Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-07-24
Emancipation In the Border States
The Presidents Appeal to the Bor-
der State Representatives,
and their Reply.

Border Slaveholdng States having, by Te'
cial invitation of the President, been convened
at the Executive Mansion, on Saturday morn.
ing last, Mr., Lincoln addressed them as fol-
lows, from a written paper held in his hands
GEETLEMEN:-A the adjournment of
Congress now near, shall have no oppor-
tunity OF seeing you for several months. Be,
lieving that YOU OF the Border States hold
more power for good than any other equal
number of members, feel ii duty which
cannot justi6ably waive to make this appeal
20 you.
Intend no reproach or complaint when l
assure YOU that, in my opirion, ;fyou all had
..oa ,,u ,ha - ."lntion in the Gradual Eman. /
cipation Message of last March, the wal
would now be subs antially ended. And the
plan therein proposed is yet one Ct the most
potent and swift means of ending it. Let the
States which are in REBELLION see definitely
and certainly, tina. IN no event will the States
you represent ever JOIN their proposed Con-
federacy and they cannot much longer MAIN
tain the contest, But you cannot divest them
of their hope to ultimately have you with
them, so long as you show a determination
to perpetuate the institution within your own
States. Beat them at elections, as you have
overwhelmingly done, and, nothing daunted,
they still claim YOU as their own. You and
know what the lever of their power is
| Break that lever before their faces, and they
! can shake yorno more forever.
Most OF you have treated me with kindness
and consideration, and / trust you will not
now think improperly touch what is exclu-
sively your own, when, for the sake of the
whole country, ask, " Can you, for your
states do better than to take the course | urge?
| Dscarding punctiii0 and maxims adapted to
| more manageable times, and looking only to
| the unprecedentedly stern facts of our case,
can you do better in any possible event?-
| You prefer that the constitutional relation of
the States to the Nation shall be practically
restored without disturbance of the institu-
tuition; and, if this were done, my whole duty
in this respect, under the Constitution and
my oath of office, would be performed, But
il is not done, and we are trying to accom-
plish it by war. The incidents of the war
cannot be avoided If the war continues
lccn,,g, rs It must Ii the object be not sooner
/ attained, the INSTITUTION in your States will
h. ex,;neuished by mere friction and abra-
sion-bv the mere incidents OF the war. 1t
win be- gore, and you will have nothing valu
able in lieu of it. Much of its value is gone
already. How much better for you and tor
your people to take the step which at once
shortens the war, aud secures substantial
COMPENSATION for that which is sure to be
wholly lost in any other event How much
IL II,
sink forever in the war! How much better
to do it while we can, lest the ar ere long
render US peeuniarily unable to do it How
much better for you, 40 seller, and the nation
as buyer, to sell out and buy out that without
which the could never have been, thar
to sink both the thing to be sold and the prict
of it in cutting one another's throats
do not speak of emancipation at once,bu
Of decision at once 10 emancipate gradual
". Room in South America for colonization
can be obtained cheaply and in abundance
and whs numbers shall be large enough t
be company and encouragement for one an
other, the freed people will not be so reluc
tant to 90.
| am pressed with a difficulty not We
mentioned - one which threatens division
! among those who, united ARE none too strong
An instance of it is known to YOU. Genera
Hunter is an honest man. He was, and
hope still is my friend. valued him nom
the less for agreeing with me in the genera
wish that all men everywhere could be freed
He proclaimed all men free within certain
States, and Irepudiated the proclamation
He expected more good and less harm from
| the measure than | could believe would fol
low Yet, in repudiating it, gave dissatis
elton, if not offence TO many whose supper
the country cannot afford to lose. And thi
is not the end of it. The pressure in This di
rectien is still upon me, and is increasing
By conceding what now ask,you can reliev
me, and, much more, can relieve the countr
in this important point. -res@..=n
Upon these considerations | have agar
begged your attention to the Message o
March last Before leaving the Capital, con
slider and discuss it among yourselves. You
are patriots and statesmen, and as such pray
you consider this proposition {; and at ths
least, commend it to the consideration of YOU
States and people. As you wo' Id perpetuatt
popular government for the best people ir
the world, beseech you that you do in ne
wise omit this. Our common country is ir
great peril, demanding the loftiest views and
boldest action TO bring speedy relief Once
relieved, IFS form of government is saved IL
the world, its beloved history and cherished
memories are INDICATED, and its happy future
fully assured and rendered inconceivably
grand. To you, more than to any others
the privilege is given to assure that happi
ness and swell that grandeur, and to link
your own names Herewith forever.
|
The reply of the majority of the Bor-
der States Representatives begins with
the expression of profound respect for the
President, Il acknowledgment of the over.
whelming importance of the subject They
say they have not been wanting in devo.
ton to the Constitution and the Union -
that there is no sacrifice which they are
not ready TO make for its preservation
and that If they were f1llv convinceJ that