The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-03
Interview with the PRESIDENT on
Emancipation.

AhAAhNAF tAAAuMs
A delegation from the Religious Society
Of Progressive Friends, before the Presi-
dent This morning TO present a memorial,
praying him to decree tbe emancipation Of
the slaves The depuiation was introduced
by Senator WnMor, and accompanied by
Messrs. KELLY DAVIS and CAMPBELL Of the
Pennsylvania delegation in the House Mr..
WmMoT having announced the objects Of
She deputation, OLIVER Johnson said
M. President: We appear before you
by your kind permission, not to solicit Of
flee for ourselves or our friends, nor TO ask
for any party or PERSONAL favor, but in The
interest Of the country and of humanity.
Our clients are 4,00O,OO0 slaves, who can
not speak for themselves, but only lift up
their chained hands in mute but agonizing
supplication for the freedom which IL is in
your power in this solemn crisis Of the
nations fate TO confer upon them Mr.
johnson then read the memorial, as fol-
lows:a
70 ABRAHAM LNoolN, President u he
United Siaies
The Religious S ,ciety Of Progressive
Friends, in Yearly Meeting assembled at
LongwOod, Chester county, Pa, from the
9th 10 the 9TH Of Sixth month"; 1862, under
a solemn sense OF the perils besetting the
country, and Of the duty devolying upon
them to exert whatever influence they
possess to rescue IL from impending de-
struction, beg leave respectfully but earn
estly TO set forth for The consideration Of
President Lincoln:
That they fully share in the general
grief and reprobation felt at the seditious
course pursued in opposition TO the Gener-
al Government by the so-called "Confed-
crate States +" regarding it asmarked by
all the revolving features of high-handed
robbery, cruel treachery, and murderous
violence, and therefore utterly to be abhor-
red and condemned by every iover Of his
country, and frieudevery ofthe human
race.
That nevertheless, this sanguinary re-
bellion finds its cause, purpose and cOm-
bustible materials, in that most unchrist-
ian and barbarous system of Slavery
which prevails in that section of the coun-
try, and in the guilt of which the whole
land has been deeply involved by general
completely; so that it is to be contritely
recognized as the penalty due to such per-
sistent and fragrant transgrossion, and as
the inevitable operation Of the law Of
eternal justice.
That thus heavily visited for its grind
ing oppression of an unfortunate race
"peeled, meeted out, and trodden under
| foot" whose wrongs have so long cried
| unto Heaven for redrcss--and thus
solemnly warned Of the infatuation as
| we'll as exceeding wickedpess of endeav-
oring to secure peace, prosperity, and uni
ty, while leaving millions TO clanl their
| chains in the house Of bondage-the ma
ton, in its official organization. should
lose no time in proclaiming immediate and
universal emancipation, so that the pre-
sent irightful eltusion Of blood may cease,
liberty be established, and permanent
] reconciliation effected by the removal of
| the sole cause of these divisions.
That in his speech delivered at Spring.
| field, before his election 10 the Office of
Chief Magistrate, the President expressly
declared, "A house divided against itself
cannot stand, believe this Government
cannot endure permanently half slave and
| half free. / do not expect the Union TO be
| dissolyed-I do not expect the house to
| fall-but do expect il will cease to be
divided. 1t will become all one thing or
| all the other
That this Society, therefore, urgently
unite with wide spread and constantly
| increasing sentiment in beseeching the
| President, as the head of the nation,
clothed with the constitutional power in
such fearful emergency TO suppress the
| rebellion efectually by the removal Of its
cause, not TO allow the present golden OPP
| poriunity to pass without deoreeing the
entire abolition Of Slavery throughout the
land, as measure imperatively demand
ed by due regard for the unity of the
country, the safety and happiness OF the
| people, the preservation of free institutions,
and by every consideration of Justice,
mercy, and peace. Otherwise, we have
fearful reason to approhend that blood
will continue to flow, and fierce dssen-
sion to abound, aud calamities to increase,
and fiery judgments to be poured out, un-
| I'll the work of national destruction is
consummated beyond hope of recovery
The President said that as he had not
been furnished with a copy Of the memo
rial in advance, he could not be expected
to make any extended remarks. II was
a relief TO be assured that the deputation
were not applicants for office, for bis chief
trouble was from that class Of persons.
The next most troublesome subject was
Slavery, He agreed with the memorial
lists, that Slavery was wrong, but in re-
gard to the ways and means Of it's re-
moyal, his u'c,Os probably differed from theirs
! 7beQlntqtioa ia he memorial from his Spring
6cld speech pas incomplete. 1t should have
embraced another sentence, in which he
indicated his views as to the elTectupon
Slavery itself Of the resistance to its ex-
tension
The sentiments contained in that pas
sage were deliberately uttered and he
held them now, ia decree OF emanci-
patton could abolish Slavery, John Brown
would have done the work eiIeciualIy.
Such decree surely could not be more
binding upon the South than the Consti.
tuition, and that cannot be enforced ia
that part Of the country now, Would a
proclamation Of freedom be any more ef-
fectiye
Mr. johnson replied as follows:
True, Mr. President the Constitution
| cannnI NOW be nnlnrnnL M Lhn SnnLh hmL