Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/207

 The Peace Confcrcitn- in ////////;/o// Ittmils. 191

"But," said the neighbor, " how will they do when the winter comes and the ground is hard frozen?" " Well," said the farmer, 4< let 'em root."

AS TO WEST VIRGINIA.

Mr. Hunter enquired of Mr. Lincoln what, according to his idea, would be the result of the restoration of the Union as to West Vir- ginia. 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 Confed- erate 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 Confed- erate 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 un- conditional submission to conquerors, or as having anything humiliat- ing in it. After considerable discussion on that point between Mr. Hunter and Mr. Seward, Mr. Lincoln said that so far as the Confis- cation 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 will- ing 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 in- demnity 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. Se- ward 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 disap- pointed that nothing had been accomplished in the effort to bring about a suspension of hostilities. It is proper to say that the facts