Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1861-04-26

VI luS must tllONliNt hluQ KNOW II.
INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT We learn
that a delegation from five Of the Young
Mems Christian Associations Of Baltimore
consisting of six members of each, on Monday
proceeded to Washington for an interview
with the President, the purpose being to in
tercede with him in behalf of peaceful poll
cy, and to entroat him not to pass troops
through Baltimore or Maryland. Rev. Dr.
Fuller, of the Baptist Church. accompanied
tho party, by invitation, rs chairman, and
the conversation was conducted mainly be-
tween him and Mr.. Lincoln, and was not heard
entire by all the members Of the delegation
Our informant, however, vouches for what
we now write. He states that upon the intro
duction they were received very cordially by
Nj. Lincoln-a sort Of rude familiarity of
manncr-and the conversation opened by Dr.
Fuller seeking to impress upon Mr.. Lincoln
the vast responsibility of the position he &C.
cupied, and that upon him depended the is
sues OF peace or war-on one hand a terrible,
fratricidal conflict, and on the other peace.
But, said Mr. Lincoln, "what am to do?i
Why, sir, let the country know that you
are disposed to recognize the independence Of
the Southern States. say nothing of seces-
sion, 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 avcrted'
" And what is to become Of the revenue2 /
shall have no government---no resources"
DIR. Fuller expressed the opinion that the
Northern States would constitute an imposing
government, and furnish revenue, but our in
formant could not follow the exact turn Of
remark.
The conversation turning upon the passage
Of troops through Maryland, Dr. Fuller ex-
pressed very earnestly the hope that no more
would be ordered over the soil Of this State
lie remarked that Maryland had shed her
blood freely in the war of independence she
was the first to move for the adoption Of the
constitution, and had only yielded her cling
ing attachment TO the Union when the blood
Of her citizens had been shed by strangers on
their way to conflict with her sisters of the
South.
Mr.. Lincoln insisted that he wanted the
troops only for the defense Of the capitol, not
for the invasion of the Southern States
And " he said, " must have the troops,
and automatically, the necessity exists that
they should come through Maryland. They
cant crawl under the earth, aud they cant fly
over it, and mathematically they must come
across it. Why, sir, those Carolinians are
now crossing Virginia to come here and hang
me, and what can do"
In some allusion TO the Importance of a
peace policy, Mr.. Lincoln remarked that if he
adopted it under the circumstances, there
- would be no Washington in that, no jack
son in that, no spunk in that !"
Dr.. Fuller hoped that Mr. Lincoln would
not allow spunk TO override patriotism.
Mr.. Lincoln doubted if he or Congress
could recognize the Southern Confederacy -
Ard we suspect that such Congress as the
next will be, with all the Southern States out
Of il, Is not likely to recognize it, With re-
gard TO the government, he said che mustrun
the machine rs he found it," And in refer
ence TO passing troops through Baltimore or
Maryland he said, Now, sir, if you won't
hit me, ! wont hit you"
AS the delegates were leaving, Mr.. Lincoln
said to one or two Of the young men, "Ill
tell you story You have heard Of the
lrishman, who, when fellow was cutting his
throat with blunt razor, complained that he
hAggled il. Now If ! can't have troops di-
rect 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, on leaving " the presence y
conferred together, and agreed on the hope
lessness Of their errand and the sad prospect
OF any good thing from such source, and
the exclamation was actually made, "God
have mercy on us, when the government II
placed in the hands of man like this ~
And we ask, IL IL at the bchest OF such n
man ~ this, and for the support Of party
70 represented that this country is TO be
plunged into all the horrors Of ciyiq war -
Bat. Sun.