The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-09-11
Letter Of President Lincoln to the
Springfield Convention.
EXECUTIVE MANSION.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2Gtb.


EXECUTIVE MANSION. .
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2Gtb.
To Hon. James e. Couk!in:
DEAR SIR Your letter inviting mo'o at.
ieud mass meeting of unconditional Union
men, to DO hold at tho Capital of Illinois,
on tho 81 day of September. has been re-
ceivod. 1t would be very agreeable to me
thus 20 meet my old friends at my own
homo, but cannot just now be absent from
this city so long as a visit tbore would re.
quiro' Tho meeting is to bo of all those
who maintain unconditional devotion to the
Lnion. aud am sure that my old political
friends will thauk mo for rendering as do,
tho nations gratitude to those noble mon
whom no partisan malico or partisan hope
can make false to tho nations life.
These arc those " bo arc dissatisfied with
me. To such would say, you desire peace
and you blame the that we do not have II.
But how can We attain il Thore are but
three conceivable ways : Frst,-To sup.
press the rebellion by force of arms. This
am trying to do. Are you for it If you
are, SO far VIC arc agreed.
/ If YOU me not for it, second way is to
give up the Union. am against this; if
you are you should say so plainly. If you
are not for force, nor yet for dissolution,
thero only remains some imaginable com.
promise. do not believe that any CON
promise embracing the maintenance of the
Union, is now possible. All that l learn
leads to directly opposite belief. The
strength OF the rebellion is its military. Its
army dominates all the country and all the
people within its range, and any offer of
terms made by any man or men within that
range in opposition to that army is simply
nothing for tho present, because such man
or men have no power whatever to enforce
the side of compromise if ono were made
with thom.
! To illustrate. Suppose refugees from the
South aud peace men CT the North met TO-
gethor in convention, and frame and pro.
claim compromise, embracing rcs,ora-
ton of the Union, in what way can tha,
compromise be used to keep General Loe'
army out of Pennsy ylvania General Meade
urmy can keep General Lees army out o
Pennsylvania, aud think can ul:imatel,
drive il out of existepca. But no papol
compromise, to which tho controllers oi
General Lees army are not agreed, can at
all ,tfcct :hat army. In an effort at such
compromise we would waste time which the
enemy would improve to your disadvantage,
and that DO all.
A compromise to DO effective must be
made either with those who control the
rebel army, or with the people first liberia
tod from the domination Of that army BY
tho success of our army. Now, allow me
to assure YOU that no word or intmaticu
from tho rebel army, or from any of the
mou controlling it, In relation to any peace
compromise, has ever como to my kuowl
edge or belief.
All charges and lntmations 10 the contra
~ are deceptive and groundless, and !
promise you that IT any such proposition
shall hereafter como, it shall not be rejected
and kept secret from you. freely &C.
knowledge myself to be the servant of the
people according to tho bond of the service,
the United statos Constitution, and as such
am responsible to them. But to be plain
you arc dissatisfied with me about the no
gro. Quito likely there is a difference Of
opinion between you and myself upon tha
l i,l r,;a h,k n
be free. while you, suppose do not.
have Mother adopted nor proposed an,
measure which IS not consistent, even will
your view, provided you are for tho Union
l suggested Compensated Emancipation
to which you replied that you wished no, te
DO taxed to buy negroes but had moi
asked you to be taxed to buy negroes ex
cept in such way as to save you from
greater taxation, and to save the UnIou, OK.
clusively, by other means.
You dislike tho Emancipation Proclamn.
ton, and perhaps would have It retracted
You say it is unconstitutional l think diff
ferontly. think that the Constitution vests
its Comma der.n. Chief with the laws OF
war in time of war. The most that can be
said, if so much, is, that slaves are property
Is thore--has there ever beon any question
that by the laws of war, property, both OF
enemies end friends, may be taken when
needed and is it not needed wboreve;
taking it helps us or helps tho enemy =
Armies, tho world over. destroy the enemies
property when they can use it, and ever
, destroy their own to keep it from the cue
my. Civilized belligerents do all in thoi,
power to help themselves or hurt the enc
my except few things which are regarded
as barbsrous and cruel; among the excep
tions are the massacre of vanquished foes
and non cOmbataDts male and female. Bu
the Proclamation is law, and is either valiG
, or is not valid. If it is net valid it needs
{ no retraction ; if it is valid 1t cannot DO re
, tracted any more than the dead can b:
brought to life.
Some of you profess to think that re
traction would operate favorably to the I'm
ion. Why better after tho retraction thai
before tho Issue There was moro than
= year and half of trial to suppress the re