The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-11-21
REMARKABLY REVELATIONS.
An Interior View of MIR. Lincoln'S Mind.
Expose of a Private Interview with
the President Before the Outbreak.

Expose of a Private Interview with
the President Before the Outbreak.
The Liverpool Mercury of October Is,
contains speech of Ex-Governor Morehead
of Kentucky, on the secession of the South
ern States. The following part of it is an
important contribution to the history Of
the months preceding the outbreak of the
civil war. Mr.. Morehead, after assuring
his audience that he was originally Union
man, alluded to his visit to Washington as
member of the so-called "peace conven-
tion," which assembled there shortly be-
fore Mr.. Lincoln's Inauguration. The an
ti-cOerciOnists composing the convention
having failed in obtaining any guarantees
under the threat of secession, Governor
Morehead met Mr.. Seward, who, it had
been announced, was to be the new Pre-
mier.
WHAT Mr.. SEWARD SAID.
Imet him and l do not deem it impro-
per to say here, as I have said on other
occasions, that he pledged his sacred hon
or that there should be no collision be-
tween the North and the South, (Hear,
hear.) "Nay," said he, Governor More
head" laying his hand on my shoulder to
make it more emphatic, "let me once hold
the reins of power firmly in my hands, and
if don't settle this matter to the entire
satisfaction of the South in sixty days,
will give you my head for football" AL
though confess I had but little confidence
in Mr. Seward, thought it utterly impos-
sible that an honorable man could make
pledges of that kind, and so shortly after
ward violate them in the most shameless
manner.
WHAT JUDGE LOGAN DID.
Shortly after that Mr.. Lincoln came to
Washington city in the manner that you
have all read of, his particular and intimate
friend, Judge Logan, called to see me be-
fore breakfast one morning, before l had
got out of my bed, and announced to me
as a secret the fact and manner of his ar
rival in Washington, speaking in terms of
indignation of those who had advised
course of that sort, and stated at the same
time that Mr.. Lncoln-with whom I had
served in Congress, and with whom | was
upon very Intimate terms-mentiOned my
name first of all after had met him, and
desired an interview with me. / said to
Judge Logan that | would prefer that other
gentlemen should be with me, and not
have the interview alone, and he stated
that Mr. Lincoln had also named other
gentlemen.
The gentlemen invited to the interview,
besides Gov. Morehead, were W. G. Rives
and Judge Sumner of Virginia, Gen. Don
novan of Missouri, and MIR. Guthrie of
Kentucky. The interview did not take
place until several days afterwards, about
nine O'Clock at MI ht
HOW MIR. LINCOLN GOT TO BE PRESIDENT.
Mr.. EincOln commenced the converse
ton, after receiving us very kindly, by
stating that he was accidentally elected
President Of the United States; that he
had never aspired to position Of that kind;
that it had never entered his head; but that
from the fact of his having made q race
for the Senate of the United States with
Judge Douglas, in the State of Illinois, his
name became prominent, and lie was acct
dentally selected and elected afterwards As
President Of the United States; that run
ming that race in local election, his speech
es had been published; and that any one
might examine his speeches, and they would
lind that he had said nothing against the
interests OF the south.
WHAT lie MEANT By "a HOUSE DIVIDED
AGAINST ITSELF
He detied them to point out any one SEN
tcnce Ill all the various addresses that he
had made in that canvass that could be
tortured into enmity against the south, ex-
cept, he remarked, one expression, namely,
fall; they must either be al slave or all free
states" and he said that he explained af-
forwards that that was an abstract opinion,
and never intended to be made the basis Of
his political action. He remarked at the
same time that the clause in the Constitu-
ton OF the United States recurring fugi-
tive slaves to be delivered up, was a con-
stitDJional provision, was a part of the or
ganic law Of the land, and that he would
execute that with more fidelity than any
southern man they could possibly find, and
he could not imagine what was the cause
of the deep and apparently settled ennity
that existed toward him throughout the
south. looking at me at the time as if to
invite an answer from me.
Gov. Morehead says he replied that it
was rot on account of any personal eumity
to Mr. Lincoln that the South wants TO
secede, but the sectionalism of his party
and its platform. He then appealed to him
TO give the guarantees demanded by the
Peace Convention
WHAT MIR. LINCOLN WAS WILLING 10 10.
He said that he was willing to give a
constitutional guarantee that slavery should
not be molested in any way, directly or in
directly, in the States; but that he was
willing to go further, and give guarantee
that it should not be molested in the Dis
trict Of Columbia; that he would go still
further and say that it should not be dis
turbed in the docks, arsenals, forts and
other places within the slaveholding States;
but as for slavery in the Territories, that
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