The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-08-01

to the country, to the President, and to
themselves, that the Representatives Of the
Border Slaveholding States should publicly
announce the motives under which they were
called to act, and the considerations of pub.
lie policy urged upon them and their con.
stituents by the President.
With q view to such q statement of their
position, the members thus addressed met in
council to deliberate on the reply they should
make to the President, and, as the result of
a comparison of opinion among themselves,
they determined upon the adoption of ma.
jority and minority answer.
THE MINORITY OF THE BORDER STATE CON-
FERENCE TO THE PRESIDENT.
WASHINGTON CITY, July Is, 1862.
Mr.. PREsIDENr-The undersigned, mem.
bers of Congress from the Border States, in
response to your address on Saturday last,
beg leave to say that they attended meet.
ing on the same day the address was deliv-
cred, for the purpose of considering the
same. The meeting appointed Commit
tee to report a response to your address.
That report was made on yesterday, and the
action of the majority indicated clearly
that the response reported, or one in sub.
stance the same, would be adopted and pre-
sented to you.
Inasmuch as we cannot, consistently with
our own sense of duty to the country, under
the existing perils which surround US, cons
cur in that response, we feel it to be due to
you and to ourselves to make to you brief
and candid answer over our signatures. We
hol.a hot <ho hole Of ho
ment, upheld and sustained by all the infu-
ences and means of all loyal men in all sec.
tions, and of all parties, is essentially
necessary to put down the rebellion and
preserve the Union and Constitution. We
understand your appeal to US to have been
made for the purpose of securing this result
A very large portion of the people 10 the
Northern States believe that slavery is the
lever power of the rebellion" 1t matters
not whether this belief be well founded or
not. The belief does exist and we have to
deal with things as they are, end not as we
would have them to be. In consequence of
the existence of this belief, we understand
that an immense pressure is brought to bear
for the purpose of striking down this institu-
tion through the exercise of military author
ity. The Government cannot maintain this
great struggle if the support and influence
of the men who entertain these opinions be
withdrawn. Neither can the Government
hope for early success if the support of that
element called Conservative" be with
drawn. Such being the condition of things,
the President appeals to the Border State
men to step forward and prove their patri
otism by making the first sacrifice. No
doubt like appeals have been made to ex.
IRENE men 10 the North to meet US half,
way, in order that the whole moral, politi.
cal, pecuniary and physical force of the
Nation may be firmly and earnestly united
the Constitution. Believing that such were
the motives that prompted your address,
and such the results to which it looked, we
cannot reconcile it to our sense of duty in
this trying hour to respond 10 spirit of
fault.fnding or queralousness over the
things that are past.
We are not disposed to seek for the cause
of present misfortunes in the errors and
wrongs of Others who now propose to unite
with US in common purpose. But, on the
other hand we meet your address in the
spirit in which it was made, and, as loyal
Americans, declare to you and to the world
that there is no sacrifice that we are not
ready to make to save the Government and
institutions Of cur fathers.
That sce, few OF US though we may be,
will permit no men from the Nor b, or from
the South, to go further than we 10 the &C
complishment of the great work before US
that in order 10 Garry cut these views
we will, so far as may be in our power,
ask the people of the Border States, calmly,
deliberately and fairly, to consider your
recommendations. We are the more en-
boldened to assume this position from
the fact now become history, that the lead
ers of the Southern rebellion have offered
to abolish Slavery among them as condi-
ton to foreign intervention in favor of their
independence as a nation. If they can give
up Slavery to destroy the Union, We can
surely ask our people to consider the cues
ton OF emancipation to save the Union.
JNO. W. NOEL. Missouri
SAML f. CASEY, kentucky,
GEO. p. FISHER. Delaware,
a J. CLEMENTS, Tennessee,
WIN. G. BROWN. Western Virginia.
JACOB B. BLAIR. Western Virginia
W.T. WILEY, Western Virginia.
Maynard, OF Tennessee, and Henderson,
Senator of Missouri, each submitted an an
swer from himself to the President, 10 which
stronger grounds were taken, 10 some re.
spects, than in the foregoing address.
The reply of the majority occupies more
space than we can afford to donate to it at
present. 1t is conceived in spirit of pa,
triotism akin to that of the President,
though they differ with him as to the cor
rectness OF some of bis differences and con
illusions, and as to the desirabiity and fea~
sibility of the emancipation policy. at pres
ent. But for the sake of the Union they
are willing to sacrificed all, if it be necessary.
They assure him thai they "are ready for
renewed efforts, and even greater sacrifices,
yea, any sacrifice to shve the country. They
solemnly affirm that they "wil never con.
sent, in any event, to unite with the South
ern Copfederacy;" and though they differ
with him 10 opinion as TO the special line of