, 1862-07-22

Mr. PREs1DEST:-The Undersigned, mem
bers Of Congress from the border States, in |
response to your address of Saturday Last, beg |
leave to say that they attended o meeting On |
tie same day the address vas delivered, for |
the purpose of considering the same. The
meeting appointed t: committee to report a |
response to your address. That report WIS |
made On yesterday, and the action, of the ma
jority Indicated clearly that the response re-
ported, or one in substance the same, would |
be adopted and presented to you
1naSmuch as ne cannot consistently
our own sense Of duty to the country, uader
the existing periis which Surround US concur
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 be-
leVe that the whole power of the gov
erpnaent, upheld and sustained by all the
influences and means Of all loyal men
in all sections, and Of all parties, is essen,
tally 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
4 very large portion Of the people In the
Northern States believe that slavery is the
''leVer power Of the rebellion.n It matters
not Wht ther this belief be well founded OR
/ not The belief does exist, and We have to
deal with things as they are, and not IS we
would baEe them pc. IN consequence o. the
the purpose Of striking down this institution,
through the exercise Of military authority.
| The government cannot maintain this great
struggle If the support and influence OF the
men who ep,ertaln these opinions be
ment hope for early success il the
support Of the element called 4t conservative''
be withdrawn. Such being the condition Of
things, the president appeals to the Border
State men to step forward aud prove their pa
| t1dotism by making the first sacrifice. No
I dSnht HE a1nqa1E have hem made tn ayframa
men in the North to meet us half way, in Or
der that the whole moral, political, pecuniary
and physical force OF the nation may be- firmly
and earnestly united in one grand ef'rt to
ing that such were the motives that prompted
your address, and such the results to which 1t
1ouked, We cannot reconcile 1t to our sense Of
| duty in this trying hour to respond in spirit
Of fault-dnding or querulousneBs oEer the
things that arr past.
of present misfortune in the errors and
} wrongs Of others who now propose to unite
| with US in q common purpose. Bur, on ths
| Other hand, We meet your address in the spirf
; in which it WAS rnadt, and, SIS loyal Americans
declurg to gon aud to the world that there is
no sacrifice tbat we are not ready to make tx
i ravs the government and the institutions
{ our fathers.
, That we, few Of US though we may be, vii
! | permit DO men from the North, or from ta
| Soa'n, TO go1urtnef lnAu We III Tue aCeoiu
plishment of the great work before us; that i
: order to carry out theRe views we will SO far a
may be In our 10 wer, ak the people Of tue boz
4 der Ststes: calmly, deliberately and fairly, t.
: consider your Recommendations. We are tn
: uore I'm mboldened to assume this positio
t from the fact, now become history. that tn
s leaders OF the Southern rebellion have of :re
8 10 abolish sIayery among them, as a conditin
:: to foreign Intervention io favor Of their indt
+ pe,dencr as q nation , Ii they can give up sis
e very to destroy the Union, We can surely as
n our people to consider the question Of emal
1r cipa'ion to save the Union.
8 With great respect,
r JSo. ". NoEL1, Missouri.
!, SAMUEL G. CASEY. Kentucky,
# GEO. P FISHER. Delaware,
It a. ]. CLEMENTS Tennessee,
j. VIM. G. BRows, Western Virginia,
d JACOB B. BLAIR, Western Virginia,
r. ". T. WILEY, Western Virgins.