The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-26 00:00:00

PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S VIEWS.

The New York journals of the 13th inst. publish
the following report of James Taussing, one of a
committee of Germans from Missouri, who waited
on President Lincoln to present a series of resolu-

ions adopted at a meeting held in St. Louis, on the
oth May.

" Report of James Taussing, E.q.
" Messrs. Emile Pretorius, Theodore Olshausen,
R. E. Rombauer, committee, evc.
" Gentlemeu,—During a professional visit to
Washington city, I presented to the President of
the United States, in compliance with your instruc
tions
a copy of the resolutions adopted in mass
meeting
at St. Louis, on the 10th of May, 1863, and
I requested a reply to the suggestions therein con-
tained.

" The President, after a careful and loud reading
of the whole report of proceedings, saw proper to
enter into a conversation of two hours' duration, in
the course of which most of the topics embraced in
the resolutions and other subjects were discussed.
As my share in the conversation is of secondary
importance, I propose to omit it entirely in this
report, and, avoiding details, to communicate to you
the substance of noteworthy remarks made by the
President.

" 1. The President said that it may be a misfor-
tune for the nation that he was elected President ;
but, having been elected by the people, he meant to
be President, and to perform his duty according to
his best understanding, if he had to die for it. No
general will be removed, nor will any change in the
Cabinet be made, to suit the views or wishes of any
particular party, faction, or set of men. General
Elalleck is not guilty of the charges made against
him, most of which arise from misapprehension or
ignorance of those who prefer them.
" 2. The President said it was a mistake to sup-
pose that Generals John C. Fremont, B. F. Butler,
and F. Sigell, are 'systematically kept out of corn-
mand,' as stated in the fourth resolution ; that, on
the contrary, he fully appreciated the merits of the
generals named ; that by their own action they had
,placed themselves in the positions which they occu-
pied ; that he was not only willing, but anxious, to
place them again in command as soon as he could
find spheres of action for them without doing in-
justice to others, but that at present he had more
pegs than holes to put them in.'
" 3, As to the want of unity, the President, with-
out admitting such to be the case, intimated that
each member of the Cabinet was responsible mainly
for the manner of conducting the affairs of his parti-
cular department ; that there was no centralisation
of responsibility for the action of the Cabinet any-
where except in the President himself.
"4 The dissensions between Union men in Mis-
souri are due solely to a factious spirit, which is
exceedingly reprehensible. The two parties ' ought
to have their heads knocked together." Either

would rather see the defeat of their adversary than
that of Jefferson Davis.' To this spirit of faction is
to be ascribed the failure of the Legislature to elect
senators and the defeat of the Missouri Aid Bill in
Congress, the passage of which the President
strongly desired. The President said that the
Union men in Missouri are in favour of gradual
emancipation. Iu explanation of his views on this
subject, the President said that in his speeches he
had frequently used as an illustration the case of a

man who had an excresence on the back of his neck

the removal of which in one operation would result
in the death of the patient, while tinkering it off

by degrees' would preserve life altogether.
Sorely tempted, I did not reply with illustration of
the dog whose tail was amputated by inches, but con-
fined myself to arguments. The President announced
clearly that, as far as he was at present advised,
the Radicals in Missouri had no right to consider
themselves the exponents of his views on the sub-

ject of emancipation in that State.
" 5. General Curtiss was not relieved on account
of any wrong act, or great mistake, committed by
him. The system of provost-marshals, established,
by him throughout the State, gave rise to violent,
complaint.
"That the President had thought at one time to
appoint General Fremont in his place ; that at an-
' other time he had thought of appointing General
Di'Dowell, whom he characterised as a good and
loyal, although very unfortunate, soldier; and that
at last General Schofield was appointed, with a