator’ of
Tennessee, then a member of the Senate, and the silver-tongued
Judah P. Benjamin, of
Louisiana, then
Secretary of State.
The circumstances under which the meeting was held and the fervid eloquence of the speakers made a profound impression, and those present with one heart and one voice resolved that there was no alternative left but to fight on to the bitter end. The end came within two months, when
General Lee and the remnant of his gallant army having fought to the point of complete exhaustion, furled their banners and laid down their arms at
Appomattox.
