Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-30
OLD ABE. THE NTGGRR AND THE
UNION.

OLD ABE, "A NIGER AND THE
UNION.
The President Of the United States is evidently
letting himself down. BE certainly has 8 very
poor appreciation of the dignity Of the position
he occupies or it may be that the dignity of the
position has departed with the secession of the
Southern States.
It was only the other day we Published q
speech from the old Gorilla, delivered in the east
room Of the Presidential mansion, to an assem-
bly, Of the " gentlemen from Africa the free
niggers OF Washington City. In this we thought
he had reached the lowest depths of degradation
70 which the successor of WASHINGTON could
descend. Bat it seems we were mistaken. He
has found a stll lower depth, and ssil further
degrades the dignity Of bis position by address
ing al autograph letter to HORACE GREELEY,
editor of the New York Tribune. lii a precious
document, and we do not feel st liberty to with
hold it from our readers. Here it is:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WAsHrSsroS, d. or
August -. 1862.
HoN. HORACE GREELY: 1 have just read
yours Of the 9th instant, addressed to myself
through the New 1eIk Tribune. If there be in
% AAN NFARNAANaho "a &a1saNNN8a "a a-@ 49,
Imay know to be erroneous, l DO not now and
here coutrovert them. If there be any differences
which l may believe 70 be falsely drawn, ! do
not now and here argue against them. 1t there
BE- percepGb.e in it any impatient and dictstOTial
scne, I waive l. in Difference TO an old friend,
whose heart I have always supposed 70 be right
As 20 the policy ! seem TO be purSuing-as you
say ! have not mssnt to leave any one in doubt
I would save the Union; l would save it in the
.N--t-4 49, ---1,~ tL, T,Ds&sFws5on Wha
sooner the national authority can be restoVd,
he nearer the Union viii be the Union as it was.
L there be those who would not save the Union
unless they c8Uld- 81 the same time, save slavery,
I 90 not agree with them; If there be those who
would not save the Union UHless they could at
the same time destroy slavery, l do not agree
with them.
Ny paramount object is to save the Union,
snd not ci.heT 20 save or destroy slavery. If /
could save the Union without freeing any slaves
I weuld DO L, and if l could save It By freeing
al the slaves / would do it, and if l could save
it by freeing some and leaving others alone, l
would also DO that. What I DO about slavery
and the colorcd rscs 1 do because l believe it
helps 20 save the Union; and what I forbeaT, 1
f0TbgsT because I Go not believe it would help to
save tie Union. 1 shall do less whenever I shall
Beisvs that what 1 an doing hurts the cause,
sDd I shall DO more whenever / believe doing
A-HA& va Up 49, @A-9N a 9-aLAA - ~ 49, ]
errors when sh5wn to be errors, and 1 shall
s3Opt new views SO fast as they shall appear to
be true views. l have here stated my purpose
according to my view Of official duty, and l in
tend no modification of my oft expressed per-
soaal wish that ell men everywhere could be
fres. Yours. A. LINCOLN.
The letter is thoroughly Characteristic of the
old baboon. The prominent and paramount
idea IN bis head is the salvation of the Union,
AMI he would sa7oit ain the shortest way, under
tie Constitution But the subsequent portion
CT his letter shows thatin discovering the short
est way he would not be very squeamish about
the observation of Constitutional landmarks.
He says tha. If he could save the Union without
freeing any Of the slaves, or by freeing them all,
or by freeing part only, he rould DO i. That is,
be would violate the Constitution in order to
preserve The Union dndsr the Constitutions for
inc quss ion IS naturally suggested, where does
be set his authority for doing Whist he says he
10, in order to accomplish bis purpose.
has no power under tAe Constitution to free
he negroes, either ons, g thousand, OF the whole
L them, yet he saws he would do it if thereby
70 could save the Union. He talks as though
le combined in his own person toe power Of
King, Lords and Commons-ths power Of polit-
cal omnipotencs. To preserve the Union he
would violate private and property rights,
the relative status Of master and servant
rob the Southern people of four billions
worth Of slave property We DO not know that {
ne AutocTat Of Russia ever proposed such an c
lnwarranted and unlimited exercise of power, q
nd this letter gees to show that the South has
lot been an hour too soon in severing her con-
axion with a people who have no higher appre-
iation ofPrivate rights and Constitutional obi C
than is shown in this manifesto Of their r
1Tiils chief. Let Us rejoice that we no longer T
We under Inc same family roof with them.