The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1863-09-08


tiou at Springfield, III.
f Executive Mansion, Washington Aug. %.
To Hon. Jas. E. Conkln; =,
Ny DEAR SIR:A YourJletter inviting me to
attend Mass Meeting of unconditional I'm
ion men, TO be held at the Capitol OF Illinois,
on the Sd day Of September, has been receiv-
ed. 1t would be very agreeable 10 me thus to
meet my old friends at home, botl cannot
just now be absent from this city as long as
visit there would require.
The meeting is to be OF all those who
mantsin unconditional devotion to tho Union,
aud / am sure that my old political friends
thank me for rendering, as ] do, the
nations gratitude to those other noble men
whom no parlizan malice or partizsn hope can
make false TO the nations life. There are
those who are dissatisfied with me. To such
would say, "You desire peace,and you blame.
me that we do not have 1t. But how oan we
attain iti There are Tut three conceivable
ways; first to suppress the rebellion by force
of arms This | am trying to do. Are you
friti Ifyou are, so far we are both agreed.
If you are not for it, a second way is to give
up the Union. am against this, II you are,
you should say so plainly. If you are not for
force nor yet for dissolution, there only remains
some inn giuable compromise. do not be-
lieve that any compromise embracing the
maint-nance of the Union is now possible.
All that learn leads to a directly opposite
belief The strength Of the rsbelion is its
military, It's army that dominates over all the
country and all the people within its range.
Any offer of terms made by any man or men
within that range iu opposition to that army
is simply nothing for the present. because such
man or men have no power whatever to en-
force their side of compromise if one were
made with them. To illustrate; suppose ref
ugees from the South and peace men of the
North met together 10 convention and frame
and proclaim compromse embracing res
toration of the Union. in what way can that
compromise be used to keep Gen. bec's army
out Of Pennsylvania! Gen. Meade's army
can keep Gen. Lees army out Of Pennsylva
MIA, aud think can ultimately put it out of
existence; but no proper compromise to which
the controllers of Gen. Lees army are not
agreed can at all effect the army. ln an effort
al such compromise, we would waste time,
which the enemy would improve to our disad-
vantage, and that would be all. A compro
mise 10 bs effected must be made either with
those who control the rebel army or else the
people must be first liberated, from the domi-
nation OF that army by the success of our ar
my. Now allow me to assure you that no
word or intimaiion from the rebel army or from
any of the men controlling it in relation to any
peace compromise, has ever come to my
knowledge or belief. All charges aud inti
nation to the contrary are deceptive and
gfounoIcs-, Huu I InUmisv you u atirruy oucu
proposition shall hereafter come it shall not be
rejected aud kept secret from you. l freely
acknowledge myself 10 be the servant Of the
people, according to the bond of the United
States Constitution, and that as such | am re-
sponsbe to them, but, to be plain, you are
dissatisfied with me about the negro. Quite
likely. There is q difference Of opinion be.
tween you aud myself upon that subject. l
certainly wish that all mon could be free,
while you, Suppose, do not. Yet have
neither adopted nor proposed any measure
which is not consistent with your views, pro-
vided that you are fjr the Union. / sugges
ted compensated emancipation, 10 which YOU
replied, that you wished not to be taxed to
buy negroes; but, had not asked you 10 be
taxed to buy negroes. except in such a way
the Union by any other means. You dislike
the Proclamation, and perhaps would have it
retrscted. You say It's unconstitutional;
think differently. L think That the Constitu
ton vests its Commander in Chief with the
law Of war in time of war; The most that
can be said is that saves are property. Is
there or has there ever been any question that
by the law Of war that property both Of enc,
mics and friends may be taken when needed
and is it not needed wherever taking it helps US
or hurts our enemies? Armies the world
over destroy enemies property when they
can't use it, and even destroy their own to
keep il from the enemy. Civilized beliger-
en,s do all in their power to help themselves
or hurt the enemy, except few things re-
garded as barberous or cruel. Among the ex
ceptions are the massacre Of vanquished foes
and non cozbatens, mao and female. But
the proclamation is law and is valid or is not
valid. fit is not valid il needs 70 retrsc.
tion. Ifit is valid it cannot be retracted any
more than the dead can be brought to life.
Some Of you profess to think that retr'ction
would operate favorably 10 the Union. Why
better after the retraction than before the is.
sue. There was mole than year and halls
trial 10 suppress the rebellion before the proc
amation was issued, the last 100 days Of
which passed under an explicit notice that it
was coming, unless avered by those in revolt
returning TO allegiance. 1t certainly has pro.
gressed as favoraby TO ms since the issue of
the proclan alton as before / know, as fully
as one can know the opinion Of Others, that
some Of the commanders Of our armies in the
field who have piyen us our most important
victories, believe the emancipation proclama.
tion aud the aid of colored troops constitute
the heaviest blows yet dealt to the rebellion,
aud at least one Of those important successes
could not have been achieved when il was but
for the aid Of black soldiers. Among the
commanders holding these views are some who
have never had any affinity with what its call
ec Abolition OF, Republican party politics, but ]
who hold them purely as military opinions.
/ submit, then. the opinion as being entitled