The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-11-14

INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND BOR-
DER STATE REPRESENTATIVES,.


INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND BoR-
DER STATE REPRESENTATIVES,.
Messrs. W. W. Crisfeld, J. W. Menzies,
J. J. Orittenden, and R. Mallory, repre-
senting the Border States, had an inter-
view with the President, on the 10th of
March, relative to his proclamation of
March 9th. Mr. Crisfeld has published a
statement of views expressed on the oc-
casion:
Mr.. Lincoln disclaimed any intent to
injure the interests or wound the sensibil-
tiles of the slave states. On the contrary,
his purpose was to protect the one and
respect the other; that we were engaged
in a terrible, wasting, and tedious war
immense armies were in the field, and
must continue in the field as long as the
war lasts; that these armies must, of ne
cessity, be brought into contact with slaves
in the STATES we represented, and in other
States as they advanced; that slaves would
come to the camps, and continual irrita-
ton was kept up, tending to prolong the
war and strengthen the rebel hopes; and
he was of the opinion, if this resolution
should be adopted by Congress, and ac-
cepted by our States, these causes of irri-
tation, and these hopes, would be removed
Mr.. Noel, of Missouri, said that in his
State slavery was not considered perma-
nent institution; that natural causes were
there in operation which would, at no dis
tant day, extinguish it, and he did not
think that this proposition was necessary
for that.
In respect to emancipation in Missouri,
the President said that what had been OBJ
served by Mr.. Noel was probably true, but
the operation of these natural causes had
not prevented the irritating contact to
which he had referred, or destroyed the
hopes of the COnfederates that Missouri
would at some time range herself alongside
of them
Mr.. Crisfield said he did not think the
people of Maryland looked upon slavery as
a permanent institution; and he did not
know that they would be very reluctant to
give it up, if provision was made to meet
the loss, and they could be rid of the race;
but they did not like to be coerced into
emancipation, either by the direct action
of the Government or by indirection.
measure, Mr.. Lincoln said:
The proposition submitted did not en-
counter any constitutional difficulty. 1t
proposed simply to cooperate with any
State for the reimbursement of its slaves,
compensating the loyal owners for their
loss
Mr.. Hall, of Missouri, thought that if
this proposition was adopted at all, it should
be by the votes of the free States, and
come as a proposition from them to the
slave States, atfording them an inducement
to put aside this subject of discord; that it
ought not to be expected that members
representing slaveholding constituencies
should declare at once, and in advance of
any proposition to them, for the emancipa-
ton of slavery.
The President said he saw and felt the
force of this objection it was fearful re-
spOnsibility, and every gentleman must do
as he thought best; that he did not know
how this scheme was received by the men,
bers from the free States; some of them
had spoken to him and received it kindly,
but for the most part they were as reserved
and chary as we had been, and he could
not tell how they would vote. And in re-
ply 10 SOME cAprcSSlOIlS VI MI. Hall us W
his own opinion regarding slavery, he said
he did not pretend to disguise his anti
slavery feeling, that he thought slavery was
wrong, and should continue to think so;
but that was not the question we had to
deal with now. Slavery existed, and that,
too, as well by the act of the North as of
the South, and in any scheme to get rid of
it, the North, as well as the South, was
morally bound to do its full and equal
share. He thought the institution wrong,
and that it ought never to have existed;
but yet he recognized the rights of prop
erty which had grown out of it, and would
respect those rights as fully as similar
rights in any other property; that prop
erty can exist, and does, legally, exist he
thought such law wrong, but the rights
of property resulting must be respected;
he would get rid of the odious law, not by
violating the right, but by encouraging the
proposition and offering him inducements
to give it up.
Here the interview, so far as this subject
is concerned, terminated, by Mr.. Critten-
den's assuring the President that "what-
ever might be our final action, we all
thought him solely moved by high patri-
otism and sincere devotion to the happi-
ness and glory of his country and with
that conviction, we should consider respect
fully the important suggestions he had
made"