The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1862-08-08
Che -4ost.
Athens, Friday, August s, 1852.
Important Correspondence.
From the Baltimore Sun, July 1871

From the Baltimore Sun, July l9.
The Representatives and Senators O
the Border Slavehol6ing States having
by special invitation of the President
been convened at the Executive Mansion
OH Saturday morning last, Mr. Lincoll
addressed them as follows from writer
paper held in his hands:
GENTLEMEN: After the adjournment o
Congress, now near, shall have no op
portunity of seeing you for severa
months. Believing that you of the Border
States bold more power for good thar
any other equal number of members,
feel it a duty which | cannot justifably
waive, to make this appeal to you.
intend no reproach. or complaint
when assure You that, in my opinion,
if you all had voted for the resolution in
the gradual emancipation message. OF
last March; the war would now be sub.
stantially ended. And the plan therein
proposed is yet one of the most potent
and surest means of ending it. Let the
States which are in rebellion see definite.
ly and certainly that in no event will the
States you represent ever join their pro.
posed Confederacy, and they cannot
much longer maintain the contest. But
you cannot divest them of the hope to
ultimately have you with them as long
as you show determination to perpetu-
ate the institution within your own States.
Beat them at elections, as you have over
whelmingly done, and, nothing daunted,
they still claim you as their own. You
and know what the lever of their pow.
er :s. Break that lever before their faces,
and they can shake you no more forever.
"Most Of you have treated me with
kindness and consideration, ard ! trust
you will not now think | improperly
touch what is exclusively your own. when,
for the sake of the whole country, ask,
lean you, for your States, do better than
to take the course that / urgef" Dis
carding pu,ctiGo and maXims adapted to
more manageable times, and looking
only to the unprecedentedly stern facts
of our case, can you do better in any pos
sible event? You prefer that the consti-
tutional relations of the States to the ma
ton shall be practically restored without
disturbance of the institution; and, if
this were done, my whole duty, in this
respect, under the constitution and my
oath of office, would be performed. But
it is not done, and we are trying to ac-
complish it by war. The incidents of
the war cannot be avoided. If the war
continues long, as it must if the object
be not sooner attained, the institution in
your States will be extinguished by mere
friction and abrasion-by the mere incl
dents Of the war. 1t win be gone; and
you will have nothing valuable in lieu of
it. Much Of its value is gone already
How much better for you and for your
people to take the step which at once
shortens the war, and secures substantial
compensation for that which is sure TO
be wholly lost in any other event! How
much better to thus save the money
which else we sink forever in the war =
How much better to do it while we can,
lest the war ere long render us pecuniari-
ly unable TO do it How much better
for you as seller, and the nation as buy
er, to sell out and buy out that without
which the war could never have been,
than to sink both the thing to be sold
and the price of it in cutting one anoth-
er's throats!
81 do not speak of emancipation at once,
but of decision at once to emancipate
gradually. Room in South America for
colonization can be obtained cheaply, and
in abundance, and when numbers shall
be large enough to be company and en-
couragement for one another, the freed
people will not be so reluctant TO 60.
~ am pressed with difficulty not yet
which threatens division
among those who, united, are none too
strong. An instance of it is known to
you. General Hunter is an honest man.
He was, and | hope still is, my friend. l
valued him none the less for his agree
ing with me in the general wish that ali
men everywhere could be free. He pro-
claimed all men free within certain
States, and repudiated the proclama-
tion. He expected more good and less
harm from the measure than | could be.
lieve would follow. Yet, in repudiating
it, gave dissatisfaction if not oifense,
to many whose support the country can
not afford to lose. And this is not the
end oft. The pressure in this direction
is still upon me, and is increasing. BY
cohceding what | now ask, you can re-
lleve me, and, much more, can relieve
the country in this important point.
Upon these considerations | have
again begged your attention TO the mes
sage Of March last. Before leaving the
capital, consider and discuss it among
yourselves. You are patriots and states
men, and as such pray you consider
this proposition and at the least COM
mend it to the consideration Of your
States and people. AS you would per-
petuate popular government for.the best
people in the world, beseech that you
do in no wise omit this. Our common
is in great peril, demanding the
loftiest views and boldest action TO bring
q speedy relief. Once relieved, its form
Of government is saved to the world its
beloved history and cherished memories
are vindicated, and its happy future full
ly assured and rendered inconceivably
grand. To you, more than any others,
the privilege is given TO assure that hap
piness and swell that grandeur, and to
link your own name Herewith forever"
AT the conclusion Of these remarks
some conversation was had between tho
President and several members Of the
delegations from the border States, in
which IL was represented that these States
could not be expected to move in so
great matter as that brought to their
notice in the foregoing address while as
yet the Congress had taken no step be.
yond the passage Of resolution, expires.
ssive rather of a sentiment than present.
ing substantial and reliable basis Of ac.
ton.
Tho President acknowledged tho force
Of this view, and admitted that tho Dor.
der States were entitled 10 expect sub.
stantial pledge OF pecuniary aid AZ the
condition OF taking into consideration a