Indiana State sentinel., 1862-11-03


PRESIDENT, to ask you to come to the White
House tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock, and bring
such OF your colleagues are in town"
WASHINGTON CRY, March 10, 1862.
Yesterday, on my return from church, found
Mr.. Postmaster General Blair in my room, writ
ing the above note, which he Immediately sus-
pended, and verbally communicated the Presi
dents invitation, and stated that the Presidents
purpose was to have some conversation with the
delegations OF Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland,
Virginia, and Delaware, in explanation of his
message of the 9th instant.
This 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 and myself were the only members from
Maryland present, and. think, were the only
members OF the delegation at the time in the city.
| know that Mr.. Pearce. of the Senate, and
Messrs. Webster and Calvert, of the House, were
absent.
After the usual salutatons and we we're seated,
the President said in substance, that he had in
vited us to meet him to have some conversation
with US in explanation of his message of the 9th;
that, since he had sent it in, several of the gen
tlemen then present had visited him, but had
avoided any allusion to the message, and he
therefore inferred that the import of the message
has been misunderstood, and was regarded as
inimical to the interests we represented; and he
had resolved he would talk with US, and dsabuse
our minds of that erroneous opinion. He then
disclaimed any intent to injure the interests or
wound the sensibilites of the slave States On
the contrary, his purpose was to protect the one
and respect the other; that we were engaged in
terrible. wasting, and tedious war; immense
armies were in the field, and must continue in the
field as long as the war lasts; that these armies
must. of necessity, be brought into contact with
slaves in the States we represented, and in other
States, as they advanced; that slaves would come
TO the camps, and continual irritation was kept
up; that he was constantly annoyed by conflicting
and antagOniStic complaints. On the one side, a
certain class complained if the slave was not pro
tected by the army; persons were frequently found
who, participating in these views, acted in a way
unfriendly to the stakeholder; on the other hand,
shareholders complained that their rights we:e
interiered with, their slaves weIe induced to alb
scond, and protected within the lines
These complains were numerous, loud and
deep, and were a serious annoyance to him, and
embarrassing to the progress of the war; that il
| kept alive "A spirit hostile to the Government in
the States we represented; strengthened the hope:
of the COnfederates that, at some day. the border
States would unite with them, and thus tend To
prolong the war; and he was of opinion. if thi:
resolution should be adopted by Congress anC
]
and these hopes would be removed and NOR,
would be accomplished toward shortening the
war than could be hoped from the greatest victor,
achiyed by Union armies; that he made this pro
position in good faith, and desired il TO be accept
ed If at all voluntarily, and in the same patriot,
spirit in which il was made; that emancipation
was a subject exclusively under the control
the States. and must be adopted or rejected b,
each for itself; that he did not claim nor had th
Government any right, to cOerce them for tina
purpose; and such was no part of his purpose il
making this proposition. and he wished It TO b,
clearly understood, that he did not expect u
there to be prepared to give him answer. but h,
hoped we would take the subject into serious con
sideraton, confer with one another, and then tax,
such course we felt our duty, and the interes
OF our constituents required us.
Mr.. Noel of Missouri, said that in his Stat,
slavery was not considered a permanent insttu
ton; that natural causes were there IN operation
which would at no distant day extinguish &C, arc
he did not think this proposition was necessar,
for that; and, besides that, he and his friends fel
solcitOus as to the message on accountof th,
different constructions which the resolution ant
message had received. The New York IribnR
was for it, and understood il TO mean that W,
must accept gradual emancipation according Il
the plan suggested or get something worse Tn,
President replied. he must not be expected {,
quarrel with the New York Tribune before th,
right time; he hoped never to have 10 do il: h,
would not anticipate events. In respect to eman
cipauon in Missouri, he said that what had beer
observed 10y Mr.. Noel was probably true, but tn,
operation OF these natural causes had not pre-
vented the irritating contact to which he had re
lerred or destroyed the hopes of the Confederate
that Missouri would ut some time range hersel
alongside of them. which in his judgment, th,
| nf hu .,,1 Il
acceptance by Missouri would accomplish
Mr. Crsfeld. of Maryland asked what woult
be the effect of the refusal of the States to accep
this proposal, and desired to know ii the Presi
dent looked To any policy beyond the acceptance
or rejection of his scheme. He replied that b.
had no designs beyond the action of the States OF
this particular subject. He should lament the
refusal to accept it, but he had no designs beyon,
their refusal OF it.
Mr.. Menzies, of Kentucky, inquired if the Pres
ident thought there was any power except in th'
States themselves 10 carry out this scheme o
emancipation. To which he replied he though
there could not be- The President then went OF
into course of remarks not qualifying the fore
going declaration, nor material to be repeated "a
"A just understanding of his meaning.
Mr. Crsheld said he dld not think the pe0pl,
of Maryland looked upon slavery ms a permanen
institution, aud he did not know that they woul,
be very reluctant TO give IL up, If prpyision wa
made TO meet the loss and they could be ric o
the race. but they did not IKE 10 be coerced int,
emancipation, either by the direct action Of th
Government or by indirecton, as through th,
emancipation Of slaves in this District. or th
contscation OF Southern property AS now threat
ened and he thought before they would consen
10 consider this proposition they would require q
be informed on these points; 10 which the Presi
dent replied that. unless he was expelled 10y the
act OF God or the Confederate armies, he shou'
occupy that house for three years, and rs long a
he remained there Maryland had nothing 20 tea
either tor her institutions or her interests on tn
points referred TO.
Mr. Crsfeld Immediately added: "Mr Presi
dent, ii what you now say could be heard by th
people OF Maryl they would consider YOU
proposition with much better feeling than iea
| without il they will he inclined To do"
The presdent-"That (meaning the pubica
ton of what he said) will not do; il would fore
me into a quarrel before the proper time, AM
again intimating, he had before done. quar-
rel With the Greeley faction was impending H'
said lie did not wish TO encounter IL before th,
proper time. nor at all il it could be avoided.
Gov. Wickiilie, OF Kentucky, then asked hin
respecting the cOnstitutiOnality OF his scheme
and he replied, as you may suppose: 81 hav'
considered that. and the proposition now submit
ted does not encounter any constitutional diff
Guilty. IL proposes simply TO co operate with an.
State by giving such Staee pecuniary aid; ant
that he thought that the resolution. Hs propose'
by him. would be considered rather AS the expires
sion OF sentiment than as involving any consti
tutonal question.
Mr. Hall, of Missouri, thought that. il thi
proposition was adopted at all, il should be b,
the votes of the free States, and should come a
proposition from them TO the slave States, at
fording them an inducement to put aside thi
subject of discOrd; that il ought not to be ex
pected that members representing slaveholdini
constituencies should declare at once. and in ad