Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-07-25
NEW SERIES, VOL. Is, NO. Is.

| ham has specially ana Dy ulicct ltulguagc
| advised against enlistmcnts and in favor OF
dcscrtion and resistance to drafting. We
| all know that combinations, armed in some
instances to resist the arrest of dcscrtcrs,
began several months ago; that more re-
Gently the like has appeared in resistance to
the enrolment preparatory TO a draft and
that quite a number of assassinations have
occurred for the same daiRtUS. These had
to bc met by military force, and this again
| has led to bloodshed and death. And now,
under the sense of responsibility more weigh
ty and enduring than any which is merely
official, |. solcmnly declare my belief that
this hindrance of the military, including
manning and murder. is due to the course in
which Mr.. Nallandigham has been engaged,
in greater degree than to any other cause,
and is due to him personally in greater
degree than TO any other one man. These
notorious. known to ALL and ofcoursc, known
to Mr.. Nalandigham. Perhaps would not
/ be wrong to say they originated with his
especial friends and adhcrcnts. With per-
feet knowledge of them, he has frequently,
if not constantly. made speeches in Con-
gress and before popular assemblies; and if
! il can be shown that with these things star
| ING him in the face, he has ever uttered Il
word of rcbukc or counsel against them, it
will he n fact greatly to his.avor with me- and
one of which, as yet, | am totally ignorant
When il is known that the wolc burden of
/ his speeches has been to stir up men against
the prosecution OF the war, and that in the
midst of resistance to il, he has not been
known in any instance to counsel against
such resistance, it is next to impossible to
rcpcl the inference that he has counSellcd
! directly in favor Of it. With all this before
their eyes, the Convention You represent
have nominated Mr.. Nallandigham for Gov
ernor of Ohio and both they and you have
declared the purpose to sustain the national
Union by all constitutional means. But, OF
course, they and You, in common, reserve to
yourselves to decide what arc constitutional
means. and, unlike the Albany meeting, you
omit to state or intimate that in opinion an
army is constitutional means to save the
Union against rebellion, or even to init
mate that you are conscious of an existing
| rebellion being in progress with the avoWcd
object of destroying that very Union. At
the same time your nominee for Governor,
| in whose behalf you appeal, is know to you
and to the world to declare against the use
of an army to suppress the rebellion Your
own attitude, therefore, encourages dcscr-
ton resistance TO the draft and the like,
| because it teaches those who incline to de-
sert and to escape the draft to believe it is
your purpose to protect them, and to hope
that you will become strong enough to do
/ so. After a short personal intercourse with
You, gentlemen of the Committee, | cannot
cannot say think you desire this effect to
! follow your attitude but ] assure you that
| both friends and enemies Of the Union look
upon il in this light. 1t is substantial
hope, and by consequence, II real strength to
the enemy 1t is false hope, and one
which you would willingly diepcl. will
make the way exceedingly easy. lend you
duplicates of this letter in order that you, or
a majority may, if you choose endorse your
names upon one Of them, and return it thus
endorsed to me, with the understanding that
those signing are thereby committed to
the following propositions, and to nothing
else:
/. That there is now rebellion in the
United States, the object and tendency OF
which is to destroy the National Union; and
that, in your opinion, an army and navy are
constitutional means for supprcssing that
rebellion.
?. That no one of YOU will do anything
which, in his own judgment, will tend TO
hinder the increase, or favor the decrease, or
lessen the efficiency Of the army or navy,
while engaged in the effort to suppress that
rebellion; and,
B. That each of you will, in his sphere
do all he can to have the officers, soldiers
and scamen ofthe army and navy, while en-
gagged in the effort to suppress the rebellion
paid, fed, clad, and otherwise well provided
and supported.
And with the further understanding that
upon receiving the letter and names thus
endorsed, will cause them to be published
which publication shall be, within itself, a
revocation Of the order in relation to Mr.
Nallandigham.
will not escape observation that ! cen
sent to the release of Mr. Nallandigham upon
terms, not embracing any pledge from him
or from others, as to what he will or will
not do. | do this because he is not present
TO speak for himself, or to authorize Others
to speak for him; and hence, | shall expect
that on returning, he would not put himself
practically in antagonism with the position
of his friends But ! do it chiefly because
thereby prevail on other influential gentle
men OF Ohio to 50 define their position rs tc
be of immense value to the army-thus
more than compensatng for the consequence
of any mistake in allowin6 Alr. Nalandig
ham to return, so that on the whole tho
public safety will not have suffered by it
Still, in regard to Mr. Nallandigham and al
other, | must hereafter, as heretofore, do Sc
much rs the public safety may seem to re
qure. | have the honor be respectfully
yours etc, y LINCOLN.