Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-05-02
A New Batch Of LEncoInism-Intervi
with the President.
From the Baltimore Sun. April q.


We learn that delegation from five of the YounO
Mems Christian Association of Baltimore consist
ing Of six members of each YESTERDAY nroneedpd to
Washington for an interview with the President
the purpose being to Intercede with him in behalf
of peacefui poncy and to entreat him not to pass
troops through Baltimore or MARYLAND Rev DR.
Butler, of the Baptist Church, accomnan;e5 The 1or
ty by invitation, chairman. and the ooDvers.r;o
was conducted mainly between him and Mr. Iincoln
and not heard entire by all the members of the
delegation.
Our informant, however, vouches for ,rb..
now write. He states that upon the introdnc,;on
they were received very cordially by Mr. IincoIn
in sort of rude familiarity of manner and the con-
versation opened by DR.. Fuller seeking to impress
upon Mr. Lincoln the vast responsib lily of the po.
ton he occupied and that upon him depended the
issues of peace or war-on one hand a terrible fl a.
trcial conflict and on the other peace.
"But" said Mr.. Lincoln, "what am to doi'
"Why, sir. let the country know that you are dis
posed TO recognize the independence of the South
ern States. say nothing of secession; recognize
the fact that they have formed Government of
their own that they will never be united again with
the North and peace will instantly take the place
of anxiety and suspense, and war may be averted -
Sand what is to become Of the revenue? shall
have no Covernment-no resources"
DR.. Fuller expressed the opinion that the North>
ern States would constitute an imposing Govern
ment, and furnish revenue but our informant could
not follow the exact return of remark.
The conversation turning upon the passage of
troops through Maryland, DR.. Fuller expressed
very earnestly the hope that no more would be Or
dered over the soil of the State. He remarked that
Maryland had shed her blood freely in the war Ct
Independence she the first to for the adop-
ton OF the Constitution and had only yielded her
clnging attachment to the Union when the blood of
her citizens had been shed by strangers on their
way toconfet with her sisters of the South.
Mr.. Lincoln insisted that he wanted the troops
NJ fho Coxffo ~ Co. H. =,
vasion of the Southern States. "And," he said - l
must have the troops, and mathematcally, the ne
cessity exists that they should come through Mary
land. They can't crawl under the earth. and they
can't fly over it, and automatically they must
come across it. Why, sir. those Carolneans are
now crossing Virginia to come here and hang me,
and what can dor"
In some allusion to the importance of a peace
policy, Mr. Lincoln remarked that if he adopted il
under the present circumstances, there would be
no Washington In that no jackson in that no spunk
in thatl'
DR.. Fuller hoped Mr. Lincoln would not allow
"spunk" to override patriotism.
Mr.. Lincoln doubted if he or Congress could re-
recognize the Southern COnfederacy. land we sus-
pect that such Congress as the next will be with
all the Southern States out of it, is not likely to re-
cognize it With regard to the Government he
said, "he must run the machine as he found it. y
And IN reference to passing troops through Balu
more or Maryland he said, Now, sir, if you went
hit me, " ont hit you.
As the delegations were leaving. Mr.. Lincoln said
to one or two of the young men, IN tell you sto-
ry. You have heard of the Irishman who when a
fellow was cutting his throat with blunt razor,
complained that he haggled it. Now if can't have
troops direct through Maryland, and must have
them all the way round by water or marched
across Out-of the-way territory, shall be haggled
The delegation, leaving the prescnce," confer
red together and agreed upon the hopelessness OF
their errand, and the sad prospect of ally good
thing coming from such a source, and the exclama
ten was actually made, "God have mercy on us
when the government is placed in the hands of a
man like this"
And we ask, is it at the behest of such a man as
this, and for the support of party so represented
that thus country is to be plunged into all the hor
rors of civil war?