The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-11-05
ROBERT DALE oMEN'S LETTER To
THE PRESIDENT
The cad of September.

who is highest in authority shall speak
to YOU as man tu man.
Harsh optuious have been formed ot YOU
even honest men doubling the prohity ol
your intentions. dunot share their doubts.
| believe You to- be upright, singlc.hcartcd
in Your desire tn rescue the cruItry ia the
hour 0l her utmost need without after
thought of the personal consequence to
Yourself
Il. amid the multitude ut contcnliu!:
counsel YOU have hrSitotcd and doubted
it, whCu great measure suggested itself.
YOU have Shruuk from the vast responsible
ity. afraid to 20 forward lest You should 80
wrong, what wondcrg How few, since the
foundation of the world. have found them
selves in position envjroucd wit public
pcrils SO humorous, oppressed with rcsprN-
sihili,,cs 50 high and solemn, rs Yourself.
No man over escaped from such so
reads the lesson of History - without u
bold heart and "a high faith, Wisdom, prr-
deuce, torcthorght, these are essential But
not second 10 these is that noble courage
which adventures the Right, and leaves the
Consequences tu God.
Neu ever follow w,Ihuglya daring leader :
most willingly of all, in great emergencies.
Bolducss and decision command, often oven
in cvtl the respect and concur cncc of man
kind. How much more in good
There is a measure, needing courage to
adopt and cuiorcc it, which believe to .be
OF virtue sufficient 10 redeem the nation in
this its darkest hour; one only; know of
no other TO which we may nationally trust
iur relief from impending dangers without
and within.
The dangers which threaten us are two
fold; First, from the Confederate forces
composed Of men whose earnest convictions
and reckless bravery il is idle to deny. Sec
oudly, from ourselves, compelled TO make
use of military power ot proportions SO
gigantic that no nation ever permitted the
existence of such without more or loss risk
tu the people who employed it. If we
think lightly of this latter danger, we slight
the teachings of I'll past time.
As 60 the first: Have you not had your
moments OF doubt whether we are to sue
cecd at all p whether the Union. once SO
glorious, will ever be reunited -- whether
peace, which we used to enjoy with rs lit
tic gratitude as we Il the sunlight or the
air we breathe. will ever again settle down
over our distracted country
If have doubts ot all this, it is only he
cause do not know what your action will
be. We have at our disposal the means of
certain success; but cau not tell whether,
while there il yet time you will decide to
employ them.
Oar enemies. like the GrcCian hero. have
one vulnerable point. You have not touched
it yet. What should have been their Gle.
ment OF weakness has been suffered to re-
main an element of strength.
They have nearly a million of able-hodicd
men of fit age for war or labor. Holding
these men in bondage, and employing them
TO till the soil, they are enabled to send to
the battlefield almost their entire white
male adult population, yet preserve their
commissariat sufficiently supplied.
1t has always been 4 great wrong that
,neSc men and their families should be held
in bondage. Weor the North have hitherto
acqucsccd in it. lest in the cndeavor to re-
dress it in violation of the Constitution,
greater evils might cnsuc.
But the time has come when it is conSti-
tutional to redress it, The Rebellion has
made it SO. Property in man, always NOR.
ally unjust, has become nationally danger
Gus. Property that oudangcrs the safety OF
nation should not be suffered to remain
ii the hands Of its Citi2eus. A Chief Mag
istratc who permits it so to remain becomes
responsible for tho consequences. For he
has the right under the law and the Con-
stitution, TO take private property, with just
compensation offered for public use, when
ever it is apparent that any public exigcncy
demands such appropriation.
Forgive what may seem curt speech if |
say that, in my Judgment, President with
a just sense OF duty has no option in such
a case.
IN the due exercise of your Official power,
in Strctcst accordance with law aud the
Constitution, YOU can deprive the enemy OF
that which above oil else, has given. and
still gives hl. aid and comfort. You can
declare emaucipHted his slaves, the sup
pliers o. his commissariat. Gradually, you
can deprive him ct these and for every
hundred Thousand productive IaborerS he
loses YOU may have hundred thousand
soldiers With their aid you can reach the
rest What then remains for him? He
must thin his ranks to cultivate his plauta-
tiOns. lie mast labor for his own food, or
must perish for the lack of il.
The pcople are forbidden to give aid and
comfort to Rebels, What of IA Government
that has the power 10 cut off from all aud
comfort all the Rebels OF tie South and
iailS TO exercise it?
We ought to do that which is right, even
if rccompense be distant and uncertain /;
but we add folly 10 injustice if we neglect
Great act Of beneGcencc that is to be re-
warded even now, 10y our own prcScrya-
ton.
Yet again. Can you look forward to the
future OF our country and imagine amy state
Of things in which, with slavery still exist
ing, We should he assured of permanent
peacc? can not. We can cuustitutu.mliy
eXtlrpate slavery at this time. But il we
fail to do this. then, unless we intend here
after to violate the Constitution, we shall
have fugitive slave law in operation when
ever the war is over. Shall the North inyr
sacrificed n hundred Thousand lives aud
Iwo thousand millions Of treasure to comp
to that al last? Not even guaranty of
peace purchased at So ENORMOUS q cost
After voluntary cYertIons or the part OF our
people 10 Which tho history OF the world
turnishcs no parallel is the old root OF bit
terness still to remain in the ground to
aprout and bear fruit in the future as it has
borne fruit in the past?
Tue questions are addressed 70 you, For
upon you and upon your acton more than
upon any other 0ae thing does the answer
depend. You have, at this time, more
power than any constitutional monarch in
the world. The Enghsh Government at
ways acts according to the policy approved
by the constitutional advisers OF tue Crown,
You would violate usage only il you should
act without the alvice, or even contrary to
the opinions, Of your constitutional advis-
ers, do not mean that You couId continue
to do this with propretY or even with
safety; | merely assert that the power is,
in polnt of fact, in your hands. And for
such power, what u responsibility to God
md r,nnI