Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-07-18
Correspondence Between the President and
Border Slave state Members.

The Representatives and Senators OF the Dor.
der slaveholding States having, by special invi.
| tation OF the President, been convened at the
Executive Mansion on Saturday morning last
| Mr.. Lincoln addressed them nom written "a.
per, wherein lie regretted that they had not al
l voted Tor the resolution Of the gradual enamel.
patton message Of March last the adoption o.
| which he considered would have substantially
| ended the war. The President still urges "ths
plan therein proposed, ;" as "the most potent and
| swift measure OF ending IT," and asks whetbe,
| "discarding panctilio and maIims adapted "a
more manageable times and looking only to the
approximately stern facts Of our case, can You
| do better In any possible eventf"
He continues {" IL the wal continues long q, I,
must IL the object be not sooner attained, the In
| sntution In your States will be extingnished by
| mere friction and abrasion-by the mere incl.
dena OF the war. Ii will be gone, and YOU will
have nothing valuable In lieu Of IL " =
i How much better for you, as seller, and the
n'uon, as buyer, 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 IL In cutting ore another's throats do
/ not speak OF emancipation az once, but Of a de-
| In South America for colonization can be oh.
l tained chespiY,, and in abundance, and when
| numbers shall De large enough to be company
and encouragement for one another, the freed
| people Will not be 80 reluctant to 90 -
The President then refers TO the d. I'll Guilty he is
| Obliged TO encounter In the fact that divisions
l exist among leaders as 10 the proper mode of
/ treating the slavery question, and refers to the
case case OF zen. Hunter. In conclusion, he again
oegs their attention to the message OF March
Las, ," and says: GAS YOU would pefpetuate p0nn-
| lar government for the best people in the wo!ld
| oeseech you that you do In no wise omit this y
AT the conclusion Of the Presidents remarks
| some conversation was had between the President
ana several members of the delegations from the
Border States, In which II was represented that
tnese states could not be expected to move in so
a mat oro N1afA y
the foregoing address while a. vet the Congress
nad taken no step beyond the passage of resolu-
uon, expressive rather Of a sentiment than prc.
senting substantial and reliable basis Of action.
Inc PRESIDENT acknowledged the force OF this
view, and admitted that the Border states were
entitled to expect a substantial pledge OF neon
mary aid as the condition Of tsking into consid
Grafton proposition so important in It's rela Ions
On July 1tth, Messrs. C. A. wickiIde, Garrett
DAVIS, Wilson, J. Crittendcn, John Car
| lie, j. w Crisfeld, !. Jackson, II order,
John 8. Phelps, Francis Thomas. Charles n
Calvert, G. l.. l.. Leary, Edwin III Wrbst,r r
Mauory, Aaron Harding, James 8 Rollins, .
w; Menzies, Thomas L. Price, G. w DunIsp
and William A. Hall replied, wherein In refer
ence to the message Of March last thew ,av.
:" In the first place. II proposed a radical change
OF our social system, and was hurried through
both Houses with undue haste, without tessona
Ole time for consideration and debate, and with
no time at all for consultation with our con,ti,u
ents, whose interests 1t deeply involved II
seemed like an interference by this Government
with aquestion which peculiarly and exclusively
belonged to our respective States, on which they
lad not sought advice or solicited aid MANY OF
Us doubted the constitutional power Il this Gov.
eminent TO make appropriations Of M ney for the
OBJECT designated, and all of Us tho our
finances Were In no condition to bear the immense
outlay which Its adoption aud faithful execution
would Impose upon the Nation / Treasury,n
Iney then refer TO the fact that the cost Of enan
clpation would amount to the enormous sum of
Ia
be justified in voting for a measure which ifc,,.
rled out, would add this vast amount to our
PUBIC debt at moment when the Treasury was
reellng under the enormous expenditures Of the
war" mot TO mention other circum
stances, Ii Is quite Sufficient for our rurroSn "a
bring to your notice the fact, that, while This
resolution was under consideration In the senate
our colleague, the Senator from Kentucky, moved
an amendment appropriating $500, 900 to the OBJ.
