Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-11-05
MrMopAspuM OF onsxrns.rron

President TO AJAX you to come 10 the White
House tomorrow morning, at 0 O'Clock, and
bring such Of your colleagues as are in town" /"
WASHINGTON, March 10, 1862.
| yesterday on my return from church found
Mr.. Postmaster General Blair 10 my room, writ.
Ing the above note, which he Immediately sus-
pended and verbally communicated tho Pfesi.
dents invitation; and stated that the Presiden.'e
purpose was to have sOme conversation with
the Delegations Of Kentucky, Missouri, Mary.
land, Virginia, and Deleaare, in explanation Of
his message Of the 6.h instant.
This morning these delegations, or such of thsm
as were In town, assembled at the White House
aS the appointed time, and after some little de-
lay were admitted to an audience. Mr. Lesry
and myself were the ouly members from Mary.
| land present, and, think, were the only mem
beTs OF the delegation at that time in the city.
! know that Mr., Pearce, Of the Senate. and
Messis. Webster and Calvert, Of the House,
| we're absent.
| After the usual salutions aud We were seated,
the President ssid, 10 substance, that he had
invited ns to meet him TO have some conyersa.
ton with US in explanation Of his message If
the 6lhj that since he had sent It in, several of
the gentleman then present had visited him,
but had avoided any allusion TO the message,
and he therefore inferred that the import of
regarded as inimicsl to tho interests we repro.
sented; and he had resolved he would talk
with US, and disabuae our minds of that errone.
ops opinion.
The President then disclaimed any intent 10
iDjnre the Interest or wound the sensibilites of
the Slave States. On the contrary, bis purpose
was 20 protect the one and respect the other:
that We are engaged 10 a terrible wasting ana
tedious war; Immense armies were 10 the feld
and must Continue in tho field as loug as the
| war lasts; that these armies must, OF necessity.
be brought into contact With slaves In the
States we represented, and other States ss they
advanced; that slaves would come TO the camps
and continual irritation was kept up; that lie
vas constantly annoyed BY conflicting and an.
| tsgonls!ic complaints; on the one side certain
clsss complained If the slave was not protected
by the army; persons were frequently found,
who, participating In these views, acted in a
way unfiiendly to the stakeholder; on the oiher
hand Shareholders complained that their rights
were intGriered With, their slaves induced 10
abscond and protected within the lines; these
complaints we're numerous, loud and deep; were
q serious annoyance to him and embarrassing
| TO the progress OF tho war; that it kept alive a
spirit hostile TO the Government In the States
we represented; strengthened the hopes of the
| Confederatos that st some day the Border
States would unite With them, and thus tend to
pr0lorg tho war; ana he Wss of cpiuion, if this
resolution should be adopted by Congress and
accepted by our States, these causes of iriika-
tion and these hopes would be removed, and
more would be accomplished toward shortening
the war than could be hoped from the greatest
victory achieved by Union armies; thas be made
this proposition in good faith, aud desired it to
be accepted, If at oil, voluntarily, and In the
same patriotic spirit in which is WAC made; that
emancipation was subject exclusively under
the control OF the States, and must be adopted
or rejected by each for it5elfy that he did not
claim nor had this Government q right TO c.
cree them for that purpose; that such was no
part OF his purpose In making this proposition,
and he wished Il to be clearly understood; that
he did not expect us there to be prepared to give
him answer, but he hoped We would take the
subject Into serious confederation, confer with
one another, and then take such course az we
felt cur duty and tho interests Of our consiItu-
ents required of as.
| Mr.. NOEL, Of Missouri, said that in bis State
slavery was not considered permanent inssi-
tuition; that natural causes were there in opera.
ton which would, ut no distant day extinguish
II, and be did rot think shat this prposition
was necessary for that; and, besides thas, he
and bis friends telt socitous as to the message
on account of the dferen. constructions which
the resolution and message had received The
New York Tribune was for it, and understood
1t to mean that we must accept gradual eman
cipstion according to the plan suggested, or get
something worse.
The President replied, he must not be expect.
ed to quarrel with the New York TTibuns be-
fore the right time; he hoped never to have "a
do IT. be would not anticipate events. IL
| tn nuno keAv L. l. !
that what had been observed BY Mr.. NOEL wss
probably true, but the operation of these nsturs
causes had not prevented the Irritating conduc
to which no had referred, or destroyed the
hopes OF the Confederates that Missouri woulc
at some time range herself alongside of them
which in his judgment the passage of this reso
luton by Congress and Its acceptance by Mis-
souri, would accomplish
Nj. Critfeld, Of Maryland, ask cd what woult
be the effect Of the Eefusel of the State to ac
cept this prop ?sal, and desired to know il tn
President looked TO the policy beyond the &C
ceptsnce or rejection Of his scheme.
The President replied that he had no design
beyond the action Of the States on this particu
lar subject. He should lament their refusal Il
accept 1t, but he had no designs beyond thei
refusal OF II.
|, Mr.. Mepzies, of Kentucky, inquired if tn
President thought there Was any power excep
in the States themselves TO carry out his schem
OF emancipation.
! The President replied he thought there coul
not be. He then went of into course of re
; mark not qualifying the foregoing declaratio
nor material to be repeated to Q just understand
ing of his meaning.
, Mr. Crisheld said he did not think the peopl
, Of Maryland looked upon slavery as q perms
/ nent institution; and he did not know that the
would be very reluctant to give it up II provision
: was made to meet the loss, and they could b
rid Of the race; but they did not like TO b
!, coerced into emancipation, either by the direC
action of the Government or by indirection, q
!, through the emancipation Of slaves In TIL
District, or the confsca,ion Of Southern propert
as now threatened; and he thought before the
would consent to consider this proposition
they would require to be Informed on thei
: points, l'
The President replied that. "unless he w
=. expelled by the act Of God or the Confederai
u armies, he should occupy the house for thre
: years, and as long as he remained there, Mary
: land had nothing to fear, either for ber Inst
tutions or her interests, on the points roferrs
to-" eos -1 e4 s,q
D Mr.. Crisfeld immediately added: "Mr. Prou
y dent, II what you nov say could be heard
Q the people OF Maryland they would oonsids
T. your proposition with much better feelin
d than 1 fear vi,hou. ID they will be inclined I
~ do"