Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1863-09-12
The Presidents Letter.
His War Policy indicated (!
The following is President LINcoLN's
letter to the Great Union Mass NJ cting
at Springfield, Illinois.
Executive MANSION,
August 10Th, 1862.


August 10Th, 1862.
TO Hon J0mes G.. COahln:
My DEAR SIR:-Your letter Inviting
me to attend mass meeting Of Union
! men, to be held ut the Capitol of inos
on the third day of September, has been
received. 1t would be very agreeabe to
me thus TO meet my old friends, at my
own home, but cannot just now be ab-
sent from this city SO long as visit there
would require.
The meeting is to be of those who
MAINTAIN unconditional devotion TO the
! Union, and | am sure that my old polit-
cal friends will thank me for rendering.
rs | do, the Nations gratitude to those
other noble men, whom no partisan mai
ice or partisan hopes make false to the
Nations life.
There are those who are dissatisfied
| with me. TO such l would say, you de
sire peace, and you blame me that we do
not have it: but how can we attain it?
There are but three conceivable ways:
E"-.. n .>.Pr'eoa the rebellion by
force of arms This | am trying TO do.
Are you for it? If you are, SO far we
are agreed.
If You are not flr it, second way is
is TO give up the Union. I am against
this. Ii YOU are, you should say so
plainly. If you are not for force nor yet
for dissolution, there remains only some
imaginable compromise. DO not believe
that any compromise under the mainten-
ance of the Union is now possible. All
that | learn, tends directly to the oppo
site beIief-that the strength of the re-
belion i, in its military-its army; and
that the army dominates all the county
and all the people within its range. Any
offers, if made by any man or men with
in that range, in opposition to that, are
simply nothing, for the present, because
such man or men have no power what
ever to enforce their side Of a compro-
mise, if one be made with them.
TO illustrate: Suppose refugees from
HE South and peace men from the North
should meet in Convention and frame a
proclamation or compromise embracing
restoration of the Union, IN what way
can that compromise be used to keep Gen
Lees army out If PENNSYLVANIA? Gen.
Mead4's army can keep Gen. Lees army
out of Pennsylvania, and [ think ultima
tely drive il out of existence. But no
paper compromise, to which the control
lers OF Lees army are not agreed, can at
all effect that army. In an effort at such
n compromise we would waste time that
the enemy would improve to our disad-
vantage, and that would he all. A com
promise 60 be effective must be made eli.
Iher with those who control the rebel ar
my, or with the people liberated from
the dominion of that army hy the sue
cess of our army.
Now, allow mo to assure Won that no
word or intimation 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 or limitations to the contra
~ are deceptive and groundless, and
promise You that if any such proposition
shall hereafter come, it shall not be re
jected and kept secret from you.
| freely acknowledge myself to be the
servant of the people according TO the
bond of the service, the United States
Constitution, and as such | am response
bic 10 them. But, TO be plain, you are
dissatisfied with me about the na9ro.-
Quite likely. There is difference be-
tween you and myself upon the subject.
| certainly wish all men could be free,
while you, suppose, do not. Yet
have neither adopted or proposed any
measure which is not consistent with
even your view, provided you are for the
Union.
suggested compensated emancipa-
ton, to which you replied that you wish
ed not to be taxed 10 buy negroes, but l
bad not asked you to be taxed to buy
negroes except in such way as to save
you from greater taxation, in order to
save the Union exclusively BY other
means. You dislike the emancipation,
aud perhaps would have it retracted.-
You say il is unconstitutional. | think
differently. l think the constitution