Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-07-25

RepiV, fHJilkM e
aI Q3hH nn..ah
The Representatives and Senators of the Bor.
der slsvehoiding States having, by special invi.
tation Of the President, been convened at the
Executive Mansion, Mr.. LINCOLN addressed
them as follows from written paper held in his
hands: f
GENTLEMEs:--After the adjournment Of Con.
gress, now near, shall have no opportunity Of
seeing you for several months. Believing that
you Of the Border States hold more power for
good than any other equal number of members,
feel 1t duty which cannot justihably waive
to make this appeal to you.
intend no reproach or complaint when | se.
sure you that, In my opinion, II you oil had
voted for the resolution in the gradual emanci
patton message Of last March the war wonld
now be substantially ended. And the plan
therein proposed is yet one Of the most potent
and swift means of ending ii. Let the States
which are 10 rebellion see definitely and GER
tainly that in no event will the States you rep
resent ever join their proposed Confederacy,
and they cannotmuch longer maintain the con-
test. But you cannot divest them Of their hope.
to ultimately have you with Them 30 long as you
show determination to perpetuate the inetitu-
ton within yourown States Beat them at cleo.
tions, IS 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 befoEei their faces,
and they can shake you no otnore forever.
Most Of you have treated me With kindness
and consideration, and l trust you will not now
think improperly touch what is exclusively
your own, when, for the sake Of the whole
country, ask, .cana you, for your States, do
better than to take the, course urge7 Dis
carding, pnnetiho and maxlms adapted to more
manageable tines, and looking only to the un-
precedently stern facts Of our case, can you do
better 10 any possible EVENT. You prefer that
the constitutional relation of the State 10 the
nation shall be practically restored without dis
turbapce Of the institution; and, II this we're
done, my whole duty, In this respect, under the
Constitution and my oath of Office, would be
performed But II Is not done, and we are try
log to accomplish IL by war, The incidents Of
the war cannot be avoided.si,If the war contin
ues long, as it must If the object be not sooner
attained, the Institution in your States will be
extinguished by mere. friction and abrasioD-
by the mere incidents of the war. Il will be
gone, and you will have nothing valuable in
leu of it Much of its value 10 gone already.
How much better fer you and for your people 10
take the step which at once shortens the war,
and secut ca substantial compensation for that
which Is sure to be wholly lost in any other
EVENT. How much better to thus save the money
which else We sink forever in the war! How
much better to do il while we can, lest the war
ere long reuder us pecunisrily unable to do It!
How much better for you, as seller, and the
nation, as buyer, to sell out and buy out that
without which the war could never have been,
than to sink both the thing to be sold and the
price of 1t In cutting one another's throats!
do not speak of emancipation at once, but Of
deeisioH at once to emahcipate gradually -
Room In South America for coloniS ,tion can be
ebtained cheaply, and in abundance, aud when
numbers shall be large enough to be company
and encouragement for one another, the freed
people will not be so reluctant to 60.
am pressed with q difficulty not yet men,
tioned--one which threatens division among
those who, united, are none too strong An in
stance of 1t is known to you. Gen Hunter Is
an honest man. He wae, and hope ssill iP, my
friend. valued him none she lees for his
agreeing with me In the general wiah that all
men every here could be freed. He proclaim.
ed all men free within certain States, aud re.
pudiated the proclamation He expected more
good and less harm from the measure than I
could believe would follow. Yet. In repudIat-
log it, gave dissatisfaction, II not ofsuse,, 10
many whose support the country cannot sff5td
to lose. And this Is not the end Of Il. The
pressure IN this direction is still upon me and
is increasing. By concedipg what now AJAX
you can relieve me, and, much more, can re.
leve the country Of this important point.
Upon these considerations have again beg.
ged your attention to the message Of March
last. Before leaving the Capital, consider and
discuss It among yourselves. You are patriots
and statesmen, and as such pray you consider
this proposition; and at the least commend Il
TO the consideration of your State and people
As you would perpetuAte popular government
for the best people In the world, beseech you
that you do In no wise omit this. Our common
country is In great peril, demanding the loftlest
views and boldest action to bring q speedy re.
lief Once relieved, it's form Of government is
saved to the world; its beloved history and
cherished memories are vindicated, and Its hap
py future fully assured and rendered inconceiv.
ably grand. To you, more than to any others
the privilege is given to assure that happiness
and swell that grandeur, and to link your owr
names Herewith forever. sr
After The conclusion of these Femarks some
conversation was had between the President ant
several members of the delegations from thu
Border States, in which il was represented tha
ihese States could not be expected to move Ii
90 great matter as that brought to their no
tice In the foregoing address while as yet tn,
Congress- had taken, no step beyond the passsg'
of resolution, expressive rather of sentimen
than presenting q substantial and reliable basi
Of action.
The President acknowledged the force of thi
view, and admitted that the Border States wer,
entitled to expect q substantial pledge of pecun
iAry aid as the condition of taking into consid
GRAFTON proposition so important In its rela
tlons to their social system, a..
1t was further represented, 10 the Conference
that the people of the Border States we're inter
ested in knowing the great Importance whicl
the President attached to she policy in question
while Il was equally due 70 the country, TO th
President, and to themselves that the Represen
tatives Of the Border SlsvehodiDg States shoul
publicly announce the motives under which The
were LcAlled to act and the eonsid a,ions Q
public policy urged upon them and their con
etituents BY the President. e,
With view TO such statement Of their pc
sition, the members thus addressed met in eOur
Gil to deliberate on the reply they should max
20 the President, and, ss the result Of O compar
ison OF opinions among themselves, they deter
mined upon the adoption of o majority and
minority ansWer. s 9s
ni .i3a a.aiissfs od1 800
q REPLY OF THE MAJORITY. aa
The following paper was sent to the Pes
dent, signed BY the majority Of the Represer
tAtises flom the Border alaveholding s.Aies:
WASnrnoroE, July a, ls62.
i q l. n. u