Ject tnereln desig mated, and Il was voted down
with great unanimity. What Confidence. then
could we reasonably feel that IL we commItte3
our:eives 70 the policy 1t proposed, our cohstt.
uents would reap the fruits Of the promise held
out; and on what ground could we, as fair men.
approach them and challenge their support?',
Iney could not see what good the nation Was
70 rom the passage OF the act for there
was not the remotest probability that the states
we represent would Join In the rebellion nor ia
tnefo now, or OF their electing TO 90 with tbs
southern section In the event OF a recognition Of
sae, dependence OF any part Of the disaHec,ed
President that IL we lad voted for the RESOLUTION
~ ~, ,hs eanclpaaon message Of Mateh last the
The resolution has passed. and IL there be virtue
In II It viii be quite as efacacious as If We had
soea ioI II. No, cir; the war has not
been prolonged or hindered by our action on This
or any other measure. We must look Tor other
causes for that lamented factn
They then refe, TO what they consider the cause
rom which the rebellion derives Its strength.
viz: the unity Of the southern people.
In reference TO such proclamations az that NJ
General Hunter they say to the President: g Con
dne yourself to your constitutional authority; ;
conhne your subordinates within the same Limits,
conduct this war solely for the purpose on re,toI
ring the Constitution to its legitimate eutboritv
conceoe TO each State and its loyal citizens
by indissoluble tlesn They saw tbeir " oso 1oa
p" Will not consider the proposition in lis pressnt
impal pablo form" \ UR.Sore tha,,
ought to consider the proposition, IL th0uld bs
presented In such tangible, practical. eftcient
shape as to command their Confidence that i,s
irnlss are contingent only upon their acceptance
we cannot trust anything to the contiupenci.s ~
future leg station II Congress, by proper and
necessary legislation, shall provide sufficient
funds and place them at your disposal 10 he an
Pliea oy you to the payment OF any OF our States
or the citizens thereof who shall adopt the anal.
lshment OF slavery, either gradual or immediate,
as they may determine, and the expense of de-
portation and colonization Of the liberated sIavss
then Will our States and people take thi, nrono,I
ton into careful consideration, for such decision
no IN tncl Judgment is demanded by their intsy-
ests, their honor, and their duty to the whole
On the 18th July, Messs John w. NoeII Sam
Casey: George L. Fisher, J. Clements. w
U. Brown, Jacob b. Blair, and w r WILEY
replied; and say they cannot IN the
OF the majority. They I" believe that the whole
power OF the Government, upheld and Sustained
oy all the Influences and means of ali loval men
IN all sections, ard 81 all parties, is essentially
necessary to put down the rebellion and preserve
tne Union and the Constitution, - and understand
the Presidents appeal "to have been made for
Ine purpose OF curing this resultn
They therefore fully approve nj IN. roIycr
desired to be inaug urated, and say in concl,,son
they the rebeIs) can give up slavery TO De styov
the Union, we can surely ask our people n con.
1 ,l the question Of emancipation 20 saus the
On the 10th, Mr.. Maynard, of Tennessee. r..
phed. He cannot concur In the view Of the ms.
Jofity; ana says: This 10 attributable possibly
70 tne TACT that my State 10 not a Border STATE
properly so-cailed, and that my immediate CON,
stituenn are not yet Disseminated from the hos.
ule arms OF the rebellion. This fact ia a nhvsi
cal obstacle In the way Of my now submitting 10
tneir confederation this or any other proposition
LOOKING to political action, especially such ar. I'm
tnis case, would require a change In the organic
law OF toe State.n HE WIN 4. ~,
ready 70 yield all his material interests. and to
iorego his most cheris ht sentiments and oninton.
ior the preservation Of his country, althoueh he