Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1862-07-30
THE PRESIDENTS APPEAL TO
TIE RORDEG STATES.

The Representatives and Senators Of the
Border Slaveholding States having. by speI
cial invitation of the President, been con-
yencd at the Executive Mansion on SaturN
day morning last, Mr.. Lincoln addressed
them as follows from a written paper held
in his hands:
GENTLEMEN: After the adjournment of
Congress. now near, shall have no Oppor~
tunity of seeing you for several months.
Believing that you of the Border States hold
more power for good than any other equal
number of members, fee, it 4 duty which
L cannot justiiiabiy waive, to make this ap-
peal 20 you
l 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 Mavch, the
war would now be substantially ended
And the plan therein proposed is yet one of
the most potent and swift means of ending
it. Let the States which are in rebellion
see definitely and certainly that in no event
will the States you represent ever join their
proposed Confcderacy, and they cannot
much longer maintain the contest. But
you cannot divest them of their hope TO ulti-
mately have you with them SO long as you
show a determination to pcrpetuate the in
StitutlOn within your Own States. Beat
them at elections, as you have uverwhelm-
ingly done, and. nothing daunted, they still
claim You rs their own. You and | know
what the lever of their power is. Break
that leaver before their faces, and they can
shake You no more forever.
Most of you have treatcI me with kind
ness and consideration. and | trust you will
not ROW think | improperly touch what is
exclusively your own. when, for the sake of
the whole country, ask, ''can you, for
your States, do better than tn take the
course l Urge2 Discarling p'Hct5!io and
maxims adapted to more manageable times,
and looking Only to the unprecedentedly
stern facts of our case, can you do better in
any possible event? You prefer that the
constitutional relation Of the States to the
nation shall be practically restored without
disturbance Of the institution; and if this
We're done my whole duty in this respect,
under the Constitution ard my oath of of
flee. would be performed. But it is not
done, and we are trying to accomplish 1t by
war. The incidents of the war cannot be
avoided. If the war continues long. as II
must. if the object be not sooner attained,
the institution in your States will be eXtin-
guished by mere friction and abrasion-by
the mere incidents of the war. 1t will 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 pco
pie TO take the step which nj once shortens
the war, and secures substantial compensa-
ton for that which is sure to be wholly lost
in any other aventI 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 rem
| der Us pecuniariiy unable to do it! How
| much better for you. as seller and the na-
| ton. as buyer, to sell out aud buy out that
without which the war Cuul6 never have
| been, than to sink both the thing TO be sold
| and the price of it in cutting one another's
| throats,
| do not speak Of emancipation at once
| but Of decision at once to emanCipate
! yraJsaUy. Room in South America for col
| Uuizttion can be obtained Cheaply. aud in
abundance, and when numbers shall he large
| enough 10 be company and encouragement
/ for one another, the freed people will not be
| so reluctant to 60.
| | am pressed with a difficulty not yet
| mentoned-o1e which threatens division
among those who. united, are none toe
strong. An instance of it is known to you.
| General Hunter is an honest man. He was
and | still hope is, my friend. | valued
| him none the less for his agreeing with me
| in the general wish that all men everywhere
could be freed. He proclaimed all men free
| within certain States, and rcpudiated the
| proclamation. He expected more good and
| less harm from the measure than | could be
! lieve would follow. Yet. in repudiating it
! | gave dissatisfaction, IL not offence, to many
| whose support the country cannot afford t.
| lose. And this is not the end of it. The
pressure in this direction Is still upon me
and is increasing. By Conceding what
now ask you can relieve me, and. mucE
more. can relieve the country in this impor
| tant point.
| Upon these considerations l have agaiI
begged your attention to the message 0
March last. Before leaving the capital
consider and discuss it among yourselves
Your are patriots and statesmen, and rs sucl
| pray You consider this proposition; and
at the least commend it to the consideration
of your States and people As you wOul'
perpetuate popular government for the bes
people in the world, l bcSeech you that yo1
| DO in no wise emit this. Our common cou1
try is in great peril, demanding the loftles
views and boldest action to bring speed
relief Once relieved, its form of govern
Inent Is saved to the world; its beloved his
tory and cherished memories are viudicated
and its happy future fully assured and ren
: dered inconceivably grand. To you, NOR
than to any others, the privilege is given
assure that happiness and swell that gran
dure. and to link your own names therewit
+ forever
rat the conclusion Of these remarks SON
, conversation was had between the Pre5ider
and several members Of the delegations troI