The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-05-08
Interview Between President Lincoln and
Hon. Garrett Davis, of Kentucky.

The Hon. Garrett Davis, Of Kentucky, who
recently visited Washington for the purpose Of
consulting with the President and other mem
bers of the Government, in reference TO the
National troubles, furnishes the Louisville
Journal with a lengthy account of his inter
view with President Lincoln, from which we
make the subjoined extracts:
| found the President frank and calm, but
decided and firm. lie expressed deep concern
and regret for the existing condition Of public
affairs, and his hope that there would yet be
restoration of the Union, aud peace and am
| ity among all the States. He remarked that
neither he nor any other President who had been
| elected by party, could administer the Govern
| ment in accordance with his own opinions and
| judgment, but must make some departure tJ
| satisfy those who had placed him in power.
| That before the Carolinians had made their
attack on Fort Sumter. he had decided not to
| reinforce or attempt to reinforce Its garrison,
| but merely, and only, to supply its handful of
| furnishing men with food; and that he had
| distinctly communicated these purposes to the
authorities Of the Southern Contederaton.-
| That he had also determined that, until the
| meeting Of Congress, he would make no at
| tempt to retake the forts. &C., belonging TO the
| United States, which had been uulawluily
| seized and wrested from their possession, but
| would leave the then existing state Of things
to be considered and acted upon by Congress-
unless he should be constrained to depart from
| that purpose by the continued military opera
| tons of the seeded States.
| The President further said that events had
now reached point when it must be decided
| whether our system Of Federal Government
was only league Of sovereign and independ-
| h G., -,+I
| draw at pleasure, or whether the Constitution
| formed a Government invested with siren 9Th
| and powers sufficient to uphold its own au-
| thority and to enforce the execution of the
| laws Of Congress. That he had no doubt Of
| the truth OF the latter proposition, and he in
| tended to make ii good in the administration
| of the Government to the extent hat he should
| be sustained by the people of the United
| States.
He remarked. also, that he had expected all
the States upon which he had made requisi-
ton for military aid to enable him TO execute
| the laws, to respond to that CALL and par
ticularly the State of Kentucky, which had
| been 50 loyal to the Union and faithful III the
performance of all her duties. That he greatly
regretted that she had not acted up to the
| principles of her great statesmen now no more,
and for which she cast her vote in the
late Presidential election, 1.-The Union, the
Constitution, and the enforcement of the
| Laws"
That he intended to make no attack, direct
or indirect, upon the institutions property
of any State; but, on the contrary, would de-
| fend them to the full extent with which the
Constitution and laws of Congress have vested
the President with the power. And that he
did not intend to invade with an armed force
or make any military or naval movement
against any State unless she or her people
| should make it necessary by formidable re-
sistance of the authority and the laws of the
| United States.