The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-09-07
LATEST FROM THE aORTH.

rican, Of the Sd inst. The following il
a summary Of the news which it con-
tains:
LETTER FROM LISCOLN--uow AND WHEN
PEACE Is TO BE OBTAINED-THE EN-
MsrMENT OF NEGRO TROOPS.
The following letter from Lincoln to
the Springfield 0ll mass meeting is pub
lished. Copies of it were to be furnish
ed the other Abolition meetings held in
different parts OF the United States on
the same day. If anything coming from
him may be dignified the term official"
expressive Of his views, then this paper
may be taken in that sense:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
Washington, August 2G.
Hon. James f. Conkling: r.
My Dear Sir-Your letter inviting me to
attend mass meeting Of unconditional
Union men, to be held at the Capitol of Illi-
nois on the Sd day Of September, has been
received. 1t would be very agreeable to NE
TO thus meet my old friends at my own home,
but l cannot just now be absent from this
city SO long as visit there would require.
The meeting is TO be Of all those who
MAINTAIN unconditional devotion to the
Union, and am sure my old political friends
will thank me for rendering, as do, the ma
tion's gratitude to those other noble men
whom no partisan malice or partisan hope
can make false 10 the nations life. They arc
those who are dissatisfied with me. Tosuch
lwouldsay You desire peace, and you blame
me that we do not have it. But how can we
obtain it? There are but three conceivable
ways. First, to suppress the rebellion by
force OF arms. This am trying to do. Are
ron for
If you are not for It., we are not agreed.
A second way is to give up the Union.
am against this. If you are, you should say
so plainly Ii you are not for force, nor yet
for dissolution, there only remains some im-
aginary compromises. do not believe that
auy compromises embracing the maint ef ance
OF the Union is now possible. Allfhat learn
strength of the rebellion Is its military-its
army That army dominates all the country
and all the people within its range. Any
offer of terms made 10y any man or men
within that range, in opposition to that
army is simply nothing, for the present, be-
cause such man or men have 10 power
whatever TO enforce their side of the com
promise, if one were made with them.
TO Illustrate: Suppose refugee from the
South and the peace men.Of the North get
together and frame and proclaim Il compro-
liiise embracing the restoration of the Union,
in wh hat way can that compromise be used
to keep Gen. Lees army out of Pennsylvania?
Gen. Meade's army can keep Lees army ont
of Pennsylvania, and think can ultimately
drive it out of existence, but no paper com
promise to which the controllers of Gen.
Lees army are not agreed can at all affect
that army. In an effort at such compromise
We wouli waste time which the enemy would
improve to Ourdisatlvantage, and that weuld
be, ALL
A compromise, to be effective, must be
made either with those vino control the
army or with the people first liberated from
the dom ination of that army by the success
Of our army. Now, allow me 10 assure you
that no word or intimation from the rebel
amy, or from any Of the men controlling it,
III relation to any peace compromise has
ever come to my knowledge or belief. All
charges or intimations to the contrary are
deceptive and grOundless, and promise you
that if any such proposition shall hereafter
come it shall not be rejected and kept secret
from you.
I freely acknowledge myself to be the SER
want of the people according to the bond Of
service--the United States Constitution
and that rs such am responsible to them.
But, to DC plain, you are dissatisfied with me
about the negro Quite likely there il a diff
ference of opinion between you and myself
upon that subject. / certainly wish that all
men could be free, while you, | suppose, do
not Yet, l have neither adopted nor pro-
posed any measure which is not consistent
with even your views, provided you are for
the Union. | suggested compensated eman- |
cipation, to which you replied that you
wished not to be taxed 10 buy negroes. But
had not asked yOu to be taxed to buy ne !
grOes, except in such a way as to save you !
from greater taxation, to save the Union ex-
clusively by other means. You dislike the |!
emancipation proclamation, and perhaps, |
yon want to have it rctrocted. You say it is |
unconstitutional. l think differently. | |
think that the Constitution invests it,. Conf |
manderin- Chief with the law of war in time !
of. war. The most that can be said-if SO
much-is that slaves are property. Is there, |
has there ever been, any question that by the |
law of war the property both of enemies and |
friends may be taken when needed? And is |
it not needed whenever taken it helps us or |
hurts the enemy? Armies, the world over, |
destroy the eNemy's property when they |
cannot use it, and even destroy+their own to |
keep it from the enemy. Civilized belligc
rents do all i'll their power to help them |
selves or hurt the enemy, except "a few things |
recorded as barbarOus or cruel. Among the |
exceptions are the massacre OF VanQuished |
foes and non-cOmbatants, male and female. |
But the proclamation as a law is valid or is |
not valid. II it is not valid it needs no re- |
traction. Iii is valid it cannot be retracted |
any more than the dead can be brought to !
life. Some of you profess to think that its |
rehaction would operate tavorably for the |
Union. Why better after the retraction
than before the issue? There was more than |
a year and a half for trial to suppress the re- |
bellion before the proclamation was issued, |
the last one hundred days of which passed !
under explicit notice ii was coming unless |
averted by those in revolt returning to their |
allegiance.
The war has certainly progressed as favor |
ably for us since the issue Of the proclama |
ton as before. l know, as fully as one can |
know the opinions Of others, that some of |
the commanders of our armies in the field |
who have given us our most important vie |
to. les, believe that the emancipation policy |
and the aid of the colored troops constitutes |
the heaviest blows yet dealt to the rebellion; |
and that at least one of those important sue |
cesses could not have been achieved when it |
was, but for the aid OF the black soldiers.
Among the commanders holding these |
views aresome who have never lad any af |
finity with what is called AbOlitionism, or |
with Republican party politics, but who hold |
them purely as military opinions. submit |
their opinions rs being entitled to some
weight against tiaaOt jections often urged |
that emancipation and the arming of the |
llacks are unwisc as military measures, and |
were not adopted rs such III good faith.
You say that you will not light to free ne
groes. Some of them seem to be willing To |
light for you; but no matter, fight you, then, |
exclusively to save the Union. issued the |
proclamation on purpose to aid you in saving |
The Union Whenever you shall have con- |
quered all resistance to the Union, il shall |
urge You 10 continue fighting, it will be an |
apt tune then for you to declare that You will |