Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-09-26
[From the Chicago Tribune 23d. |


Emancipation MemOrIal-RepOrt of
the Delegation TO President Lincoln
What the President said.
The undersigned, appointed with two other
gentleman who were unable 10 act) to present
to President Lincoln the memorial In favor of
national emancipation adopted by the public
meeting OF Christians of all denominations
held in Bryan Hall, Chicago, on Sabbath even
ing, Sept. TIN 1862, would respectfully report:
IA We reached the city of Washington on
Thursday morning, Sept. llth, but were delay
cd two days before arrangements could be made
| for suitable interview with the President,
which was at last accomplished through the
kind services of Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary
OF tho Navy.
The President received US courteouBly, and
gave the fullest opportunity to discharge the
duty assigned. He listened with fixed stten-
ton while the memorial was read by the
chairman of the delegation, who added few
words to express the due interest felt in the
President by their religious community, as
manifested 10 the many prayerS offered 10 his
behalf from the day of his election to the PRES
ent hour, and to explain the pressure OF feeling
that caused those prayers to be followed by o me-
mortal expressive OF their solemn convictions
of national duty and necessity. He observed
they discharge their solemn obligations as
Christian citizens, which is ell they seek, having
no desire to dictate to their chief magistrate,
who has his own responsibility to God, the
nation, aud the world. The time of presenting
the memorial might seem inauspicious, in view
of recent disasters, which make the authority
of the Government in the slave States less
extensive and influential than before. But the
memorialists believe these disasters to be tokens
of Divine displeasure, calling for new and ad-
vanced action by the President in behalf of the
country--such as would indicate national re-
pentsnce for the sin Of oppression; and he must
see that if success in our military affairs was
supposed to render such action unnecessary,
and defeat to make it unsvailing, then duty be-
comes an idle word, and Gods voice Of Temon.
STRANGE and warning an unmeaning utterapcs.
The delegation presented, as the same time
memorial Of similar import drawn in German
and in English, and signed by q number of ouI
German citizens, which was placed in thei
hands on leaving home. .l"
After moments silence the President an
sSered, and, as We waited upon him In public
capacity, rs o delegation from large body o
the people, to learn his views on O grave polit
ical and moral question which is profoundly
agitatiDg the nation, We suppose the reply be
ed, as to ourselves. We give IL therefore, will
some degree of fullness, accurately In substance
and often in the very words which fell from hi
lips. The President made his observation
deliberately and with well chosen language
speaking in an earnest and often solemn man
ner, as one impressed with the weight Of th
theme, yet at times making hsrsoteristicall1
shreWd remark with pleasant air. He com
menced by saying:
"The subject presented in the memorial i
one upon which have thought much for week
pact, and may even say for months. am up
preached With the most opposite opinions sn
advice, and that by religious men, who ar
. equally certain that they represent the Divin
will. / am sure that either the one or the othe
class ia mistaken In that belief, and perhaps il
, some respects both. hope IL will not be irrev
erent for me to ssy, that If it is probable tina
God would reveal his will to others, on poin
90 connected with my duty, 1t might be suppose
he would reveal 1t directly to me. For unles
am more deceived In myself than often an
Il is my earnest desire to know the will of Prov
idence In this matter. And If I can learn iohO
! days of miracles, and suppose 1t will be gran
! cd, that am not to expect direct revelation
Q must study the plain physical facts of th
J, Case, ascertain what is possible and learn wht
!, appears to be wise and right. The subject
q difficult. and good men do not agree. For il
t stance, the ether day four gentlemen of stant
!, ldg and intelligence (naming one or two of th
: number) from New York, called, as delegi
!. ton, on business connected with the war; bu
Z before leaving, two of them earnestly bes,
y me to proclaim general emancipation, upo
n which the otl,er two at once attacked then
q You know, also, that the last session Of Coz
n gress had decided majority of anti-slaveI
men, yet they could not unite on this polio
70 And the same Is true Of the religious peopl
d Why, the rebel soldiers are praying with
d great deal more earnestness, fear, than o,
D. own troops, and expecting God to favor the
er side; for one of our soldiers, who had been I
ken prisoner, told Senator Wilson, few da
since, that he met with nothing 30 discouragin
ls as the evident sincerity Of those he was anon
ID in their prayers. But We will talk over t
10 merits Of the case.
"What coed would proclamation Of ema