The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-09-04
Horace Greeley's Response I'd
President Lincoln.

FfeS1GGDt Lincoln.
Last week we published the letter of
President Lincoln to Mr.. Greeley, in an
swer 10 the appeal of the latter in behalf
of ''Twenty Millions" of loyalis.s. Here
with is Mr.. Greeley's response:
DEAR SIR: Although l did not antic-
ipate nor seek any reply to my former
letter unless through your official acts, l
thank you for having accorded one, since
1t enables me to say explicitly that moth
Ing was further from my thought than to
impeach in any manner the sincerity or
the intensity Of your devotion TO the sa-
wing of the Union. never doubted, and
have no friend who doubts, that you de-
sire, before and above all else, to re. estab-
lish the now derided authority and viudi-
cate the territorial Integrity OF the Repub
lie. L intended to raise only this question
DO you propose to do this oy recogni-
zing, obeying, and enforcing the laws, or
by ignoring, disregarding, and in effect
defying them?
l stand upon the law of the land The
humblest has a clear right to invoke
Its protection and support against even the
highest. That lawn strict accordance
with the law Of Nations, of Nature, and Of
God-declares that every traitor now eu-
gagged in the Internal work of destroying
our country has forfeited thereby all claim
or color of right lawfully to hold human
beings in Slavery. | ask of you clear
and public recognition that this law is TO
be obesed wherever the National author
ity is respected. [ cite to you instances
wherein men fleeing from bondage to
traitors to the protection of our flag have
been assaulted, wounded and murdered by
soldiers of the Union-unpunished and
unrebuked by your General Commanding
to prove that it is your duty to take
action in the premises-action that will
cause the law TO be proclaimed and obeyed
wherever your authority or that of the
Union is recognized as paramount. The
Rebellion is strengthened, the National
cause is imperiled, by every hours delay
to strike Treason this staggering blow.
When Fremont proclaimed Freedom to
the slaves Of Rebels, you constrained him
to modify his proclamation into rigid ac-
coidapce with the terms Of the existing
law. 1t Was your clear right to do so.
now ask of you conformity to the principle
so sternly enforced upon him. l ask you
to instruct your Generals and Comnodores
that no loyal rerson-certainiy none will
ling to render service to the National
cause-is henceforth to be regarded as the
slave of any traitor. While no ri2httul
Government was ever before assaulted by so
wanton aud wicked a rebellion as that Of
the shareholders against our National life,
| am sure none ever before hesitated at SO
simple and primary an act of self detense
as to relieve those who would serve
and save it from chattel servitude to those
who are wading through seas of blood to
subvert and destroy it. Future genera
tions will with difficulty realize that there
could have been hesitation on this point.
Sixty years of general and boundiess sub-
serviemcy to the Slave Power do not ade-
quately explain it.
Mr. President, [ beseech you to open
your eyes to the fact that the devoteos of
Slavery where-jnst as much in
Maryland as in Mississippi, in Washington
as in Richmond-ar are to day your enemies,
and the implacable foes Of every effort to
re- establish the National authority By the
discontinue OF It's aSSalldnIS. nelf Il res
iGent is not Abraham Lincoln but Jefier-
son Davis. You may draft them to serve
in the war but they will ouly fight under
the Rebel flag There is not in New Y ork
to day man who really believes in Sla-
very, loves it, and desires its perpetuation,
who heartily desires the crushing out oi
the Rebellion. He would much rather
save the Republic BY buying up and PEN
sioning of It's assalants His Union as
it was" is a Union Of which you were not
President. and no one who truly wished
Freedom to all ever could be.
If the are truths, Dir. President. they
are surely OF the gravest importancsna
You cannot safely approach the 2SqrS+a Src+ 10
good end you so intently pom. al
shutting your eyes to thep - 1T
foe is not blinded by ,'''' m ~ wv" ~
your ewes may b;InVs.opeu b; u re n waiNs ,
stra;obt 70 b;c2soal. knowing we'll his weak
ea,'. go aa.: most unwillingly betraying his
60, e. nat you tao may see and take advan-
age age of it. God grant that his apprehen-
sion may prove prophetic.
That you may not uaseasonably per