The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-08-29
4 ChaFactertsttc Letter from the
President.

u 0oH6OCt66tSueC Lettee from TIT
| President.
Executive MANSION Washington, }
August 2sth. 1862.
To Hon. Horace Greel<y--Desr Sn:--
have just received yours Of the 10th inst.
addressed to myself through the New York
Tribune. If there be in il any statement.
or assumptions of facts which 1 may know
to be erroneous. do not now and here con
ces which may believe to be falsely draw
do not now and here argue against them.
IF there be percep,ible in it an impatient
and dictatorai tone, waive it in defere nee
to an old friend whose heart / always sup
posed to be right.
As to tie policy seem to be pursuing.
as you say. l have not meant 10 leave any
one in doubt. would save the Union; l
would save the Union in the shortes. way
under the Constitution. The sooner the
National authority can be restored, the near
er the Union will be the ''Union as it was"
If there be those who would not save the
Union unless they could at the same time
save slavery, do not agree with them. II
there be those who would not save the
destroy slavery. l do not agree with them.
My paramount object is to save the Union,
and not either save or destroy slavery.
If could save the Union without freeing
any slaves, would do it: and il l could
save it by freeing all the slaves. would do
il; and if could save it BY freeing some,
that. What do about slavery and the
colored race, do because believe it helps
save this Union; and what forbear. for
BOAR because do not believe it would help
save the Union. I shall do less whenever l
shall believe what I am doing hurts the
cause; and shall do more whenever l be-
lieve doing more will help the cause.
shall try to correct errors; and | shall adopt
new views as fast as they shall appear to be
true views. l have here stated my pur
pose according to my view of official duty.
and l intend no modification of my oft ex-
pressed personal wish that all men every
where could be free.
Yours, A. LINCOLN
"1He popular demand notr IS an facor
Of The total ertirpatios Of slavery as the
, sighteOus purpose ofMe acar. We should
not agree, if it were proposed to restore sla-
very to its an cient rights under the Consti
tuition; the mere suppression of the rebel
lion will be an empty mockery Of our suf |
ferings and sacrifices. if slavery shall be
spared"
Il do not stop to enquire how many /
will agree with me. because am not will |
ing to put duty to the vote: and while l am
ready to support any measure giving free
dom only to slaves of rebels, l must not
fail to siand by my convictions. while leav-
inG the wisdom or the folly of my position
10 be tried by the ordeal Of time"
-"L 1t IS said that the consfisxtion stands
IN the s0ay Of khis policy. reply. that the
soas made for the people. not
The people for tie cOnstitMtiOn. The nation
is greater than the constitution, because IL
made the constitution. The present Id
has taught as. by some striking
that the country IS paramount TO
NE coRstitvtiOn, and no one could complain
,hOxld this prisciple b adopted in dealing
Nth Slarery. the source Of owr disaster.
The rebel States, By their act Of rebellion.
haze committed suicide, and congress ousht
10 say so, and condemn them as traitors,
preparatory to their Reorganization and dd-
mission as States.' g. w. JULIAN |
Aud yet. after all this. the ''Hon. Geo
w Julian" has the brazen impudence to de-
clare. in speech on the streets of Rich
nond, that "Father Abraham lad gone
farther that eper she had against Sia |
yevy y-was eren more ultra than him
elf and that he might now be called con-
'ervative old fogy gentleman" Stick pin
light here!