The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-08-28
The President and Horace Greeley.


On the 10th inst, Mr.. Greeley ad-
dressed to the President long letter,
published in the New York Tribune,
of that date, calling upon the President
to execute that portion of the confisca-
ton act relating to the emancipation of
the slaves Of rebels. The following
paragraph gives as clear an idea of its
scope and meaning as can be accom-
plished without publishing the entire
letter which our space prevents: ft
"II We think You are strangely and
disastrously remiss in the discharge of
your official and imperative duty with
regard to the emancipaiing provisions
of the new Confiscation Act. Those
provisions are designed to fight slavery
with liberty. They prescribe that men
loyal to the Union, aud willing to shed
their blood in her behalf, shvll no Ion
ger be held, with the nations consent,
in bondage to persistent, malignant
traitors, who for twenty years have
been plotting and for sixteen months
have been fighting to divide and de-
stroy our country. Why these traitors
should be treated with tenderness by
you, to the prejudice of the deares,
rights of loyal men, we cannot con
ceive."
To this letter, the President has
written and published the following
characteristic reply:
EXECUTIVE MANSION. WASHINGTON,
| August %, 1862.
To Hon. Horace Greeley:
DEAR SyR Il have just read yours
Of the 10Th inst, addressed to mysel
through the New York Tribune. j
there be in it any statements or assump
tions of fact which ] may know to bt
erroneous, ! do not now and here con
tradict them. If there be any infer
ences which l may believe to be falseI!
drawn, / do not now and here, argue
against them. If there be perceptiblt
in it an important and dictatorial tone
| waive it in defence to an old frienC
whose heart l have always supposed t.
he right. AS to the policy l seem t.
be pursuing, as you say, have no
meant to leave any one in doubt.
would save the Union. / would saw,
it in the shortest way under the consti
tuition. The sooner the national All
J thority can be restored the sooner tn
Union will be The Union as it was. /
there be those that would not save tn
Union unless they could at the SAM
time save slavery, / do not agree will
them. If there be those who wonl'
J not save the Union unless they could a
the same time destroy slavery, do no
agree with them. My paramount oh
iect is to save the Union, and not eithe
to save or destroy slavery. If conl'
save the Union without freeing an,
slaves l would do it, and if / coul'
save it by freeing all the slaves woul,
do it, and if 1 could save it by freeing
some and leaving others alone, | woul
also do that. What do about SLAYER
! and the colored race, do because
believe it helps to save this Union, am
what | forbear l forbear because
don't believe it would help to save tn
Union. l shall do less whenever
: shall believe that what am doing hurt
the cause, and l shall do more when
ever believe doing more will help til
cause. l shalt try to correct error
: when shown to be errors, and sha
adopt new views so fast as they sha
. appear to be true views. have her
stated my purpose according to m
view of official duty, and intend n
modification of my olt-expressed pei
Sonal wish that all men, everywher,
could be free.
Yours, A. LINCOLN.