, 1862-06-25
INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESI-
BENT ON EMANCIPATION.
An1mpressIve Scene.
washington Dispatch to II. I. Tribune.l

Progressive Friends. consisting Of Thomas
Garrett, Alice Eliza Hamhleton, Oliver john
son, Djnah Mendenhal, Wm. Barnard, and
Eiiza Agnew, appeared before the President
him to decree the emancipation Of the slaves. |
The deputation was introduced By Senator |
WIInot, and accompanied BY Messrs. Kelley, |
Davis and Camrbeu Of the PENNSYLVANIA del
egatlon in the House. Mr. Wlmot having
announced the objects OF the deputatioD,
Oliver johnson said:
Mr.. President. VIC appear before you by
yonr Kind permission, not to solicit office for
ourselves OF our friends, uor to>ask for any
party Or personal favor. but in the interest Of
the country and OF humanity. Our clients are
1000, eco slaves, who cannot speak for them
selves, but only lift up their chained hands in
mute but agoniziug supplication for the free
dom which it is in your power in this solemn
crisis Of the nations fate to confer upon them
Ar. johnson then read the memorial, as fol-
Ions:
To Abraham Lincoln, President Of the United
The Religious Society Of Progressive Friends,
in yearly meeting assembled at Lonswood, Chcs-
month, is62. under . SOLEMN sense Of ths psriis
bcsettiDg the country, and of tho duty deyolTin5
| upon them to exert whatever Influence they pos
5sase Tespsetay but ra!ness13 sex osh fo1 th
confederation Of President Lincoln:
Th e y tp5 Il th9 general gs aa
! opposition to the general government BY the CO.
I called confederate states;s regarding it as
marked by all the revolving featured u high hand
ed robbery, cruel treachery, and murderous VIC;
| lence, and therefore utterly to he abhorred and
condemned by s.ery ,e, lever ., his country and
That, nevertheless, this sanguinarT rebellion
finds its cause. purpose and combus:ibe materials,
Of slavery which prevails in that section of the
country, and in the quit OF which The whole land
has long heen deeply involved by general COM
,5}r53r hat IN hd ftC
| tho penalty due 10 such persistent and aasrant
1rsns.retEion, and as the 1nesitabie operation Of
That thus heavily visited for It's grinding opprcs-
sion of unfortunate race, peeled, meetcd out,
and trodden under foos,'' whose wrongs hare 80
emily warned Of the infA.uation as well Us ex-
ceedng wickedncss Of endeavoring to secure peace,
aq aIt n whe "
nation, In it's official organization, should lose no
time in proc1aiming Immediate and universal
emancipation, that the present ffightfnl efuson
Of blood pay ccase, liberty be established, and a
permanent reconciliation effected bT the 1emoEnl
Of the sole cause Of these divisions:
That in his speech delivered at Springfeld, be-
fore his election to the cfce OF Chief Magistrate,
the President expressly declared, - 4 hou5c dl
rided against itself cannot etaud 1 believe this
and half free. do not expect the Union to be
dissolved do not expect the house to fall-ba1
, do expect it will &eAse TO be divided. It NIL
become all one thing, or all the otlez-''
That thc society. therefore urgently unites Will
awide-spread and constantly increasing seEtinlen
, in heseeching the President, the head Of the na
ton, colheu with the constitutional power in euee
+ fearful emefgencJ to suppress the reoelllon el
the preen soden 10 paa. wiou
, decEeeing the entire abolition Of slavery through
out the land, as measure iolptrati'ely demanls'
safety and happiness of tho people, the pEeserva
> ton Of free institutions, and BY every considera
tion q 5'st'ce mercy aud peace p oihc5Tlss 3, NJ y
continue to flow, and fierce diseentions to abo1nd
and calami.ies to Increase, and fiery judgments t
be poured out, until the work Of national desIuc
Il | sion il cousumnated beyond hope Of recovery.
The President said that, as lie had not bee
/ furnished with copy Of the memorial IN ad
4 vance, he could not be expected to make an
extended remarks. It was relief to be Is
j sured that the deputa.ion we're not apple ant
Tor Office, for his chief trouble was from tia
e!ass Of persons. The next most troublesom
u subject Was slavery. lie agreed with the me
c nor1alis1s, that slavery wss wrong, but !
l. regard to the ways aud means of its remoTa
- his views probably differed from theirs. I'll
r quotation in the memorial, from bis Spring
"a tied speech, WAS incomplete. It should hay
1t embraced another sentence, in which he ind
~ GATED his views as to the effect upon SLAYER
:, Ns"lf Of the resistance to it, extension.
vi Inc sentiments contained In that passas
is ! were deliberately uttered and he held thel
r. now: lfa decree Of emancipation could abo
isb slavery, John Brown would hn7e done II
~ work ehectually. Such decree surely cou
~ | mol De more 01nG1DR upon Lue G0utl lHau Il
ss | constitution, and that cannot be enfored
or | that part Of the country now. Would
q proclamation Of freedom be any more ef1t
In tive?
he Mr.. johnson replied a. follows:
ot True, Mr.. President, the constitution c,
not now be enforced at the South, but you {
not on tnat account intermlt the effort to e.
us force hand the 1,emoi4ists are solenpply CO
es Vinced that the abolitlGu Of slavery E tndl
en- pensable to your success. :.
The President further said thst he felt tt
on magnitude OF the task before him. and hopt
he to be rightly directed in the very trying ci
=, cum6tances by which he was surrounded.
ne Vim. Barnard addressed the President ID
cr few words, expressing sympathy for him in
es- his embsrrtssmente, and an earnest desire til
A he might, under divine guidance, be led
on tree the Rlaves and thus save the nation fro
he destruction. In that case nations yet unbo
he would rise up to call him blessed, and. bett
.re still, he would secure the blessing Of God.
by ! The President responded very impressivel
rs saying that he was deeply sensible Of his ne
er- Of Divine assistance. He had semeti1
or thought that perhaps he might be an instr
nent in Gods lands Of accomplishing gre
In work snd lie certainly was not unwilling to
NJ Perhaps, however, Gods Way Of accomp1is
3cs | ing the end which the 1uemor1ali5ts have
ID, | view may be different from theirs. It wou
be his earnest endeaVor, with firm reliau
upon the Divine arm, and seeking light fri
above to do his duty in the place to which
aas had been called.
-. The deputation. thereupon Withdrew, nu
nA6 gratided by the character Of their reception