Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-09-03
EMPLOYMENT OF NEGRO SOLDIERS.
THE PROSPECT OF PEACE.
AFORCIBLE AND CHARACTERISTIC LETTER


AFORCIBLE AND CHARACTERISTIC LETTER
The following is Preti lent Lincoln's letter
to the Springfield mass meeting:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WAsHINGToN, August &c, 1863.
HON JAMES @. CONKLING:
Nv Dear Sir-Your letter, inviting me to at
tend mass meeting of unconditional Union
men, to be held at the Capitol of Illinois on the
Sd day of September, has been received. 1t
would be very agreeable to me to thus meet
my old friends at my own home, but cannot
lust now be absent from this city SO long as the
visit there would require.
The meeting is to be of all those who main
tain unconditional devotion to the Union, and
am sure my old political friends will thank
me Tor rendering, as do, the nations gratitude
to these other noble men whom no partisan
malice or partisan hope can make false to the
nations life. There are those who are dissat-
isfied with me. To such l would say, you
desire peace, and you blame me that we do not
have it; but how can we attain it! There
are but three conceivable ways: first, to sup
press rebellion by force Of arms. This 1
am trying to do. Are you for it! If you are,
60 far we are agreed. If you are not for it,
a second way is to give up the Union. 1 am
against this. Are you for lit If you are, you
should say SO plainly. IT you are not for force.
nor yet for dissolution, there only remains some
imaginary compromise. do not believe any
compromise embracing the maintenance Of
the Union is now possible. All I learn
leads to n directly opposite belief. The
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 by any man or men within that
range, in opposition to that army, is simply
nothing for the present, because such man or
men have no power whatever to enfor &c their
side of a compromise, if one were made with
them
To illustrate: Suppose refugees from thu
South and peace mer Of the North get to-
gether in convention, and frame and proclaim
compromise, embracing the restoration Of
the Union, in what way can that compromise
be used to keep Lees army out of Penn
sylvania Meade's army can keep Lees army
out Of Pennsylvania, and think can ultimate
ly drive it out Of existence; but no paper COM
promise to which the controllers Of Lees
army are not agreed, can at all effect that
Amy. In an effort at such compromise, We
should waste time which the enemy would
improve to our disadvantage, and that would
be all.
A compromise, to be effective must be made
either with those who control the rebel army, or
with the people first liberated from the domi-
nation Of that army, by the successes Of our
army. Now, allow me to assure you that no
word or intimation from that 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 and intima-
tons to the contrary are deceptive and ground
less; and promise You that if any such propo-
sition shall hereafter come, it shall not be re.
jected and kept a secret from you.
1 freely acknowledge myself the servant
Of the people, according to the bond of service
the United States Constitution-and that as
such l am responsible to them. But to be
plain, you are dissatisfied with me about the
negro. Quite likely there is a difference Of
-1i-.~-- ~~-".o,, ~" anu nIyseII upv..
subject l certainly wish that all men could
be free, while l suppose you do not; vet, 1
have neither adopted nor proposed any measure
which is not consistent with even your views,
provided you are for the Union. suggested
compensated emancipation, to which you re.
pheo you wished not to be taxed to buy
negroes. But had not asked you to be taxed
to buy negroes, except in such way as to save
you from greater taxation, to save the Union
exclusively by other means. You dislike the
emancipation proclamation, and perhaps you
would have it retracted. You say it is un-
constitutional. 1 think differently. I think
tie Constitution invests its Commander.
in. Chief with the law of war in time of war
The most that can be said-if SO mnch is that
slaves are property. Is there, has thara ever
Teen, any question that by the law of war the
property both of enemies and friends may be
taken when needed! And is 1t not needed when
ever taking it helps us or hurts the enemy
Armies, the world over, destroy enemy's
property when they cannot use it, and even
destroy their own to keep it from the enemy.
Civilized belligerents do all in their power to
help themselves or hurt the enemy, except a
few things regarded barbarous or cruel
Among the exceptions are the massacre of van.
pushed foes and non. combatants, male and
female.
But the proclamation, as law either is valid or
is not valid If II is not valid, it needs no retrac
ton. il 1t is valid, it cannot be retracted any
Fore than the dead can be brought to life Some
of You profess to think its retraction would
operate favorably for the Union. Why better
after the retracion than before the issue!
There was more than year and half OF trial
to suppress the rebellion before the proclama-
ton issued; the last one hundred days of which
passed under an explicit notice that it was
coming, unless averted by those in revolt re-
turning 10 their allegiance.
The war has certainly progressed as favor
ably tor US since the issue of the proclamation
as before. know, as fully as one can know,
the opinions of others, that some of the COM
manders of our armies in the field, who ha re
given us our most important successes, believe
the emancipation policy and the use OF the
colored troops constitute the heaviest blows
yet dealt to the rebellion and that at least one
OF those important successes Cuuru uut hive
been achieved when it was but for the aid of
black soldiers.
Among the commanders holding these views
are some who have never had any affinity with
" hat is called abolitionsn, or with Republican
party politics, but who hold them purely as
military opinions. submit these opinions as
being entitled to some weight against tho OBJ
jections often urged that emancipation and
aiming the blt cks unwise rs military
ms as ures, and Were not adopted is such in
coed faith.
You say You will not fight to free negroes.