Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-09-04
The Presidents Letter to his
Friends in Illinois.
The following is President Lincoln's letter Il
tlr Srringiell Mass Meeling:

EXECUTIVE MANsIoN, WAsmINGToN,
August 10Th 1868.
Hon JAMES G. CuNKLING My Dear Sir
Your letter inviting me to attend u mass meet
ing Of unconditional Union men to br held at the
capital Of Illinois, on the . day Of Septombe,
has been received.
II would be very agreeable to mo thus to meet
my old friends at my own home, but cannot
just now lie absent from this city 50 long as II
visit there would require. The meeting is to be
at all ihose WIN MAINTAIN unconditional devotion
tO the Union, and | am sure That my old political
irruls will thank me for rendering, as do, the
nations gratitude To those other noble men whom
no partisan malice or partisan hope can mako
false To the nations life.
There atc those who are dissatisfied with me
TO such would say, "Non desire peace and
YOU hamc me that we do not have it. But how
ctn we attain it There ARE hut three conoeyn-
tile ways, Firs. 10 suppress the rebellion by
force Of arms. This | am trying to do, Are you
inr il II you nrc. so far we are agreed If You
ARE not for il, we are not agree A second way
is 10 give up the Union. nm against this. If
you are, you shout say 50 plainly. II you are
not Tor lurcV, nor yet for dissolution, there only
rcmnns me imaginary compromise. do not be
iove that any compromise embracing the main
tcnnncc Of tue Uniun is now possible. All that
learn leads to n directly opposite belief The
strength of the rebellion Is lis miliaty--its army,
That army dominates all the country and all
The people within its range. Any offer Of terms
made by any man or mtn within that range, IN
opposition tn that army, is simply nothing for
the present, because such man or men have Ito
power whatever to enforce their side of a com
promise, it one were made with them. To illus
lraie-4uppose Il refugee from the South and the
peace men Of the North get together in convcn
tion and frame aud proclaim II compromise EN-
bracng Il restoration of the Union, in what way
| cap Tint compromise be used TO keep Uen. Lees
army uut of Pennsylvania Gen. Mendc's army
can Keep Lees army out of Pennsylvania. md,
think, can ultimately drive it out of existence
hut no paper compromise to which The control
lers Of GcnrSll Lees army are not agreed can at
all Affect that army. In an effort nj such con-
promise we would waste the time which thc
enemy would improve TO our disadvantage, ans
that would be alt.
A compromise, To le effective must be made
either with these who control the rehel army or
with ihr people, first liberated trun the duminu-
ton of tnnI army by the success OF our army.
Nov allow me to assure you tlmt no word or
ntimatOn from the rebel army, or from ANY oil
the mcn controlling H., in relation to any peace
compromise, has ever come 10 my knowledge or
hrlirt All charges and intiinallons tu the CON
ttary are deceptive mud grouudless, and pro-
mise you that II any such proposition shall here
after come. it shall not be rejected aud kept
secret from you. freely acknowledge myself
to he the servant Of the people, according to the
bond Of service the United States Constitution
and tlat us such am responsible to them.
| but, to be plain, you are dissatisfied with me
about the negro Quite likely there is differ
encc OF opinion between you and myself upon
that subject. certainly wish that All men could
BE- free, while ycu. | suppose do not. Yet
have neither adopted nor proposed any measure
j which is not consistent with even your views,
provided you are for the Union. | suggested
compensated emancipation; to which you re-
piled that you wished not to be taxed to buy
negroes. But had not asked you to he taxed
to buy negroes, except in such way as to save
you from greater taxation to save the
Union exclusively by other means You dis
like the Emancipation proclamation, and per
hnps you want to have 1t retracted. You say it
is unconstitutional. think differently. | think
that the Constitution Invests its Commander in
chief with the law Of war in time Of war The
most that can be said, it 50 much, is, that slaves
are property.
Is there, has there ever been, any question
that by the law Of war the property both of enc
mics and friends may be taken when needed, and
is it not needed whenever taken il helps us or
hurts the enemy Armies the world over des
stroy enemies property when they cannot use it,
and even destroy their own 10 keen il from Til 4
enemy. Civilized belhgereuts do all in their
power TO help themselves or hurt the enemy ex.
cepI few things regarded as barbaroua or cruel
Among the exceptions are the nasancrcs Of van
lushed foes and non combatants, male and
female. But the proclamation, as law, is valid
or is not valid 1t it is not valid, it needs no re-.
traction II it is valil it cannot be reiiac,ed any
more than the dead can he brought to life. Some
Of you profess t0 think that It's rutnciOu would
operate iavorahy for the Union. Why better
after the rottactiun than before the issue
There was more than n gear und half fnr
trial to suppreas the rebel ion before the pracln.
maiuu was Issued, the lust one hundred days ui
winch passed under nn explicit notice that -
was coming, unless nverted by those in revolt
returning to their allegiance. The wnr has Ger
lainly progressed aA iavoraby for us siuec the
, lsSue nj the proclamation as before. know, ~
, uly ~ one can know the opinions OF others,
that some Of the commanders vi our armies ii
the field who have given us our most important
!, VICTORIES brlirye The emancipation policy and
tbs AID vi uunled troops constitute the huuyies
Il b1ws yet dealt To tho Rebellion and that al
least one ui those important puccessrs could no
have hoen achieved when il was hut for tho All
vi llnck soldiers, Among the commanders hnld
ing thvse views ara uome who have never ha,
II any affinity with what is called nhuhtiunam, 0
/, with the Republican party politics, hut vino hul,
D., Them purely NJ military opinions. | subnn
ih,ir opinions US heng entitled tu some weigh
~ hHAihAi the nhleGtiuns often urged that cmanUI
"A patton and the hrming Ul the blacks are unwis
na military measures, and were not adopted a
such in good faith. You say that you will no
light TO free negroes. Some OF them seem to h,
willing to fight for you but no mnller-fg
yoH, lheu, exclusively to save the Union.
K ssued the proclamation on purpose TO al,
II yUu in saving the Union. Whenever YOU shu
II have conquered all resistance to the Union, if
II shall to urge you to continue fighting
e ii will he an apt time then for you to declar
81 lhat you will not fight to free negroes
10 thought that in your struggle for the Unon l.
. whatever extent the negroes should cense helpin
e the enemy,io that extent it weakened the cncml
in his resistance to YOU DO you think differently
d thought that whatever negroes eau he got t,
W do rs soldiers leaves usi much less for whit
soldiers to do in sawng the Union Does ii np
pear otherwise 10 you But negroes, like othe
people act upon motives Why should they d
It anything for us, it we will do nothing for them
" 1t they stake their lives for us they must b
't prompted by the strongest mOtiVes-even th
:. PROMISE Of freedom; and the promise bein
It made, must be kept.
Il The signs look better, The Father of Water
rs again goes unvexed to the sea-thanks to th
C great northwest for IL; not yet wholly to them
4 Three hundred miles up they met New England
" the Empire, the Keystone, and New Jersey
a hewing their way right and left The sum
= SOUTH too, in more colors than one, also lent
d hand; on the spot, their part of tue history wa
r j0tted down iu black aud white. The Job was
d great national one, and let none be banned VIII
t bore an honorable part in it, while those VIII
II have cleared the great river may well be PROUD
8 Even that is not ALL Ii is hard to say tha
any thing hns been more bravely and better don
than ut Antetam, MurfreesborOugh, Gettysbu,l