The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 11, July 1907 - April, 1908 Page: 203
vii, 320 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Texas From Fall of Confederacy to Reconstruction. 203
rejected these, hoping to obtain more liberal terms. With a view
to determining upon methods and means of resistance or suitable
conditions of surrender, he had just before this summoned to meet
him in conference at Marshall, Governors Allen of Louisiana,
Murrah of Texas, Reynolds of Missouri, and Flanigan of Arkansas.
All attended save Murrah, who was ill, but who sent Colonel Guy
M. Bryan of his staff to represent him. It was determined to
endeavor to secure more favorable terms, and meanwhile to con-
centrate the forces of the department at Houston to resist an
expected attack upon Galveston. On May 13 the members of the
conference drew up a set of terms which they ventured to demand,
hoping to preserve the political integrity of their States. In sub-
stance these demands were: That officers and soldiers were to be
allowed to return directly to their homes; immunity was to be
guaranteed against prosecution for offences committed against the
United States during the war; officers, soldiers, and citizens were
to be allowed to retain their arms and to leave the country if they
so desired; the existing State governments were to be recognized
until conventions could be called "to settle all questions between
the States;"' and after a certain date each State should be allowed
full military authority within its own borders for the preservation
of order. This conference at Marshall is notable more for what
it hoped for than for what it accomplished. General Pope had
already expressly disclaimed any authority to settle political ques-
tions.2 Nevertheless, Sprague, who had been detained for this
purpose, now returned to Pope bearing these demands and a letter
from Smith urging reasons for their acceptance, which were chiefly
the expense of prolonging the war and the possibility of "foreign
complications." The Confederate authorities had already spent
much vain effort in endeavoring to entangle Maximilian and the
French in Mexico in an imbroglio with the United States. On May 2
1An expression which betrays the strong "States' rights" feeling of the
conferees. Any suggestion of the authority of the national government
over the States was carefully avoided. The chief "question" involved
was, of course, the continuance of slavery. ,
2The members of the conference sought to send Governor Allen to
Washington to urge the acceptance of the proposed terms, but he was
not permitted to go.
'For the Marshall conference, see Official Records, War of Rebellion,
Series I, Vol. XLVIII, Part I, 186-194.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 11, July 1907 - April, 1908, periodical, 1908; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101045/m1/207/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.