The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-21
The President to the Border State Congress

| mcu,
Gentlemen After the adjournment OF Con
gress, now near, shall have no opportunity
seeing you for several months. Believing ina
you OF the border states hold more power J"
good than any other equal number "' m'ih"e'S
feel it d duty which cannot JusIihaoiy "AN'
to make this appeal to yeu.
| intend no reproach or complaint "heh
assure you that IN my opinion it you all nae
voted Tor the the resolution III the grauua
emancipation message of last March, the wal
would now he substantially ended Ana the
plan therein proposed is yet one OF the most Po'
tent and swift means OF ending 1t. Let TIE
states which are in rebellion see definitely ano
certainly that In no event will the states you
represent ever DIN their proposed coDfederacy'
and they cannot much longer maintain the con
test But YOU cannot divest them OF their
hope to ultiln itely have you with them 50 long
as you show determination to perpctuate 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 you no more forever
Most Of you have treated me with kindness
and consideration, and trust you will not BOW
think improperly touch what is exclusively
your own, when, for the sake of the whole
country ask, can you, for your states, do bet
ter than to take the course urge' Discsrdlng
punct,ho an maxims adapted to more manage
able times, and looking only to tho unprece-
dentedly stern fact Of our case, can you do bet
ter in any possible event You prefer that the
constitutional relation OF the States to The ma
sion shall be practically restored without dlssur-
of the lpstitutIOn md II tDls were
done, my wholo duty in this respect, under the
Constitution and my oath Of office, would be
performed. But IL Is not done. and We are try
Ing to accomplish it by war. The incidents OF
the war cannot be avoided. If the war con-
tlnucs long, as it must il the object be NOT
sooner attained the institution 10 your States
will be extinguisned 10y mere friction and ao-
raslon-by the mere incident Of war. 1t will
be gone, and you Will Nave nothing valuable IN
lieu OF ii. Much OF It's value gonc already
How much better for you and tUr your people
to take the sep which at once shortens the war,
and secures substantial cOmpensatloD tor that
winch Is sure 10 be wholly lost in any other
event How much better to thss save the
money which else We sink forever Ia the war .
How much better ~ DO II while we can, lest the
war ere long render W. peculiarly unable ~ do
1t How much better for you, as sellrr, and
the nation rs buyer, u sell out and buy 0ut
that without When the var could never have
been, than to sink both the thing 10 be sold and
the price OF II ~ cuttlog one another ) ttrOats
do not speak of emancipation at once, but t
Of dtc'S'0n at once to emanclIate gradually :
loom IN South America tor colonization can be
obtained cheaply, 10 abundance, and when mum j
oers SHALL be large enough to be company and
Tor one another, the freed people
Will not be 50 reluctant to go. a
AIN pressed with difficulty not yet men t
.lone0--one which threatens division among
those who, united, are none too strong. An |
ustance vi 1t Is known 10 you Gen. Hunter is
N honest man. He was, and hope still is,
ny friend. valued him none the less for his
agreeing with me IN the general wish that al |
men every where could be freed He proclaimed
Ill men tree within certain States and repudi- {
'ted the Proclamation. He expected more good i
AND less harm from the measure than could be- {
leVo would follow. Yet in repudlatins it gave
Dissatisfaction, II not Otense, TO many whose
support the country cannot afford t. lose. And l
thus is not the end of it. The pressure in this ,
direction Is still upon me and is increasing. Bv ,
;onceding what now ask you can relieve me,
inI, much more, can relieve the country in this
important point. ,
Upon these considerations have again begged
your attention to the message OF March last
Before leaving the Capltol consider and discuss
1t among yourselves You arc patriots and
and AS such | pray you consider this
proposition, and at the leas. commend it to the
consideration OF your States and people AS
you would perpetuate popular government for
the BEST people IN the world, beseech you that
you Go In no wise omit this Our common
country is In great peril, demanding the Hottest
views and beidest action to bring speedy re-
lei Once relieved, it's form Of government is
saved to ;he world It's beloved history and cher
lshed memories are INDICATED and It's happy tu-
tlrt fully assured and rendered inconceiyatIv
grand. 10 you, more than to any other the
privilege Is given to assure that happiness and
swell that grandeur, and TO link YOUR names
herewith forever