Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-10-29

souri, and Kansas who recently waited upon Tre-
sident LINCOLN to effect change In the command
of that military department, publishes in the ST.
Louis Democrat Of Friday last the following letter
of the PRESIDENT in reply to their several memo
rails, by which it will be seen that the President
declines TO comply with the demands thus made
upon him:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
Washington, Oct0ber 5, 1868.
Hon CHARLES d. DRAKE and others, Committee
GENTLEMEN Your original address, presented on the
3Oh utmo and the four supplementary ones presented
the Sd instant have been carefully considered. hope
you will regard the other duties claiming my attention,
together With the great length and Importance of these
documents as constituting sufficient apology Tor my not
having responded sooner
These papers, framed for common object consist Of
the things demanded and the for demanding them
The things demanded are
Fret That Gen. Schofeld shall be relieved, and Gen.
Butler be appointed as commander OF the military depart
ment of Missouri; .#
Second That the system of enrolled mil tia in Missouri
may be broken up and national forces be substituted Tor
it and,
third That a. elections persons may not be allowed to
vote who not entitled by law to do so.
Among the gwen enough of suffering and wrong
to Union is certainly, and, suppose truly stated
Yet the hole case presented fails TO convince me that
Gen. schofeld the enrolled militia ia responsible for
that suffering and wrong. Tie whole cap DO explained on
more charitable and as / thuk, rational h!lo
thesis
We are in civil war Ia such ca es there always is
main question; but in this that question is perpex
ing compound-Union and Slavery. 1t thus becomes a
question of two sides merely but of at least four sides
among those who for the Union saying nothing
of thoss who are against it, Thus: those who for
the Union lci but not citOat slavery those for i uh
cut but oh th for it oh Without but prefer IT
,oihom Among these again, subdivision oftbose wlo
for gradual but not for Immediate and those who are
for Immediate but not for gradual extinction of slavery
1t to conceive that all these shades Of opinion and
more, may be sincerely entertained by honest and
truthful Yet, all being for the Union, by reason OF
these differences each will prefer different way OF us
alng the Union At once, sincerity is questioned, and
motives are assaled. Actual coming blood grows
hot, aud blood is spilled Thought is forced from old
channels into confusion Deception breeds and thrves
Confidence dies aud universal scon regns Each man
feels impulse to kill his ueghbor lest he be xii ed by
him. Revenge and retaliation follow. And all this, is be-
fore said may be among honest only But this not
all Every foul bird comes abroad, and every dirty rep
tile rises up These add crime to fusion Strong
sures deemed indispensable but harsh at best such
make worse by INSTRUMENTATION Murders for old
gudes and murders for pe proceed under any cloak that
will best cover for the occasion,
These causes amply account for what has occurred in
Missouri, without ascrbing it to the weakness wicked
of any General The newspaper fles those chroni
cers Of current events will show that the evils
planned were quite prevalent under Fremont Hunter
Halleck, and Curtis under Schofeld. If the former
had greater force opposed to them they also had greater
force with which to meet it, When the organized rebel
army left the State the main Federal force had to asc
leaving the department commander at home relatively
stronger than before Without dsparaging any, affirm
with confidence that commander Of that department
has in proportion to his MEANS done better than Gen
Schofeld.
The first specific charge against Gen Schofed is that
the enrolled militia placed under his command
whereas it bad not been placed under the command of
Gen Curtis The fact, believe is true but you do not
point out nor can conceive how that did eoulI nure
loyal men the Union cause
You charge that upon Gen Curtis baag superseded by
Gen. schofeid Franklin Dick supersededb by James
o. Brodhead as Provost Marshal General. No very spe
cfc showing is made how this did could inure
the Uniou cause It recalls however the condition Of
things as presented to me- which led 10 a change of
mander for that department,
To restrain consrabsad intelligence and trade system
Of searches seizures permits aud had been intro
duced, think, by Gen Fremont When Gen. Halleck
ORDER applicable to parts Of the state to levy and
collect contributions from noted rebels to compensate
Losses and relieve restitution causei by the rebelos
The action Of Gen. Fremont and Gen Haeck, stated
constituted sort Of systeu which Gen. Curtis found ia
full operation when he took command Of the department
That there necessity for thing % the sort
clear but that it could only BE- jus fled by necessity
and that it liable to great abuse in administration
was equally clear Agents to execute H. contrary to the
great prayer led iuto temptation Some might while
others would not st that Temptation 1t not pos
sble to hold Any to very strict accountability and those
Welding to the temptation would ST., permits sud passes
to those who would pay and mJst readily for them
and would seize property and collect levies the aptest
way to fll their pockets Money being the object
the man having money, whether yal disloya would
be A victim This practice doubtless existed to some ex
tent and it was resl additional evil that It could be and
wss pausby charged exist in greater extent tina it
did
When Gen Curtis took command o! the depsi tment
Mr. Dick, against whom knew any thing to allege
bad general charge Of this tystem controversy in
gard il rapidly grew nto almost proper
tons One side ignored the necessity ind magnied the
evils OF the system while the other ignored the evils and
magnifed the necessity aud each bitterly assaled the
motives Of the other could not fail to that the
troversy enlarged in the proportion the protested
Union there disnt y took tiies in two opposing
political parties exhausted my wts, and very nearly
my patience also efforts to convince both that the evils
they charged ech other Inherent in the case and
could not be cured by giving either party victory