Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-11-03
The Compensated Ema patton Pro-
position.-Conyersa Between the
President and border state Repre-.

President to ask you to come TO the White
House tomorrow morning at 3 O'Clock, and bring
such OF your colleagues as are in town"
WAsHIseroS CRY. March 10, 1862.
Yesterday, ON my return from church, found
Nr. Postmaster General Blair in nv room, writ
ing the above note, which hs- Immediately sus-
pended, and verbally communicated the Pre>i
dents invitation, and stated that the Presidents
purpose WIS To have some conversation with the
delegations Oi Kentucky, Missouri, Mary land
Virginia, and Delaware, la explanation of his
message OF the 9th instant.
Thus morning these delegations, or such of
them As were IN town. assembled at the White
House at the appointed time, and, after some lit-
tie delay, we're admitted to an audience Mr.
Leary aud myself the only members from
Maryland present and. think, were the only
menlters OF the delegation at the time in the city
| know that Mr. Peirce. of the Senate. and
Me>srs Webster and Calvert, OF the House were
absent
After the usual SITUATIONS and we were seated
the President said, in substance that he had in.
vited u To meet him to have some conversation
With us IN explanltion vi bis message OF the 6th
that, since he had sent IL in, several of the zen
t!emen then present had visited him. but had
avoided any allusOn TO the message, and he
therefore inferred that the Import OF the message
has been misunderstood, and was regarded a.
inlmical to the interests we represented; aud he
had resolved he would talk with US and disabuse
minds of that erroneous opinion. He then
dlsclalmed any intent TO injure the interests or
wound the sensibiiities OF the slave States On
the contrary, his purpose was to protect the one
aud respect the other; that we we're engaged i'm
a terrible. wasting, and tedious war; immense
armies wei in the field, and must continue in the
held as long as the war lasts; that these armies
must. OF necessity, be brought into contact with
slaves IN the States Se represented, and in other
States, rs they advanced; that slaves would come
to the camps. and continual irritation was kept
| M; that he was constantly annoyed by conflicting
and antagOnistic complaints. On the one side,
certain class complained II the slave was not pro
tected by the army persons were frequently found
who, participating in these views. acted in way
unirendly to the slaveholder on the other hand,
SlaN eholders complained that their rights were
interiered with, their slaves we've induced to alb
scond, and protected within the lines
These compl iints were numerous, loud and
deep, and were "A serious annoyance 10 him. and
embarrassing TO the progress of the war; that it
kept alive a spirit hostile to the Government i'm
the States represented; strengthened the hopes
OF the Contederates that, at some day, the border
States would unite with them, aud thus tend TO
prolong the war; and he was of opinion if this
resolution should be adopted by Congress and
accepted by our States, these causes OF irritation
and these hopes would be reno we'd and more
would be accomplished toward shortening the
war than could be hoped from the greatest victory
achlved by Union armies; that he made this pro-
position in good faith and desired 10 be ACCEPT
Ell, il at ALL voluntarily, and in the same patriotic
spirit IN which It was made; that emancipation
was subject exclusively under the control of
the States, and must be adopted or rejected bv
each for itself; that he did not claim nor had tbis
Government any right, TO coerce them Tor that
purpose; and such was part OF his purpose in
making this proposition. and he wished IL To be
clearly understood, that he did not expect us
there to be prepared to give him answer, but he
hoped we would take the subject into serious con
sideratlon, confer with one another, and then take
such course felt our duty and the interest
of our constituents required us
Mr. NOel of Missouri, said that in his State
slavery was not considered permanent ilIstitu-
ton; that natural causes were there IN operation
which would ut 40 distant day extinsuish It, ard
he did not think this proposition was necessary
for that and, besides that, he and his friends felt
solicitors to the message on account of the
t1efent constructions which the resolution and
message had received. The New York Tribune
was for II, and understood il to mean that we
must accept gradual emancipation ACCORDING, to
The plan suggested or get something worse The
President replied, he must not be expected To
quarrel with the New York Tribune before the
right time; he hoped never to have to do IL; he
cipation in Missouri, he said that what had been
observed by MIR. Noel was probably true but the
operation OF these natural causes had not pre-
vented the irritating contact to which he had re-
ferred. destroyed the hopes OF the COnfederates
that Missouri would ut some time range herself
alongside OF them which in his JUDI ment, the
passage OF this resolution by Congress, and its
acceptance toy Missouri would ACCOMPLISH
Mr. CTisheld, OF Maryland, asked what would
be the effect OF the refusal of the States to accegt
this proposal, and desired TO know ii the Presi-
dent looked TO any policy beyond the acceptance
rejection of his scheme He replied that he
had no designs beyond the action OF the States on
this particular subject. He should lament their
refusal to accept 1t, but he had designs hey ond
their refusal OF IL.
Mr. Menzies. of Kentucky, inquired if the Pres
ident thought there any power except in the
States themselves To carry out this scheme Of
emancipation. To which he replied he II ought
there could not be The President then went off
into cOurse OF remarks not qualifying the fore
going declaration, nor material TO bs repeated to
a just uaderst ,niing OF his mesuing.
Mr Crisheid said he dad not think the people
OF MfrtIlnd looked upon slavery as permanent
Institution. and he did not know tllt they would
be very reluctant TO give il ~, il provision was
made To meet the loss and ihey could be RE. OF
the race. but they Gid not like "a be coerced into
emancipation, either by the direct action OF the
Government or 10y indirectlOn, through the
emancipation OF slaves in this District or the
conhscaton of Southern property as now threat
enei; and he thought before they would consent
10 consider this proposition they would require 10
be informed on these points; 10 which the Presi
dent replied that. unless he expelled Oy the
act OF God or the Confederate armies, he should
occupy that house for ihtee years and as long as
he remsined there Mary land had nothing to fear
either Tor her institutions her Interests on the
points referred TO.
Mr. Crsheld Immediately added: "Mr Presi-
dent, If what you now say could be heari by the
people of Mary land, they would consider your
proposition With much better feeling than lear
without il they will be inclined TO do"
The President" That (meanng the publica-
ton of what be said will not do; il would force
+ me into quarrel before the prouer time ana
again intimating, he had before done quar-
rel with the Greeley faction was Impending he
said lie did not wish To encounter IL before the
proper time. nor at all ii il could be avoided
i Gov Weklitfe. Of Kentucky. then asked him
respecting the cOnstitutionality OF his scheme
and he replied. YOU may suppose Il have
considered that, anu the proposition now submit
ted does not encounter ans constitutional dilh
Guilty. lt proposes simply to CO operate with any
State by giving such Sta,e pecuniIry aid = and
3 that he thought that the resolution. as proposed
by him. would be considered rather as the expires
SION Of sentiment than : involving any cousti-
tutional question.