Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-10-26
Reply of President Lincoln to the
Missouri Delegation.
instructions to GEN. schoneld.
Address of c. ID. Drake, Chairman OF
the Delegation.
TO THE RADICAL UNION MEN OF
MISSOURI.

the Delegation.
TO THE RADICAL UNION MEN OF
MISSOURI.
1t becomes my duty as Chairman of
the Delegation from Missouri, which re-
Gently visited the city of Washington, to
confer with President Lincoln in regard
to Missouri affairs, to lay before you his
reply to the communications submitted
by the Delegation to him which reply
is hereto subjoined. 1t came to my
hands on the 18th inst, and would have
been Immediately published, but that /
felt it incumbent on me to accompany
its publication with some remarks !;
which | have not until now had
time to prepare My remarks viii be
such as seem to me justified by the occa-
sion They will be dictated by no spirit
of disrespect toward the President, per-
sonally or officially.
A perusalof the Presidents letter viii
satisfy you that, except in single point,
the visit of the Delegation to him has
failed, for the present, to attain its OBJ
iects This will be q source of rejoicing
to our adversaries, as it viii be of regret
to you, and to all men of unconditional
loyalty in the country. -a
Nothing was more manifest to the
Delegation while in Washington, than
that the sympathies of the unconditional
Unionists of all the loyal States were en-
listed on our behalf We were recogniz-
ed as the representatives of the true
Union party of Missouri and will be so
recognized hereafter by the whole body
of such Union men as have swept Con-
servatism and Copperheadism from the
face of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Iowa,
and will in due time perform the same
glorious work in other States. Had
nothing more been effected by our visit
to the seat of Government, this were a
cause of present congratulation, as it
will beDf future advantage.
Though the President has not Judged
it expedient, under all the circumstances,
to meet the wishes of those in Missouri,
whom, in our interview with him, he ex-
pressly recognized as the party upon
which he must mainly rely for the sup
port here of his Administration; yet that
recognition by him may be expected to
bear fruits in future which will probably
compensate for present disappointment
| We gave him an appropriate opportu-
/ nifty for signifying that he was in accord
with the Radical Union sentiment which
is everywhere rising, and will be the con-
trolling force in the elections, State and
National, in 1864; but he declined to
embrace it. This, however, should be
| no Encouragement to us, or to any who
think with us. The safety of the country
is in that Radicalism which would strike
at the rebellion with every available
means, and which deems it indispensable
to the overthrow of the rebellion to de-
stroy utterly it's sole cause and life-the
institution of SLAVERY. The loyal peo
pie of the land are rapidly embracing
that great truth, and he who rejects or
ignores it will live to see and regret his
mistake.
That the President should have virtu
!, ally adhered to Gov CANDLES admins
tration, Notwithstanding our representa-
tions, does not greatly surprise me.
could not overlook the important fac
that two members of his Cabinet wer'
avowedly our opponents, and that thei
presence in Washington abides, while
necessarily ours could be but transient
| Their influence has doubtless triumphet
for the time; but it is short-lived tri
umph, even if continued to the end o
the Presidents official term. Befor
that time the PEOPLE will have pro
nounced their verdict In the trial whicl
is to precede its rendition, it is yolr dut
and mine to perform our parts steadil,,
= and manfully, unrepressed by presen
failure and unawed by official opposition
however potent.
, In connection with the remark of tn
President concerning General Schofele
it is due to myself and to the Delegation
! and necessary to the truth of histor!
, that I should make an explanatory stat'
= ment. The President notices certai
charges against General Seho6eld, whic
Il may thus be enumerated:
l. Imbecility;
d 2. That General Schofeld, on parpo.
to protect the Lawrence murderers, ,woal
+, not allow them to be pursued into Mi
q souri,;
8. That General Schofeld has plt
i poSely withheld protection from 10y
u people, and purpOseky facilitated the o
lCCto VI CAO
d When l say to you that no such cha
, ges were made, either in the address
the Delegation, or in the letter of the
Executive Committee, (both of whit
n have been published, and that | hea
no such charges made by any one in o
interview with the President, you W
3. understand my surprise at his referen
at to them. For myself, feel bound
honor to say, thus publicly, that l ha
no knowledge which would lead me
IN make or believe any of those charg
For what, as q member of the Deles
ton and the Executive Committee, a
~ as the author of the address of the f
mer and the letter of the latter, f
justified in urging against General Sci
IN field, am responsible; but for no mo
l felt justified in assailing his admin
IL tration of the Department of the N
souri,, on the grounds stated in thu
or documents; but not in laying to /
charge any of those three enumerai
=, points. And I am unable to say W
Al certainty whence those charges proee,
ed. Of course they we're before the Pr
SIS ident, or he would not have noticed the
IA You win observe that be refers to fl
nd documents submitted to him on the Sd
October. One was the letter of the
lg. ecutiye Committee the others W
statements made out by sub-commltt
of the Delegation, from three Congl
sional Districts, and supposed to emb'
merely representations of the condit
-.... -. of things in those districts; at least, {
was the object of the Delegation in
thorizing their preparation Those th
documents were not submitted to
,va. ,ssi. Delegation or the Executive Commit
i've One 1of them read. the others +